Trans Jerging Day Hike – The Most Beautiful Mossy Forest Trail in Cameron Highlands?

Named after a stream near Gunung Suku and Gunung Irau, Trans Jerging is a full day hike in Cameron Highlands, crossing though four mountains namely, Suku, Irau, Yellow and Pass, in that order. In the past, hikers normally spend 3D2N for a leisurely camping trip as the alpine climate of Cameron Highlands is such a pleasant escape from the hustle bustle of the city. In recent years however, this trail became increasingly popular as a day hike among hardcore hikers, with estimated total duration of 12-16 hours.

Besides Gunung Irau which is famous for its mossy forest and ranked the 9th highest mountain on Peninsular Malaysia, I have never heard the other three mountains. I first came across these mountains when Chin from Hardcore Extreme Adventure (HEA) organised a Trans Jerging day hike two years ago. The group who joined the trip then are mostly my fellow KL hiking friends, but unfortunately, I couldn’t make it due to personal commitment. 

Fast forward 2 years later, and here I am finally attempting these four mountains which transverse from the state of Perak to the state of Pahang:

Gunung Suku (5896 ft / 1797m) – Perak side of Cameron Highlands

Gunung Irau (6922 ft / 2110m) – Perak-Pahang border of Cameron Highlands, with peak on Perak side

Gunung Yellow (5469 ft / 1667m) – Perak-Pahang border of Cameron Highlands, with peak on Perak side

Gunung Pass (5206 ft / 1587m) – Perak-Pahang border of Cameron Highlands, with peak on Perak side

The trail from Irau to Pass is along the border of Perak and Pahang, and you will see border stones along the tracks. 

How To Get There

Technically, there’s always two trailheads for a trans hike, and in this case, one either gets in from Suku and out from Pass or the other way round. You will need to park cars at the exit then drive to the other trailhead to start your hike. 

Gunung Suku trailhead |Simpang Pulai Highway (N4.555596, E101.322949) 

You can either park at the side of the road where the trailhead lies or park at a more spacious space opposite the trailhead.

Parking right opposite Suku trailhead

Gunung Pass trailhead |Simpang Pulai Highway, border of Perak and Pahang (N4.592698, E101.354465)

You can park your car at the roadside, right in front of the trail head. 

In the event that you couldn’t finish the trans and would need to exit, you can end your hike by going out from Irau trailhead or Yellow Farm. However, you may face some difficulties in finding your way back to your car. Mind you, it’s a long long walk. 

Gunung Irau trailhead | Starting point from Mossy Forest - Brinchang (N4.52435 E101.38186)

Yellow Farm | Simpang Pulai Highway, border of Perak and Pahang – (coordinates unknown)

Steep Ascent to Gunung Suku (first peak, 5896 ft / 1797m) 

07:20 Start from Suku trail head 

Group photo before starting our hike

We started our hike at 7.20am in the morning but given a second chance I would probably suggest setting off an hour or at least half an hour earlier in order to come out earlier. Regardless of what time you decide to start your hike, always bring along your headlamp and spare batteries as you will most likely than not be hiking in the dark towards the end of your hike.

Still looking fresh at the start

Just like Fraser Hill, the alpine climate of Cameron Highlands is always pleasant for hiking. The lowest point of our hike is already more than 880m above sea level, which is our starting point at Suku trail head. However, as we started off with a steep ascent from the very beginning, we soon sweat profusely. This part of the trail goes all the way up until you reach the peak of Gunung Suku, at about 60-degree. It could be rather daunting for those who need time to warm up their muscle – myself being one of such person.

The beginning of steep inclination

Soon, the rest of the team were nowhere to be seen as I struggled with the uphill climb. At this point, it’s important that you keep to your own pace and not over push yourself. The remaining of the trail after Suku may be gentler but it is still a long distance to go, so you ought to reserve your energy for the mental game later. 

09:50 reach Suku peak (regroup - group photo)

Finally, after two and a half hour, Terry and I made it to the peak of Gunung Suku, where the rest have waited for about 30 minutes. At this point, I started to worry being a burden to the team. Thankfully, the other side of me insisted to continue. After all, the toughest section has passed.

