Nexus Karambunai - Post Hiking Pampering

After our Mount Kinabalu hike, we checked in Nexus Karambunai Resort to rejuvenate and relax. One of Alfred's friend mentioned that this IS the place to stay. When we arrived there, I was absolutely amazed by the size of the resort - it is a mini-heaven so to speak. Even though this place is situated away from the Kota Kinabalu town, it has all the facilities - golf course, botanical garden, jacuzzi, restaurants, mini market, etc. The size of the place is simply mind-boggling.

When we were honeymooning in Mauritius, we concluded that Beau Rivage is the best ever place to stay. But after coming to Nexus Karambunai, we changed our mind and agreed that this place is simply breathtaking and clean! Whenever we go to some beaches in Peninsula Malaysia, most often than not we are dissapointed at the littering that goes on. In Nexus, the beach is combed every now and then for rubbish - and it's so clean. I absolutely love the ambience of the whole place - they even have a giant chess set overlooking the beach for the visitors to play. At night, it is absolutely romantic to stroll along the beautifully-lit sidewalks shadowed by palm trees. It is surely a place for a romantic getaway. And they have fantastic beach - with its shoreline stretching endlessly. It's a private beach with only the resort guests allowed there - so there's absolute privacy. The beach chairs are so comfortable to laze on - and it's all well spread out. You need a bicycle to get around the whole place - that's how huge the place is. We would definitely recommend this place to honeymooners and families. And the food served at the restaurants are delicious. Everything seems to be perfect here - yes, it's too good but it's true :)

At the breakfast area @ King Fisher restaurant

The balcony of the room we stayed in - gorgeous view

The beautiful private beach

 

Mount Kinabalu (Gunung Kinabalu) DAY 1: - Hiking Adventure #6

Mount Kinabalu is situated in the East Malaysia state of Sabah on the island of Borneo. It is the place where you could see breathtaking sunrise from above the clouds, 13,435 feet (4095 meters) above sea level.

We've finally achieved our dream - hiked up Mount Kinabalu and got back home safely despite some mishaps. We had to go through a number of challenges just before the hike - Alfred hurt his back while lifting a heavy bag just hours before the hike - but we decided to continue as he could still walk; in the middle of the hike, the sole of one of his shoes came off and we had to secure it with a string; had to continue our hike despite the weather condition - it was raining heavily; and me falling down somersaulting during the descent haha! We didn't allow all these to dampen our spirits and we kept going.

It's amazing what the human body can endure when you have an end in mind. Despite the obstacles, we persevered and took one step at a time and learned to listen to our instincts. We both respect nature and believe that no one should under-estimate the mountain - there's something sacred and spiritual about the mountain and we gave our utmost respect to it.

Our itinerary on Saturday (the day before the hike):

• Arrived at Kota Kinabalu at 9.20 a.m. on 24th October 2009 (Saturday).
• Checked into Cititel Express - it's simplicity is aluring despite the size of the room (the room is very small and compact - but the modern interior design makes up for its size).
• Packed our bags - separated the items which we will be carrying and the items for the porter to carry.
• The next day, after breakfast at the hotel, we were picked up at about 7.30 a.m.
• We made a pit-stop along the way to Kinabalu Park - we had to wait till 12 p.m. before the ascent for the Climbathon participants to finish the race.
  

The views during the pit-stop before Kinabalu Park

At Kinabalu ParkAt Kinabalu Park with our guide (in the middle)

Day 1: First Phase of the climb - Day climb from Timpohon Gate up to Laban Rata following the summit trail (Length of hike: 6 km hike; 1407 m):

The entrance at Timpohon Gate to the rest point at Laban Rata resthouse (3,272m above sea level) should take 5-6 hours to reach for average fit person, after which you will check-in to dormitory style accommodation. The little markers at the side of the pathway that indicated how many kms left to Laban Rata was really helpful in keeping us motivated and moving.

