Chamah? “Cham-ah”… Is it really that wretched?

Chamah is the fifth highest mountain in Peninsular Malaysia, well-known for being one of the toughest hike in Malaysia. Despite its fame for being a challenging mountain, it still attracts hikers from all over the country, many with the purpose of completing all G7s. In fact, some hikers even ranked it the toughest G7.  

Note:G7 refers to the seven highest mountains in Peninsular Malaysia, in the following order: G1 Tahan (read: link), G2 Korbu, G3 Yong Belar (read: link), G4 Gayong, G5 Chamah, G6 Yong Yap and G7 Ulu Sepat. It’s an achievement among Malaysian hikers to complete G7. 

Located in the Titiwangsa Range, Chamah sits at the elevation of 2,171m above sea level, and is accessible from Kuala Betis, Kelantan. There are typically two trails that can be done, one being Trans CUS (Chamah – Ulu Sepat) while the other being only Chamah. Fearing the difficulty of Trans CUS, I gladly joined Chin’s Chamah event when he opened this trip few months ago.

“Chamah” sounds like “Cham ah” in Cantonese which means “wretched”, a perfect play of words since rumour has it that the hike is no joke. So… is the hike really that wretched? Let’s find out, shall we?

Day 1 (26/5/2017): KL – Gua Musang - Kuala Betis – Pos Simpoh – Pos Rekom

Hello team

From left: Aung, Phing, Lesvin, William, May, Shirley, MJ, me, Sebastian (sweeper/co-leader), Chin (leader), Eunice, Harriet, Crystal, Gavin, Uncle Mak, Steven, Cheah Sing, Weng Heong, Wah Wah, Zhan Yi and Aivee (Photo credit: Chin)

We gathered at MRR2 Starbucks on departure day at 12.30 midnight, and the bus took off at 12.50am after a short briefing by Chin. The journey to Gua Musang wasn’t as smooth as it should have been as the bus broke down several times along the way. Fortunately, William was there to help fix the bus albeit for temporary. Phew~! We finally reached Gua Musang after a four-and-a-half-hour bus ride, but it was still pretty early and the breakfast place had only just opened. Except Chin and Eunice who had woken up as the bus stopped, the rest were still sleeping, while I was awake almost throughout the entire journey, suffering from moderate fever and headache. Since the stall owner needed time to prepare for business, we waited until 5.45am before waking everyone up for breakfast. 

Blue team: Aung, May, Lesvin, Harriet, Steven, Sebastian, Zhan Yi, me, and Wah Wah (Photo credit: Wah Wah)

Purple, pink and orange team: Shirley, Weng Heong, Eunice, Aivee, Crystal, MJ and Phing (Photo credit: Wah Wah)

At 7am, we finished our breakfast and continued our journey towards Kuala Betis. An hour later, we reached Kuala Betis but our 4wd was only scheduled to pick us up at 9am. With one hour to spare, we rearranged our bag after getting our share of food ration from Chin. We still had time after rearranging our bag and taking group photo, so all of us sat down at a Malay warung for some morning tea and coffee.

Note:Warung or warong is a malay word for small family-owned eatery, normally located at the roadside. This type of establishment is widely found in both Malaysia and Indonesia.

Others: Gavin, Uncle Mak, Cheah Sing (Photo credit: Wah Wah)

Having coffee and tea at the warung (Photo credit: May)

Fun ride with 4wd

Our 4wd finally arrived to pick us up at 9.45am, and we were split into 3 trucks. Since there were 21 of us, we were split into 6-7 person per truck. We were lucky to have booked 3 trucks instead of 2 as our bagpacks had already occupied almost one third of the space. The ride was expected to be more than 3 hours, hence bigger space is important to ensure we don’t have to squeeze in uncomfortably or fold our legs up for long hours. A pat on the back of all of us for not being thrifty and gotten 3 trucks instead of 2. Yay!

Got onto the same 4wd with MJ, Sebastian, Weng Heong, Steven and Gavin. Uncle Mak, Eunice and Aivee moved to the third truck (Photo credit: Chin)

Crystal, Wah Wah, Zhan Yi, May, Shirley, William and Harriet in one truck (Photo credit: Chin)

Lesvin, Aung, Phing and Cheah Sing, joined by Eunice, Uncle Mak, Aivee and Chin (Photo credit: Chin)

Initially I leaned on the bags and the ride was rather okay for the first 40minutes. The road wasn’t so bumpy and I was still able to sit down comfortably. But as we drove further in, I began to stand up. It’s definitely a life-changing decision because the road began to get bumpier, and I immediately felt better. We picked the right truck as it comes with railing for us to hold on to, keeping me from falling out of the truck.

Photo credit: Sebastian

Hands on the railing, morning sun shining on my head, gentle wind blowing on my face and through my hair, my body moving swiftly following the rhythm of the truck, dodging every tree branch that comes my way, while my legs acting like a natural suspension for the bumpy rides. What’s better than this?

I’m probably the weirdest (insane perhaps) one among the team, as I was (probably) the only one who enjoyed the bumpy 4wd ride, while the rest complained about what the ride did to their bum. I was fortunate to have got onto a truck with railings which made standing up possible, throughout the entire ride.    