Gunung Suku peak

10:00 leave Suku peak

Gunung Suku offers a breath taking 360degree views of the Titiwangsa Range, where you can see Gunung Chabang, Gunung Yong Belar, Gunung Korbu, Gunung Gayong, Gunung Irau and many more. I didn’t have time to appreciate the view here as the rest had waited for nearly half an hour and we needed to keep going to make it out on time. After a couple of group photo, we regrouped and moved on to Kem Bear.

Group photo #1

Group photo #2

Kem Bear (water point)

11:45 reach Kem Bear (regroup - lunch)

After the steep ascent to Gunung Suku, my quads muscle finally gets some break as the trail towards Kem Bear is less strenuous with only minimal up and down and some flat terrain in between. In less than 2 hours, I managed to reach Kem Bear, and I reckon the fast ones were probably 10-15 mins ahead of me. 

Kem Bear is the official one and only water point for this hike, so this is the ideal spot to stop for lunch as you can cook and replenish your drinking water. For those doing a 2D1N camping trip, here is where you should camp as it’s spacious and the water source is within walking distance. 

12:15 leave Kem Bear

We stopped here for a quick half an hour lunch as everyone brought food which doesn’t required cooking – things such as breads and rice dumplings. With our tummy filled, we continued towards Gunung Irau.

*important* do not cross the stream, but inside take the right path right next to the campsite

We got a little lost for while, trying to find our way to the right track, so I thought I should point it out here. From Kem bear, there is a path towards the water source – a stream, but you should not cross this as there is not clear track to lead you anywhere. Instead, the right path towards Gunung Irau is just towards to right side of the spacious campsite. I find this photo from another blogger to be self-explanatory:

Photo from keeminginsj

Ridgeline View Point (photo point, The Trans Jerging Tree) 

12:40 reach ridgeline viewpoint (regroup – photo at bonsai tree)

About less than half an hour from Kem Bear, you will come across a false peak. Here, a beautiful bonsai tree which grows at the ridge awaits you. No one ever leave without taking a photo with this signature “Jerging Tree” (that’s what some hikers called it).

Reaching Ridgeline Viewpoint

Signature Bonsai Tree

Some called this the Jerging tree

Taking a photo here is a must

On days when the weather is clear, you will be able to see part of the Titiwangsa Range – from the nearby Gunung Chabang, Gunung Suku, and Gunung Irau to the further Gunung Korbu, Gunung Gayong and Gunung Yong Belar. Too bad, I didn’t snap any of the view here as I was too absorbed in taking photo of myself with the tree.

13:00 leave ridgeline viewpoint

After taking a break here and snapping insta-worthy photo of the bonsai tree, we moved on towards Gunung Irau. Again, the trail goes up and up and as we went higher and higher, it gets cooler and we saw more and more mossy tree. Even though I was told that the best mossy forest is at the stretch towards Gunung Yellow, I couldn’t resist taking a couple of photos here.

See the mossy behind me?

Can't resist taking a few photos

Hiking towards Irau

More photos

Last one

Gunung Irau (second peak, 6922 ft / 2110m)

14:15 reach Irau Junction

As we neared Irau Junction, the trail gets steeper and steeper and finally after more than an hour of hiking up and down, we reached Irau Junction. The left junction leads to Gunung Yellow while the right junction leads to Gunung Irau which is only about 10 minutes. As we waited to regroup, we had our second round of lunch (you get hungry real fast when doing long distance hike) to replenish our energy before heading towards Gunung Irau peak for group photo.

Gunung Irau peak

14:20 reach Irau peak (regroup - group photo)

The summit of Gunung Irau is just a short distance away, so we left our bags at the junction and dashed off to Gunung Irau summit, the ninth highest peak in Peninsular Malaysia, also known as G9. Although it is the highest peak of Trans Jerging, the view here is quite obstructed and is less impressive than that of Gunung Suku’s and the bonsai tree earlier.

Obligatory photo with the sign

It's a gigantic sign which is pretty out of place actually

Saw a flag pole

The view here is quite obstructed, but you can still see the Titiwangsa Range

15:05 leave Irau peak

When we finally regrouped, we took a group photo before leaving for Gunung Yellow. We were already halfway through the hike and had overcome the toughest part of the hike. However, the second half of the hike is not to be taken lightly. Although not as steep as Gunung Suku, it’s a long “never ending ups and downs” which feels especially so in the dark. With that in mind, we hurried on. 

15:15 leave Irau Junction

We collected our bags and gears at Irau Junction and took the left path towards Gunung Yellow. 