• Since it was Climbathon day (from 24-25th October 2009), we had to wait till 12 noon to start our hike - so that the path is clear for all the participants to descent.

• We started our hike from the Timpohon check point at 12 p.m.
• From here the trail rises steadily as a series of rough, uneven steps, right up to the overnight huts at Laban Rata (3,272 meters/10,735 feet). Along the way there will be 7 shelters (pondok), where each shelter have toilets and untreated mountain water source. The shelters afford the weary some well earned rest at intervals and the water tanks will make it easy for you as you do not have to carry heavy water bottles with you.
• Initially, the weather was fair. At about 12.30 p.m., it started to drizzle - and we were went like "Oh, oh! Let's keep on walking". The guide mentioned that it rains almost everyday - since it was approaching the monsoon season. After a couple of minutes, it started to pour heavily - we kept on walking, knowing that waiting does no good - we have to reach the accomodation facility at Laban Rata before it gets dark.
• After a gruelling 5 hours hike, finally we reached Laban Rata at about 5.00 p.m. - all drenched and cold. It felt so good to walk through those doors into a warm dining area.
• Took a quick shower - to our horror, the water heater was not working! The water was icy cold - and I had to bite my lips and take a quick icy-bath. It took me hours to warm myself up as the hostel room was not heated as well. Shared the room with two friendly Australian girls - despite getting drenched from the rain, we managed to giggle about the whole episode.
• Had a early hearty dinner (we were starving!) at about 6.00 p.m. and we settled into our bunk beds . The whole night, I could hear our roommates moaning from fatigue and the cold. I couldn't sleep that night as I was excited about the next day's hike up to the summit (despite knowing hat I had to wear my completely-wet-shoes - that part which I was so not looking forward!).

Before dinner, we went to the balcony of the guesthouse to admire the sunset - it was breathtaking - foams of clouds lining the rays of the setting sun. It was just darn cold standing outside - especially with the icy-cold-shower-effect.The dining area:

Note: Packed lunch is provided before the start of the hike, and early dinner at the Laban Rata guesthouse. 

Things to Bring (Timpohon gate to Laban Rata):

• Since it is a day climb, it is usually warm and sunny (unless of course if it rains). So lightweight clothing like T-shirt is sufficient.
• Good hiking shoes (a high-cut shoes is preferred to prevent ankle injury).
• Hiking sticks (I absolutely need it!)
  
• Cap
• Water (Dilute the oral rehydration salts in the water)
  
• Raincoat (You can buy disposable raincoats at Kinabalu Park)
• Face towels
• Tissue papers
• Insect repellent
• Chocolate, nuts, energy bars, cookies (I enjoyed my NIPS along the ascent to Laban Rata - it kept me going! - it's funny how chocolate tastes much better while hiking Mount Kinabalu).
  
• Your backpack. Better to have a waterproof one. We packed everything in double plastic bag in case it rains - and rain it did!).
• Camera
• Towels, toothbrush and toothpaste.

We asked the porter to carry most of the things needed for the night stay at Laban Rata - it came up to 10 kg - most of the weight is from the water bottles. The porter charges RM 8 per kilo of weight to be carried up and down. The stuffs we carried are water bottles for the first day hike, cameras and food.

Mount Kinabalu (Gunung Kinabalu) DAY 2: - Hiking Adventure #6

Day 2: Second Phase of the climb - Night climb from Laban Rata to the summit: the final and toughest part of the climb:

Above Laban Rata, the trail continues as a series of wooden ladders, fashioned out tree roots and branches, and smooth granite slopes. The final stretch crossed a jumble of boulders where a misstep could mean a twisted ankle or a fall. When the weather is clear, climbing the bare granite above the tree line is fairly straightforward. But mist and rain can blow in at startling speed. With visibility close to zero, climbers can easily stray into areas above cliffs where a false step can mean certain death - that was what our guide told us - so scary!