Stuck in the mud (Photo credit: Eunice)

The 4wd ride was estimated to take approximately 3-4 hours but the trail was not in a good condition. It probably rained the day before, causing the trail to be pretty muddy and our trucks were stuck twice along the journey. Each time our trucks were stuck, we alighted and helped find some rocks to fill the gap, while the guys helped push the trucks. Half an hour away from Pos Simpoh, our trucks once again got stuck at a river, and only one 4wd (Uncle Eng’s) managed to pass through. Not wanting to force the drivers, we decided to make several rounds with that one truck instead. We moved our bags to the truck and all the ladies boarded it, accompanied by our guide as well as Sebastian and Zhan Yi who acted as our protectors.

View of mountain range from where we were stuck

Stuck in the mud again (Photo credit: Phing)

Messy lunch in the rain

The entire 4wd ride took us 4 and a half hours and we reach Pos Simpoh at 2.15pm. Knowing very well that it would take the guys another one hour to reach Pos Simpoh, Sebastian and I contemplating taking over Chin’s chef duty for lunch, so that everyone can have their tummy filled the minute they arrived. After all, his bag was with us, so we’ve got pots, while food ration was with MJ, Sebastian, May and I, and Zhan Yi was willing to lend us their team’s gasses. Lunch for the day was supposed to be udon mee with miso soup, but for simplicity’s sake, Sebastian suggested to swap it to maggi noodles which was supposed to be our last day’s lunch.

One flysheet for kitchen, the other for our bags (Photo credit: Wah Wah)

Since maggi can be cooked in minutes, we do not need to start cooking immediately, so we took out a ground sheet and rested for a while. Chin had also bought a new fly sheet and it was with Sebastian, so we tried setting it up. We all struggled with the fly sheet as it doesn’t come with any instruction. We were only finally able to set it up properly after struggling for almost half an hour. Just then, it started to rain. Phew~! Aren’t we lucky?

Lunch in preparation (Photo credit: Phing)

What was even luckier was the arrival of Chin and the rest of the team at the nick of time. It was 3pm already (took us long enough to set up that fly sheet), and the minute they arrived, the rain started to get heavier. Chin and Eunice quickly rushed to take shelter in the fly sheet and got ready to prepare lunch, while William and the guys quickly set up another fly sheet to cover our bags. Seeing that our chefs had arrived, we took out udon packs and miso soup base and passed them to Chin and Eunice. 20 minutes later, our lunch was ready. Thank god I didn’t have to cook, and we didn’t have to messed up the menu plan. LOL. Crystal, Wah Wah, Zhan Yi, Gavin and Weng Heong on the other hand did not join our ration, but packed their own lunch in the morning instead. Not a bad idea as they didn’t have to go through the hassle of cooking in the rain.

Lunch: udon in miso soup

Though not a fan of udon myself, it was a hearty lunch. Slurping hot udon on cold raining day certainly helped warm my tummy, and slowly I began to regain my appetite. But as the portion didn’t seem to be enough for everyone (the 4wd ride must have burnt up a lot of their energy), I did not dare to add more udon. In fact, MJ and I passed on some of ours to Uncle Mak and Cheah Sing who seemed to have taken relatively smaller portions.

A meal is the whole experience of getting together and sharing with friends. It is more than food

We finished our lunch within half an hour and by the time we were done, the rain finally stopped. After cleaning up our mess tins and kitchen equipment, we packed and left Pos Simpoh. Finally, the real hike began.

Leaving Pos Simpoh (photo credit: Eunice)

Slippery muddy trail from the beginning

We first crossed a river at Pos Simpoh, and walk several hundred metres before we were finally greeted with steep, muddy, slippery slope. I was at the front line right behind our orang asli guide and Sebastian (leader), while Chin was our sweeper for the day. As it rained earlier, the trail was extremely muddy and slippery and the condition doesn’t work well for my Kampung Adidas. It was difficult for me to get a good grip with every step taken, and I kept sliding backwards. At some point, I even grabbed Shirley’s hiking pole (as she was just right behind me) when I slid off. Thanks babe! Fortunately, it was just a short half an hour hike on slippery trail and in no time, I set foot on harder, drier soil. Hurray!

I'll be tougher than the mountain

But the slippery trail must have posed similar problem to everyone else, thus creating a gap between the few of us in the front line and those who started off behind us. Not wanting to create too big of a gap between the two groups, Sebastian suggested to take a break once we reach more spacious ground. Communicating via walkie talkie, we were informed by Chin to go ahead first and not to take too long break, in case our muscles started to cool down. 

The front-liners

Walking at moderate pace, we followed our guide, but after some time as I had warmed up, I began to walk faster, especially when I was going uphill. It’s a bad habit of mine to try maintaining a consistent pace albeit going uphill because only then will I not exhaust myself with heavy, slow steps. Unknowingly I started to speed up until Sebastian warned me to control my speed, so as to maintain a smaller gap with the rest of the team. After all, it’s only first day of the hike and I should reserve my energy for the next day. I then began to slow down and started enjoying the trek while chit chatting with Sebastian, Steven and Uncle Mak. 

Pattern more than badminton

The trail towards Pos Rekom was considered rather easy, and we had a good time walking for about 2 hours until we finally saw orang asli settlement across the valley. It’s about 30 minutes away from where we were. Realising how near we were to Pos Rekom campsite, I heaved a sigh of relief and unknowingly started to slow down. 