Yellow Mossy (photo point, The Secret Garden)

17:15 reach Yellow mossy forest (photo point)

From Irau Junction onwards, you will be working along the border of Perak-Pahang, so you many border stones that lined the trail will be the perfect indication that you are not lost. For average hikers whose strategic is to reserve your remaining energy to last till the end, walking at a consistent will take you about 2 hours to reach the beautiful mossy forest, also known as “The Secret Garden” by some. Once you see yourself here, Gunung Yellow is not far away.

The so-called "Secret Garden"

With Uncle Mak

17:25 leave Yellow mossy forest

The trees here are wrapped with Bryophyta, the green mosses plant which thrive on low clouds and hold moisture, creating those many water dews you see on these plants. The mosses here are more than that of the more commercialised Irau Mossy Forest, perhaps this is how Irau Mossy Forest used to look like before the boom of tourism there due to its accessibility. Hopefully, this “Secret Garden” will continue to be preserved.

My legs look exceptionally long here so must post

Where are you looking at?

Gunung Yellow (third peak, 5469 ft / 1667m) 

17:50 reach Yellow Farm

At some point we will pass by these fences

From the “Secret Garden”, it is another half an hour away to Gunung Yellow, a mountain which name takes after the colour of its soil.  In 2013, part of the mountain had been developed into a vegetable farm and all we could see now is the huge farm on our left as we hiked towards the summit. There are plenty of divergence along the way to the summit, so it’s best to follow someone who knows the way. I was lucky to be trekking with Uncle Mak who was sweeping us that day (I was the slowest hiker). About 10 minutes from the summit, we reached a junction. This is where a couple of my friend turned left 2 years ago to DNF the hike, however I do not recommend you doing the same thing unless you are injured or in case of emergency. You have completed ¾ of the hike at this point so you should definitely keep going and never give up.

Yellow Farm

18:00 reach Yellow peak (regroup - photo)

To get the Gunung Yellow peak, turn right and you will see a black water tank which is used to supplies water to the farm. I was tipped that this is another water source, but we do not recommend this source since we do not know whether it is clean water or possibly contaminated with pesticide. Turn right and this is the final push to Yellow peak.

Gunung Yellow peak

Obligatory photo

The peak is small, but it’s enough to fit all of us. We took a 30-min dinner break here where Terry and I had instant noodle, a perfect quick meal to warm our stomach in the cool mountain weather. 

Never ending road to Gunung Pass (more mental than physical)

18:30 leave Yellow peak

After filling our stomach with instant noodle and being bitten by the sandflies there, we went on towards Gunung Pass. I was told that it’s a “never-ending 4km undulating hike” but the viewranger record of past hikers actually shows it being more than 5km.

The abundance of mosses we saw along the trail

This stretch of the hike is more of a mental game than a physical challenge as you might start being discourage by the seemingly never ending ups and downs, especially when you are walking in the dark. The last one hour is the toughest as it you needed to traverse several hills (I counted at least 4) before reaching Gunung Pass, with each one getting steeper than the one before. 

Gunung Pass (fourth and last peak, 5206 ft / 1587m) 

21:30 reach Pass Junction

After hiking up and down for three hours, we finally reached (what we thought was) the peak of Gunung Pass. Yay, we have passed the mental challenge! Or maybe not…

*important* Turn left to Gunung Pass peak then u-turn back to end of trail

None of us actually notice this that day but apparently, we only reached Pass Junction, not the peak of Gunung Pass. From the junction, we would need to turn left and walk for about 5 minutes to reach Gunung Pass before turning back to the exit. However, we took the right junction and headed straight to the exit instead. 

We even mentioned how unfortunate it is that the Gunung Pass sign is no longer around. How silly! *facepalm*

22:00 end of trail

The right junction at Pass Junction led us to the trail head where we parked one of our car that morning. The trail is purely descent and if you are good are hiking in the dark, you could probably be one of those who sprint down the hill. As for me, I always find my vision deteriorate at night and I was already annoyed with the all steep downward slope in form of lianas and tree roots. I really hate descending on those steps! 

After cursing non-stop for half an hour, we finally saw lights – the headlights from the other members who had made it out before us. Just like lights at the end of a tunnel, I was finally happy to say goodbye to those frustrating steps. The last part of the trail sees us hiking down a hill and onto the side of the highway. There, we waited for the guys to return with other cars before we drove back to Brinchang for steamboat.