As there will be only one stop at Sayat-Sayat Hut for another registration, given a whistle for safety precaution and refilling your water, it is advisable for you to bring your own small water bottle.

The chain of events as follows:

• Woke up at 1.45 a.m. and had breakfast at 2.00 a.m.
• Started the ascent to the summit at about 2.45 a.m. (we were late because of last minute packing for the early morning climb). The guide told us not to bring the hiking sticks because we'd be using the rope to climb halfway through. I feel somewhat 'handicapped' without the sticks - so the next time I will definitely bring the foldable hiking sticks. And we wasted some time buying the ski mask at the hostel (it was below 5 degrees Celcius outside - and it's colder than the average day because of the previous day's heavy downpour). And since our shoes and most of our clothes were wet, we were freezing! But once we started the hike, we kinda got used to the cold - and plus the climbing helped to keep our blood circulating. We plodded on and on - since it was pitch dark, the walk seemed never-ending.
  

The starting part of the hike from Laban Rata to the peak

• The rope part was the most challenging one for us - luckily it was dark, so we didn't really freak out at that time. It was the descending part from the steep edges that was so nerve-wrekking. The best position is to descent backwards holding the rope and occasionally look on your left to ascertain the steps.
  
• Finally, we reached the peak! (Didn't look at the time as my watch was already spoilt from getting wet from yesterday's rain - but it was getting bright on the horizon). It felt so good to take a break to catch our breath at the peak - and the sense of accomplishment of having finally reached the peak! Unfortunately though, the sky was covered with thick mist by the time we reached the peak- and we could not see the sunrise :( As it started to drizzle, we quickly started to descent from Low's peak (the last thing we want is to get wet again!) and the guide told us to quickly descend as it becomes harder if it starts to rain heavily as we need to hold on to the rope at the steep edges when descending. Our biggest dissapointment - not taking any pictures at the peak. It was like "we arrived and we couldn't see the sunrise and it's already time to leave".

Source: http://wikitravel.org/en/Mount_Kinabalu (didn't manage to take any pictures as it started to drizzle)

• Reached Laban Rata at 9.00 a.m. Took a quick breakfast and started our descent at 9.30 a.m. Reached the Timpohon Gate at 1.15 p.m.
  
• Contrary to common belief, descending is worse than the climb. Hobbling down the trail with all that weight thumping on your knees and ankles can be excruciating (this is where wearing ankle and knee guards help a little to cushion the impact on your knees and ankles). That is when I fell down somersaulting like a chimp - just lost the grip since the path was slippery. Got hurt a little - but thank God I could still walk. I continued descending as to forget the throbbing pain on the back of my neck due to the fall.

Some of the shots on our way down (we took our time descending since we were still exhausted from the hike to the peak)

Carson Falls (about 500 m from Timpohon gate)

The cold and thin air is something one should take seriously- breathing oxygen-deprived air can cause altitude sickness (crushing headaches and nausea). Thank God we didn't experience that - must be because we took it slow and steady - to acclimatize our body to the altitude. During our Mount Nuang hike, albeit being challenging, we didn't have to deal with high altitude (which generally makes it more difficult to breathe).

The sense of achievement of having successfully scaled Mount Kinabalu can't be described in words! Finally! Our dream fulfilled - we hiked up Mount Kinabalu - the majestic mountain standing tall and mighty in Kota Kinabalu. It has been a long journey - all the training prior to the hike has finally paid off. Throughout the hike, we persevered and kept going. I would say that the hike has definitely taught us some invaluable lessons. 

Lessons Learnt:

• Survival makes you stronger - I never realized I could pull myself up using the rope - when the fear of falling grapes you, you hold on tight to the rope.
• The most beautiful moments in life are often where we least expect them. In between of taking a break to catch our breath when ascending to the peak, we turned off our head lights to conserve the battery - and to our amazement the darkness revealed the beauty of the mountain. The stillness of the dark night is simply beautiful. And when I looked up, hundreds of stars were glimmering nudging us to continue our journey despite the fatigue. That was the most priceless moments during the entire hike - the darkness of the night on the mountains and the brilliantly shining stars. That's why it pays to always keep looking up and looking forward! Hiking teaches us just that.
  