Pos Rekom visible over the valley (Photo credit: Chin)

It’s downhill all the way until we reached a river, where I sat down to wash my Kampung Adidas and my feet. Sebastian and Steven decided to head to the campsite first which is only 5 minutes away from the river, while Uncle Mak and I waited for MJ, Gavin and Shirley who had just caught up to us. Once they all crossed the river safely, Uncle Mak and I continued towards Pos Rekom.

Finally.....!

Luxury campsite

These are where the orang asli stay

It was 6.25pm when we reached Pos Rekom, and the sky was still bright and clear. We were offered a hut to stay in by the orang asli (it doesn’t come free though, we were charged but the fee is negotiated between the orang asli guide and our leader Chin). Since the hut is not very big, we decided to place the kitchen (in case it rains, everyone can still eat under shelter) and the ladies’ tent in the hut, while the guys would camp outside of the hut. MJ and I picked the spot next to the kitchen for Eunice’s convenience since she was the kitchen helper for this trip.

Orang asli hut

When Eunice finally arrived, we set up the tent and once done, we headed over to the shower area to wash our muddy and smelly body. One by one, the rest of the team arrived and everyone took turn to shower in batches. Since the shower area came with a water hose which I assumed draws water from the river, we need to take turn to shower. However, the plus point of this over bathing at the river is the high water pressure which made our shower time much more enjoyable.   

Shower area

While everyone was taking turn showering, Chin and Eunice were busy preparing dinner. Dinner was ready by 8.30pm and we had mixed vegetable curry with rice. The other team (Gavin, Crystal, Wah Wah, Zhan Yi and Weng Heong) were having carbonara spaghetti, and of course, being gluttons, MJ and I couldn’t resist stealing some of their spaghetti while waiting for our dinner to be served. We took only a few bites even though it was super delicious, simply because it’s rude to eat anything more than that in case they didn’t have enough. Our own dinner that night was equally delicious but fearing that my stomach couldn’t handle my sudden increased appetite (after losing my appetite for more than a week), I decided not to over eat. 

Dinner for the night: Mixed vegetable curry with rice

We were supposed to also have green bean sweet soup for dessert that night but it was quite late and everyone had slowly gone to bed after dinner. It would be a long hike the next day and everyone was already feeling tired from the 4wd ride. As everyone slowly “retreated” back to their tents to get their much-needed rest, Chin and Eunice was preparing our packed lunch for the next day. I decided to help them out since I was still feeling pretty fresh and energetic. 

One hand’s fast, two hands are faster. Lend a hand, and make a difference

A little chit-chatting while enjoying a cuppa tea before going to bed

As Eunice and I went to bed that night, Chin continued to prepare the promised green bean sweet soup by himself, so that we could have it the next morning. He must have felt a great sense of responsibility to feed us what was promised, even if it’s delayed. I had a hard time falling asleep and was bugging Eunice for a while, talking to her until she finally passed out. It was 11pm. I was still fresh. Something in me doesn’t feel right. I tossed and turned in the tent for god knows how long until I finally went into dreamland. 

Day 2 (27/5/2017): Pos Rekom – Kem Tengah – Kem Tongkat Ali – Anak Chamah – Kem Cinderella – Chamah Summit – Kem Cinderella – Anak Chamah – Kem Tongkat Ali – Kem Tengah – Pos Rekom

Hiking in the dark

*Clack! Clink! Clunk!* 

“The green bean soup is already cold…” 

“Just heat it up will do…” 

*Clack! Clink! Clunk!*

I reached out for my phone. It was 3.30am. “It’s still 30 minutes away!” I started mentally complaining to myself. I had set my alarm to ring at 4am, since we were scheduled to start hiking at 5, but the noises from the kitchen had waken me up. “It’s still too early!” I thought to myself. I turned to my left, where MJ was sleeping and then to the right, where Eunice was. Both girls were still sleeping like a baby. I refused to wake up. I shut my eyes and tried to fall asleep again. I know how important a 30-minutes-sleep is to me, and I needed to get back to sleep immediately! My mission, however was fated to fail, since more and more early risers had woken up and gathered at the kitchen, drinking green bean soup and having breakfast. With our tent situated just next to the kitchen, there’s no way I could resume sleeping in that state. I continued lying down, refusing to wake up before the girls. Eventually, the three of us got up around 4.15am, and after freshening up, we headed to the kitchen to have our fried rice and green bean soup, before packing our bag for the day.

Fried rice for breakfast (Photo credit: Chin)

Preparing for an estimated 14-16 hours hike, I packed snacks (raisins, cereal bars, m&m, and nuts), 1L water (left from the day before), phone and power bank, windbreaker, down jacket (in case it’s way too cold at the peak, and also because I didn’t prepare any emergency blanket), two sachets of extra joss (but I stupidly left my empty bottle at the campsite), a packet of Ribena, raincoat and my camera (and gorilla pod) into my 20L backpack. MJ on the other hand had only brought along her drawstring bag, so I lent her my spare 10L bag from Decathlon. After collecting our lunch pack for the day, Chin gave a short briefing before we were to set off. Leading the pack for the day was once again Sebastian, while Chin was the sweeper. The role would then be reversed during descent. 