• Hiking mountains teaches you to maintain focus and persevere - it also reminds you the triviality of some things that we allow to get to ourselves - all those small matters is certainly not worth our time - don't sweat the small stuff!
• We had to grapple with the fact that Mount Kinabalu is anything but a walk in the park. We spend hours miserably dragging our feet through the beating rain the day before. Patience is a virtue here!

We are definitely going to hike this majestic mountain again – this time, we will go on a non-monsoon season and make sure we take lots of nice pictures; and we will use a different trail – the Mesilau Trail – which is supposedly more scenic. I think Mount Kinabalu certainly deserves a second hike! 

Things to bring from Laban Rata to Low's peak:

• It is a night climb, usually cold and windy. So, bring plenty of warm clothes - wind breaker or jackets, long sleeves shirts, thick trousers or cargo pants and thick socks.
• Headlight (is better than torchlight as most of the time after a certain point, you have to hold on to the rope in the dark).
• Ski mask
• Gloves
• Water bottle
• Raincoat
• Some snacks
• Camera 

Note: Supper before the ascent to the peak and breakfast after descending from the peak is provided at the Laban Rata guesthouse. Lunch is provided at the Kinabalu Park restaurant.

Mount Nuang (Gunung Nuang) - Hiking Adventure #5

Every hiking experience is different and each tells a unique story. This time, it is no ordinary hike. To train prior to our Mount Kinabalu hike, our next hiking destination was Mount Nuang. Mount Nuang is one of Selangor's highest mountains with the height of 1,493 metres (4,898 ft). Its peak marks the meeting point of three Malaysian states; Negeri Sembilan, Pahang and Selangor. The mountain itself is the highest point in Selangor and part of the Titiwangsa Mountains. It is a good training place for trekkers and also one of the difficult mountains to trek.

We woke up early and had a hearty breakfast of massala thosai at Estana Curry House just next to our condo. We left our place at about 7 a.m. and reached the base of Mount Nuang at 7.45 a.m. To get there just follow the sign to Cheras and exit at Hulu Langat and head towards Pangsun. The drive to the base of the mountain is very lovely - the sights of small huts for picnickers scattered along the beautiful stream.

Once you reach the base, you need to register yourself at the ranger’s office before you can embark on this hike. It cost RM1 per person.

At the base of the mountain - looking for sticks to hike

We started our hike at 8.15 a.m. and reached Lolo campsite at 10 a.m. ,where we relaxed by the waterfall for a minute or two. We proceeded to the second camp and reached Pacat camp at about 11.45 a.m. Pacat camp is situated at an altitude of 1,067 meters (3,500 ft). We took an hour of lunch break there - sat back, relaxed and breathed in the fresh mountain air around us and the mist that floated by - absolutely amazing - and we were accompanied by honey bees!

Pacat campsite

Normally, people will camp near Lolo or Pacat campsite before proceeding to the summit. Since we were not planning to camp overnight, we decided to use the remaining bits of our energy to descend to the base. We started our descend from Pacat camp at about 12.45 p.m. and reached the base of the mountain at about 3.45 p.m. (approx. 3 hours to descend from Pacat camp to the base). All in all, it took us less than 7 hours to hike from the base to Pacat camp and return.

Details of the hike:
The journey up the mountain can be described as going through 2 phases of hiking:
First leg: A long walk of about 5 km (with a gentle upward gradient) to Lolo campsite and waterfall.
Second leg: Walking up a continuous and fairly steep slope for about 2.5 km heading towards Pacat camp. The trail becomes increasingly more arduous from this point onwards. Pacat camp is situated at 1,067 meters (3,500 ft).