The sky was still dark when we left Pos Rekom at 5.45am (45 minutes later than scheduled), and milky way still visible on the sky. However, I was not in the mood to set my camera since everyone was getting ready to start hiking and not to mentioned that I was still feeling unwell. It felt as though I was about to fall sick, or worse still, I felt as though I was about to have my menses. “Please don’t come today, it’s way too early. I’m not prepared for you to come,” I started begging myself, before eventually convinced that it’s not gonna come early. 

Kem Tengah (Photo credit: Eunice)

With headlights on our head to shine the way for us, we all left Pos Rekom, heading towards Kem Tengah. The trail towards Kem Tengah was a narrow one, and we walked in line, one following another. An hour later, we finally reached Kem Tengah. After a short 10minutes break and a quick photo at Kem Tengah, we continued our way towards our next pit stop – Kem Tongkat Ali. 

Sarsi tree

As the sun started to rise, the sky brightened up and slowly we began to turn off our headlights. Like the day before, Sebastian tried to control our pace, in order to tighten the gap between us and the rest of the team. Be sure to pay attention to your surrounding as you leave Kem Tengah, as you will come across “sarsi tree” about 10-15 minutes away from Kem Tengah. You would not miss this tree as the tress would have been sliced by the orang asli, and looked like this:

Sarsi tree

Be sure to smell the tree as it reeks of sarsaparilla/root beer smell. We were told by the guide that the slices cut from the tree trunk is to be boiled with water and sugar to create a medicinal drink that tastes like sarsi, hence the name “sarsi tree”. Filled with curiousity, every one of us started smelling the tree. A group photo with the tree was of course a must. How often do we get to see a “sarsi Tree”, right?

Group photo at sarsi tree

The hike towards Kem Tongkat Ali was rather easy and we reached in less than an hour from the “sarsi tree”. The river right before Kem Tongkat Ali is the last water point, and from here onwards, there would be no water source. Fearing that my 1L water might not last me to the peak and return, I decided to fill up some water.

Filling up water here

Based on my past experience at Benum (read about it here: link), I only drank about 1.5L of water for over 20 hours of hike. But it’s always better to be safe than sorry since everyone kept mentioning that Chamah is a very difficult one. Borrowing an empty bottle from Uncle Mak, I filled up my water bladder to 2L. 

Kem Tongkat Ali. Can you see the sign?

We took a break at Kem Tongkat Ali while waiting for the rest of the team to catch up to us. Chin and the rest of the team were about 15minutes away from us and Sebastian had wanted to wait for them, so that we could close the gap. However, some of the fast legs were feeling extremely excited and had wanted to continue ahead while they had warmed up. Not wanting to disappoint them neither, Sebastian then continued on after a short 5-minute break. The trail from Kem Tongkat Ali to Anak Chamah was in my opinion the toughest part of the entire Chamah hike. It’s non-stop KFC all the way from Kem Tongkat Ali for a good one hour until you reach Anak Chamah. 

Note: KFC, short for “Killing Fitness Centre” refers to steep uphill slope, normally more than 45 degrees

Kem Tongkat Ali (Photo credit: Eunice)

My recommendation for future hikers? Get enough rest at Kem Tongkat Ali, drink plenty of water, refuel your energy with any power snacks you have with you, then hike non-stop all the way until you reach Anak Chamah. Small, quick steps help too, as you won’t be placing too much weight on your legs and you’ll feel lighter. If you get tired, slow down but don’t stop. Stopping midway will just going to exhaust you more and you’ll find it harder to continue. Trailing closely behind the guide and Sebastian, I didn’t stop for even a second throughout that one hour and I maintained a consistent pace. Having a water bladder with me is such a great advantage as I do not have to stop midway to take out my water bottle and drink. I could continue walking while drinking from the bladder. After sometime, gaps started to form between hikers, and I ended up only seeing Sebastian’s back throughout the entire one hour. I occasionally heard footsteps behind me and once a while saw MJ’s striking orange shirt. It’s a lonely one hour hike to Anak Chamah.

The son of Chamah

Why are the signs on this mountain so freaking small?

After a lonely one hour hike, I finally reached Anak Chamah at 9am, and was welcomed by a tree and the sign “Anak Chamah”. Sebastian and our guide who were ahead of me were already there, waiting for us. 

Note:“Anak” is a Malay word for children (son or daughter)

Reached Anak Chamah

Soon after my arrival, we were joined by half the team, one member after another. We were all tired and hungry by the time we reached Anak Chamah, so after satisfying ourselves with countless of photos, we sat down and had our packed lunch – bakwa and chicken floss bun! I must say that this is the first time I had lunch as early as before 10am. More like breakfast? It’s too early and I was afraid that my snacks would not last me for the rest of the day, so I kept half of my lunch for later, even though I can finish the whole bun right there right then.  

Lunch: Bakwa and chicken floss bun

We were quite ahead of schedule, so we took our sweet time at Anak Chamah, poking fun at each other and enjoying the morning sun. The KFC earlier was such a killer that everyone seemed to enjoy a long break at Anak Chamah in order to recharge themselves. Approximately half an hour later, we left Anak Chamah, making our way towards 6 false peaks before we could reach the summit. Chamah peak, here we come!

Goodbye for now, Anak Chamah (Photo credit: Sebastian)

6 false peaks and mossy forest

The rest of the six false peaks was less strenuous as compared to the KFC earlier, and even though there were six false peaks to climb over, they are not as steep and the average time to climb up each false peak is about 10 minutes (for fast hikers) to half an hour (for slow ones). An average hiker would probably take about 20 minutes for each false peak. The only exception would be the fifth false peak which takes about 50 minutes to an hour to scale from the forth false peak. That’s definitely much better than Benum’s false peaks. That strenuous Benum dayhike (read about it here: link) had probably made me a stronger person. 

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger

Trailing behind Sebastian

After few false peaks (probably 2-3), as we got higher and higher up, we finally entered mossy forest, the part of the trail I enjoyed the most as the ground was soft (like a natural cushion) and it felt good on my feet. After the 4th false peak, Sebastian was still in sight but I no longer hear any footsteps sound behind me. I turned back several times but there was no one behind me. Finally, as I scaled the 5th false peak, I lost the sight of our mighty Sebastian (and the orang asli guide of course), and was hiking alone, following the paper trail left by Sebastian. 

Mossy forest (Photo credit: Phing)

Think my hiking journey this round was so smooth without any drama? Fret not, ‘cos the drama goddess once again “blessed” me for this hike – my “bloody buddy” finally made a visit. My premonition was right after all, but my menstrual cycle had always been very punctual and it’s still more than a week to go, so I didn’t pack any sanitary pads with me, confident that I wouldn’t need it at all. “What should I do?” My panic kicked in. I’ve already hiked 6 hours and it’d take me at least 5 hours to descend to campsite! How I wished I have a doraemon. 

Finally… “Mother” Chamah

Just as various solution proposition ran across my mind, I heard Sebastian calling out to me. “He must have reached the summit,” I thought to myself. I therefore quicken my slowed-down-footsteps and finally saw Sebastian standing on a tree branch “Are we not there yet?” Apparently, he reached the peak 15 minutes ago and had come down to get a shot of himself with a view. After joining him for a photo, he led me to the summit, which was just minutes away. It was only 12 noon when I reached the summit, an hour away from the cut off time set by Chin. 

After losing 4kg + oversize shirt = looking super skinny

First and probably last time wearing this T, will keep for future in case I grow fat

There are only the three of us at the peak and I took the opportunity to hog each and every signboard for some solo summit shots, before the next person arrived. Then I sat quietly at a corner to finish up my lunch. 15 minutes later, MJ, Steven and Shirley arrived. Then, one after another everyone arrived by batches every 10-15 minutes. By 12.40pm, everyone was finally here. We all made it before the cut off time! Yay!

With BFF

Congrats Uncle Mak for completing your G7!

Dressed in Tutters' red shirt, which is way too big for me

The girls (Photo credit: Eunice)

Speeding down at lightning speed

Group photo (Credit: Sebastian)

Group photo (Photo credit: Chin)

After a group photo at the summit, Chin made his descent as he needed to prepare dinner. The rest of us stayed back for a little bit more, some continued taking photos, some taking a break before continuing their journey, and some fueling up with lunch and power snacks. Being one of the earliest to reach the peak, I had stayed long enough and wanted to slowly make my way down instead. Besides, there’s no view up there since the entire place is blocked by trees (thanks to this, it’s not too cold either). Not to mention that I’m in a “great mess” that all I could think of was to get myself cleaned up soonest possible. 

This is the view I'm talking about (Photo of Uncle Mak by Wah Wah)

Note:There’s actually a great look out point not far away from the summit, with a beautiful view. I was unaware (probably many others too) until I saw photo taken by Wah Wah. As explained by Uncle Mak, it’s about 10m away from the summit as you descend. It’s not visible, and he only found this by accident when they were snapping photos. So, if you are keen to see this, you will need to be a little more alert and do some exploration. I’ll probably look out for this place again if I ever revisit. 

I had wanted to wait for MJ but she seemed to have no intention of leaving anytime soon (and I’m preoccupied with the thought of cleaning up myself), so I left with Eunice and Steven following behind me. It was almost 1.25pm when we started descending and I was told that they lost me after about 5 minutes as I was speeding down and they couldn’t catch up to my speed. For the record, I don’t think I was running downhill. I just let my legs followed the momentum and didn’t stop. I kept walking and walking, not even stopping for any photos, since my goal is to quickly get myself cleaned up. Besides, I was afraid that my energy would drain out the longer I hike. Based on experience, I started to get burned out after more than 12 hours of hike, and coupled with period, I was afraid I couldn’t last more than 10 hours.  

Kem Cinderella which I only noticed during descent

After Kem Cinderella, I finally heard some footsteps in front of me and was happy to see Weng Heong. After a brief chat with him, I gave him my last packet of raisins, since he had run out of food. I had previously given my cereal bars and m&m to MJ who were feeling very hungry on the peak (one bread seriously wasn’t enough), leaving myself with only a pack of chocolate from MJ. I was confident that I could last till Pos Rekom with that one bar of chocolate and was hoping that there’s no more drama to unfold during the journey. 