Ascending to Pacat camp

1st part of the hike:

It was no easy stroll in the jungle. The hike was about a 70-80% uphill and about 20- 30% downhill hike from the beginning. It led from a yellow dust road used by trucks and motorcycles to move up and down the mountain to gather forest fruits such as durians and banana trees.

We were flanked by pine forest along both sides of the trails at the beginning of our walk. The start of the trail is termed as the 'Never Ending Road'. I didn't feel the distance that much when we started our uphill journey - I was gung-ho and enthusiastic to reach Pacat camp as quick as we could. It was the return journey that was excruciating - the walk back seemed never-ending. The boring walk was actually an unmaintained and badly damaged road that stretched for 5 kms - it's a gravel+mud road with a gentle upward gradient.

The Never-Ending trail

Leaving the pine trees at the lower level, the track soon returns to lush tropical jungle interspersed with beautiful wild bamboo groves - absolutely gorgeous. At the end of the 'Never Ending Road', we were so elated to come across a stream - it was therapeutic just to hear the flow of water gushing down the stream. We had to cross the stream (I purposely got my shoes wet so that I could feel the refreshing cold water - and boy, it was fun!) and head towards Lolo campsite.

Crossing the first stream

2nd part of the hike:

With each step, the trail gets harder. Here, the trees and scrubs get thicker and denser, and the trail is narrower. It gets rather tough when you are about to reach the Lolo campsite - dealing with moderate to high steepness in some areas. For most parts though, the trail is surrounded by thick jungle; and on the way to the Lolo campsite, you will also need to cross several streams. Be on the lookout for leeches! We were lucky not to have any of the thirsty bloodsuckers on us.

Crossing the second stream heading towards Lolo camp

When you reach Lolo campsite, you will come across a waterfall. It is a nice respite after a muddy walk. (Some of the streams that we had to cross had strong currents - it must be because of rainfall the day before - we had to be careful as not to fall while stepping on the slippery rocks as we crossed the stream). We reached Lolo campsite at about 10 a.m.

At the waterfall near Lolo camp (this is a bigger waterfall stream which we had to cross)

The trail from Lolo to Pacat camp increases in difficulty and gets more “vertically challenging”. Using a hiking stick may help, but it all depends on the weather too. Since it rained the day before, the path was muddy and slippery - which made it more challenging. I actually fell and slid down when we were descending - it was darn slippery and muddy. And there were many big fallen trees during the journey that we had to climb over and underneath. It is indeed a total body workout - and it is excitingly adventurous!

The trail towards Pacat camp

At Pacat camp - finally

Overall experience:

Overall, this would be a challenging hike for beginners. For us, it was one fantastic climb albeit being a challenging one. We enjoyed the refreshing break at the waterfall, the river crossing, and the weaving through the “obstacle course” of fallen trees and muddy terrain, while being entertained by the sound of baboons 'performing' a 'concert' of some sorts and colorful butterflies greeting us along the hike and the sound of the buzzing bees. Such is the vibrant ecosystem that stretches throughout the trek that exposes Mother Nature at her most natural form.

That is the reason I fell in love with hiking - it is so therapeutic to just take one step at at time persevering and maintaining focus and at the same time taking in the beauty of nature. It also challenges my endurance level - both physically and mentally. And it feels good to be completely drenched in sweat. The best part is the descending - and finally getting into the car, feeling overwhelmed with satisfaction - the feeling is priceless - termed as the hiker's 'high'. And the next couple of days, the aches here and there serves as a sweet reminder of the adventure we had.

Mount Nuang - this is "that" climb around KL for city folks to experience endurances and gauge their readiness for Mount Kinabalu hike.
Length of hike - about 9km
Level of Difficulty - 5th toughest mountain to climb in West Malaysia

Contact
Pejabat Hutan Daerah Selangor Tengah,
Pangsoon, ulu Langat
43200 Cheras,
Selangor, Malaysia

Phone no.: 03-90752885