Reunion at Anak Chamah

Having left Weng Heong behind, I continued walking alone (yes, again. LOL) for quite some time (probably half an hour), until I heard some noises right ahead of me. It’s another false peak and as I climbed uphill, it’s Anak Chamah and there stood Chin, Shirley and the orang asli guide. Wow, I caught up to god-leg Chin? That’ couldn’t be possible! I checked my phone and it was only 3pm. I looked at his bag and instantly knew he was carrying a very heavy one. I couldn’t possibly catch up to his speed if he wasn’t bearing a 10kg bag. Don’t ask me why, I didn’t ask, but he must have done it on purpose, probably for training.

Anak Chamah again

Chin was certain that Shirley and I would be faster than him and had told us to go ahead with the orang asli guide, while he continued hiking at his pace, throwing paper marking along the way. Some of the slower hikers may be hiking in the dark and he would need to ensure that the paper trail was sufficient to guide them in the dark. Hence, the more the better. Together with Shirley, I descended towards Kem Tongkat Ali, guided by our guide. 

River @ Kem Tongkat Ali

I tried to descend slower from Anak Chamah onwards, but it was a downwards slope (the KFC earlier) and it was actually easier to speed down that to slow down, and once again I succumbed to the joy of being fast and overtook Shirley. I know, I’m evil and you probably wouldn’t ever want to hike with someone like me. 45 minutes later, I reach Kem Tongkat Ali and the guide was sitting there, waiting for us. While waiting for Shirley and Chin, I walked towards to river to wash my shoes and feet. Soon after, I was joined by the three of them and after finally cleaning up all the mud on my feet and shoes (also sands and pebbles), we were ready to get going. 

Rain is a bitch

Kem Tengah, hi! and bye!

I had wanted to slow down from Kem Tongkat Ali onwards, considering that we were pretty much ahead of schedule. I also came to a realisation that I don’t have sanitary pads with me, so it was actually pointless to reach campsite way too early. Harriet had brought some along and had agreed to lend them to me (it’s good to have someone bringing this kinda thing as precaution) but I would need to wait for her after all. I therefore slowed down my pace but the guide who were leading me had sped off and I lost him soon after. My period had taken a toll on me, so I slowed down while waiting for Shirley to catch up. We descended together and kept each other company until Kem Tengah. Along the way, we passed by Sarsi tree again and the guide was there cutting some slabs off. He’s taking a long time cutting off the slabs, so we went ahead without him. 

Half way from Kem Tengah to Pos Rekom

Not a drama queen without some drama, I started feeling itchy around my arms, cheeks and neck. It felt like something (like spider web) was crawling on my skin, but no matter how I many times I kept sweeping it off, it’s still there. Wanting to wash it off my face, I abandoned Shirley after Kem Tengah and walked faster, hoping to reach Rekom soonest possible. Just about half an hour away from Rekom, it started raining, and I was instantly handicapped. Kampung Adidas was too slippery on the slippery trail and my weakened body only made things worse. I slipped and fell several times, each time cursing at myself for being so clumsy. Soon, Shirley and the guide caught up to me. Feeling exhausted, I let them overtook me, while I slowly dragged my lazy body back to the campsite. 

Finally… a nice shower, dinner and ginger tea

Home sweet home... errrr, i mean "campsite" sweet "campsite"? LOL

After what felt like forever, I reached Pos Rekom at 6pm. Everyone else had yet to return and it was the perfect opportunity to have a long, refreshing shower without the pressure of queue behind us. As Shirley were getting her clothes ready, I went to the shower area to wash my shoes, raincoat and arm sleeves. I was done by the time Shirley came over and I went back to the hut to grab my toiletries and clothes, waiting for my turn once Shirley was done. It was the best shower I ever had up in the mountain, and I took my sweet time to clean each and every inch of my body. I finally felt clean after a whole day of “mess”. By the time I was done, Eunice and Chin had also returned, followed by Gavin. One by one, other hikers returned, with the last one arriving at 8pm. Everyone made it within stipulated time. Kudos to everyone! 

Finally...!

Dinner was again prepared by Chin, and assisted by Eunice. Since I was free, I lent a hand as well, before being instructed by Chin to do him a favour – to wait for the last batch of hikers by the stream nearby. Sebastian who was the sweeper had communicated to us via walkie talkie that he would be back by 8pm and Chin asked that I wait for them by the stream to shine the way. 

Shine your light so brightly that others can see their way out of the dark

By 9pm, dinner was finally ready. We had stir-fry cabbage with canned braised pork and preserved radish omelette with rice that night. We weren’t supposed to have eggs for dinner since Eunice left the eggs in one of the 4wd. However, one of our driver, Uncle Eng, was leading another group of hikers from Penang, and he kindly gave us 4 eggs. (Yes, besides being a driver, Uncle Eng is also a mountain guide and he had returned with another group of hikers, also camping at Pos Rekom) Thanks uncle! You are the best!

Dinner for the night: Preserved radish omelette, fried luncheon meat and stir-fry cabbage with canned braised pork

The kitchen area was less happening that night as most of us were tired and had went back to the tent for rest. Chin prepared ginger tea for us, so I stayed in the kitchen as I needed some hot tea to soothe my stomach. Eunice were frying luncheon meat (sponsored by Cheah Sing. Thanks Cheah Sing!) for tomorrow breakfast, and I stayed to keep her company. We were the last to sleep that night, and before we went into our tents, we cleaned up the kitchen and properly stored the cooked luncheon meat for tomorrow.

Note:There are dogs at Pos Rekom and do remember to keep your food away as the dogs would come and steal them. The self-cook team (Crystal, Wah Wah, Zhan Yi, Gavin and Weng Heong) had some of their food ration stolen away during the first night. I’d recommend packing them into plastic bags and tied them high up where they are not reachable.

The sky was pink that evening (taken before nightfall)

Day 3 (28/5/2017): Pos Rekom – Pos Simpoh – Kuala Betis – Gua Musang – KL

Goodbye Pos Rekom

“Good morning!”

“Good morning…”

“Hello, morning!”

Breakfast: Porridge with canned dace and luncheon meat

This trip was filled with early risers and once again I was woken up by everyone’s morning greetings. Eunice was the first of the three of us who got up since she’s helping out at the kitchen. MJ and I lazed for a little while more before we finally woke up to freshen up and pack our stuffs. Breakfast of the day was porridge with dried scallop, preserved radish, canned dace in black bean sauce and luncheon meat. 

Last batch to leave Pos Rekom

Eunice, MJ and I were the last to pack our tents, as we helped clear the kitchen first. The others were already done and ready to leave so Sebastian led them down first, while Chin swept the three of us, Uncle Mak and William. We left the campsite at 9am that morning, and slowly, we made our descent to Pos Simpoh. 

Tiger poop (we suspect). Heard that tiger still roam in this mountain, so always be cautious and apply buddy system. Don't hike alone! (guilty as charged?)

Once again, I started speeding off once I’ve warmed up, but MJ who was sporting a sprained ankle and injured knee were descending slowly, accompanied by Uncle Mak. I reached Pos Simpoh in two hours time but worried that MJ might be struggling with her injured knee, I had wanted to head back up to help carry her bag down, but after checking with Chin via walkie-talkie, Sebastian had estimated that MJ is no more than 30 minutes away and it’s unnecessary for me to do so. Hence, I walked to the river to wash my feet and shoes, before stubbornly and quietly hiked up again. Just about five minutes of hiking up, I bumped into Chin who were dashing down to prepare lunch. As I continued ascending, I saw Uncle Mak, then Harriet and ta-dah, MJ! Turned out they really weren’t too far away from me and I accompanied MJ for the last five minutes of her descent to Pos Simpoh. 

Washing our feet at the river (Photo credit: Eunice)

Once we reach the river, I helped her with her bag while she went to wash her feet. I then joined her at the river, while waiting for lunch. Lunch that day was Maggi chicken soup, as it’s simple and quick. By 12pm, we were called out to have our lunch. 

Chef in action, preparing our lunch (Photo credit: Eunice)

Where’s the truck?

Our 4wd was scheduled to pick us up at Pos Simpoh, but we were told by Uncle Eng that the trail condition was quite terrible when he came the day before and they had to stop mid-way, and walked instead. His 4wd was therefore parked in the middle of the road, blocking every car’s access. In that case, our 4wd would not be picking us up from Pos Simpoh. Instead, we would need to be walk for an unknown distance since we wouldn’t know where our 4wds would be waiting for us. At 12.45pm, we set off in search for our rides. 

Ready to leave Pos Simpoh (Photo credit: Eunice)

Not knowing how far and long we needed to walk, we went at a leisure pace so as to reserve energy. The trail wasn’t difficult as it was rather flat, but unfortunately very muddy. Some parts of the trail were covered entirely with muds and we tried our best to avoid stepping into any. 

Look how muddy it is! (Photo credit: Aivee)

After what felt like a half an hour walk, we saw a 4wd not far away only to be disappointed to realise that it was Uncle Eng’s. Well, on a positive note, we were one step closer to meeting ours, right? We continue walking and finally three 4wds was there right in front of our eyes! Hurray! End of misery! Phew~! (but probably the beginning of nightmare for some, think… bumpy 4wd ride)

Photo credit: Crystal

The seating arrangement this round was slightly different. I was in the same truck with Gavin, Zhan Yi, Shirley, Crystal and Wah Wah this time with MJ (since her legs were injured) and Harriet in the front seat. As the truck we picked come with railings, once again I got to stand up during the entire ride, and it proved to be the wisest decision I ever made. It was certainly way more comfortable that way. Those who sat throughout the entire journey had been complaining how bouncy and bumpy it was. Initially, only Shirley, Gavin and I who stood up but soon after, Crystal and Wah Wah joined in the fun. Zhan Yi, the stubborn one insisted to sit down and only when we were one hour away from Kuala Betis that he stood up. How buddy, it was better standing up, right? 

Back to civilisation (Photo credit: Eunice)

Goodbye Chamah

The trail was in way better condition than the day we came, so the ride this time only took us 3 hours. We reached Kuala Betis at 4.20pm and the bus was already there waiting for us. We took turn showering, and to save time, MJ, Eunice and I shared bathroom. By 5.30pm, everyone was done and the bus brought us to Gua Musang for dinner, before heading back to KL. By 12.15 midnight, we reached MRR2 Starbucks, and everyone bid farewell and return to their home sweet home. As for me, Sebastian dropped me at TBS on his way back to Melaka and I took a midnight bus back to Singapore. 

Dinner at Gua Musang (Photo credit: Eunice)

Epilogue

Is Chamah really that “Cham” (wretched)? 

Before even signing up for this hike, I was told over and over again, that Chamah is no joke, that it is the most difficult one among the G7, and that it is physically very challenging. It’s a remark made by many pro-hikers and the same is mentioned all over the internet when you look up for information on Chamah. As the date drew nearer and nearer, I became more and more anxious as I had not been training at all. I was busy with work and other activities, and had even fallen sick a couple of weeks before the actual hike. Losing 4kg from loss of appetite, I knew it’s not just fat and water which I lost, but also muscle mass. Having no time to train, I eventually decided to just stop worrying and to go with the flow. I’ll just enjoy the trip and should I deemed unfit to complete the hike, I would just stop and give up. Turned out, unexpectedly, it was not as difficult as everyone made it sound, and I was able to complete it without struggling much, albeit having the time of the month. In fact, I had a great time throughout the hike. As the saying goes: 

Worry doesn’t rob tomorrow of its sorrow, but saps today of its joy. Stop worrying and enjoy the moment

So… Is Chamah really that “Cham” (wretched)? 

I’ll say no, not really. It’s definitely not an easy task, but it ain’t “mission difficult” difficult neither. Will I ever return? Well, I’ll leave the possibility open for now. *wink*

Photo credit: Chin

Thanks everyone, for the great memories at Chamah. Hope we can meet again for another hike in the future. Au revoir! 

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Thank you for reading all the way till the end. Too much info and you just want a summarised itinerary but too lazy to scroll back up? Well, here’s a summary I’ve drafted up for you. Hope it helps you with your planning.

Itinerary:

**Disclaimer: Below are my timing according to my speed. So please take it with a grain of salt, as everyone is different. Have fun hiking the fifth highest mountain in Peninsular Malaysia *wink*

Day 1 (26/5/2017): KL – Gua Musang - Kuala Betis – Pos Simpoh – Pos Rekom

Total distance travelled: 50km 4wd + 7km hike (2 river crossing)

0030 – meet up at Starbucks MRR2

0050 – depart from KL

0530 – reach Gua Musang

0600 – breakfast

0700 – leave Gua Musang

0800 – reach Kuala Betis

0945 – 4wd pick up

1415 – reach Pos Simpoh

1520 – lunch (Udon mee with miso soup base)

1600 – leave Pos Simpoh

1825 – reach Pos Rekom, set up tent, shower

2030 – dinner (mixed vegetable curry with rice, dessert - green bean soup)

2300 – sleep 

Day 1 (27/5/2017): Pos Rekom – Kem Tengah – Kem Tongkat Ali – Anak Chamah – Kem Cinderella – Chamah Summit – Kem Cinderella – Anak Chamah – Kem Tongkat Ali – Kem Tengah – Pos Rekom

Total distance travelled: 14km ascent and 14km descent (2 river crossing)

0430 – breakfast (fried rice with cured sausage), pack daypack

0545 – leave Pos Rekom

0645 – reach Kem Tengah

0710 – reach Sarsi tree

0755 – reach Kem Tongkat Ali (last water point)

0900 – reach Anak Chamah, early lunch (bakwa and chicken floss bun)

0935 – leave Anak Chamah

0945 – reach 1st false peak (estimation)

0955 – reach 2nd false peak (estimation)

1005 – reach 3rd false peak (estimation)

1025 – reach Kem Cinderella (estimation)

1040 – reach 4th false peak (estimation)

1130 – reach 5th false peak (estimation)

1145 – reach 6th false peak (estimation)

1200 – reach peak, lunch and rest

1300 – group photo

1325 – descend from summit

1330 – reach 6th false peak (estimation)

1340 – reach 5th false peak (estimation)

1420 – reach 4th false peak (estimation)

1435 – reach Kem Cinderella

1440 – reach 3rd false peak (estimation)

1445 – reach 2nd false peak (estimation)

1455 – reach 1st false peak (estimation)

1500 – reach anak Chamah

1545 – reach Kem Tongkat Ali

1600 – leave Kem Tongkat Ali

1700 – reach Kem Tengah

1800 – reach Pos Rekom, shower

2100 – dinner (stir-fry cabbage with canned braised pork and preserved radish omelette with rice and ginger tea)

2300 – sleep

Day 1 (28/5/2017): Pos Rekom – Pos Simpoh – Kuala Betis – Gua Musang - KL

Total distance travelled: 7-9km hike + 48-50km 4wd (2 river crossing)

0700 – breakfast (porridge with dried scallop, preserved radish, canned dace in black bean sauce and luncheon meat), pack tent and gear

0855 – descend from Pos Rekom

1100 – reach Pos Simpoh

1200 – lunch (maggi chicken soup)

1245 – descend from Pos Simpoh, looking for 4wd

1320 – 4wd pick up

1620 – reach Kuala Betis, shower

1730 – leave Kuala Betis by bus

1800 – reach Gua Musang, dinner (Chinese restaurant)

1930 – leave Gua Musang

0015 – reach Starbucks MRR2, return home

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-Thanks for reading-