Steamboat Supper

Most of the restaurants are closed at that hour but the guys managed to find one steamboat place which is opened until 1am – Jin Jin Steamboat Restaurant. It’s the same place Terry and I went the day before, but we wouldn’t actually say no to food at this hour. Anything is welcomed into my stomach, especially pipping hot steamboat. We ate and then drove to our homestay in Tanah Rata and called it a day.

Steamboat supper

Mission accomplished!

Epilogue

Remembering my arduous Semangkok day hike last year, I was quite worried about doing Trans Jerging, especially with a bunch of frequent gym-goers, fit ultra-marathoner and tough hikers. After all, I have not been hiking full day hike (anything more than 10 hours) for a year now and I’ve stopped running for 6 months. Some of my friends who attempted Trans Jerging two years ago completed in 17 hours and a few of them even gave up at Yellow Farm. 

“Would I be able to complete the hike within 15 hours?” 

“Would I drag the team down?”

“Would we all be able to make it for steamboat?”

Nice weather = nice hike

My mind were constantly bothered by all these doubts, before and during the hike itself. I hate being a burden to everyone else, and I do admit that it does hurt my pride a little as I used to be rather fit. Thankfully, we completed the hike in 14.5 hours, and I actually enjoyed it a lot. I wouldn’t mind making a return here two or three years later. After all, the spectacular view is worth every effort, and I should really make it to Gunung Pass peak for once.

Pitcher plant we saw along the hike

Now… when should I do my Semangkok revenge hike? I have a record to purify. *sweatgrinning*

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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? Here’s a summary I’ve drafted up for you. Hope it helps you with your planning.

Itinerary

**Disclaimer: Below is my timing according to my speed. So please take it with a grain of salt, as everyone have different pace. Have fun hiking this mountain. *wink*

Day Hike 

Total distance hiked: 21km** (no river crossing)

Total elevation gain : about 2200m in total

07:20 start from Suku trail head

09:50 reach Suku peak (regroup - group photo)

10:00 leave Suku peak

11:45 reach Kem Bear (regroup - lunch)

12:15 leave Kem Bear

12:40 reach ridgeline viewpoint (regroup – photo at bonsai tree)

13:00 leave ridgeline viewpoint

14:15 reach Irau junction

14:20 reach Irau peak (regroup - group photo)

15:05 leave Irau peak

15:15 leave Irau Junction

17:15 reach Yellow mossy forest (photo point)

17:25 leave Yellow mossy forest

17:50 reach Yellow Farm

18:00 reach Yellow peak (regroup - photo)

18:30 leave Yellow peak

21:30 reach Pass Junction

22:00 end of trail

** As my Suunto watch is spoilt, I have not been tracking my hike for some time. Some people recorded 18km, some recorded 25km, but several records on viewranger shows around 20-21km. The 18km record by Uncle Mak shows 4km distance between Yellow and Pass but it certainly felt longer than that, perhaps 1 to 1.5km longer. Therefore, I strongly believe that the total distance of the entire hike is more or least around 20km. 

Trailhead > Suku = ± 2.8km (2 Hr – 2.5 Hr)

Suku > Kem Bear = ± 3.5km (1.5 Hr – 2 Hr)

Kem Bear > Bonsai = ± 1.7km (30 min)

Bonsai Tree > Irau = ± 2km (1 Hr – 1.5 Hr)

Irau Peak > Yellow = ± 4.8km (2.5 Hr – 3 Hr)

Yellow > Pass Peak = ± 5.2km (3 Hr – 3.5 Hr)

Pass > trailhead = ± 700m (30 min)

Total = ± 20.7m (11 Hr – 13.5 Hr moving time)

Points To Note

Total distance : 18-21km (record varies but I lean towards 21km)

Total elevation gain : about 2200m in total 

Duration (incl. breaks) : 10-12 Hours for fast hikers, 12-16 Hours for average hikers, 2D1N camping is recommended for slow hikers

Leech? : none during my visit

Sandflies : yes, at Gunung Yellow. Most of us got bitten and the wound lasts for days after the hike

Must bring items : Headlights and spare batteries, sufficient food ration and water, first aid kid, jacket, emergency blanket (recommended)

Water point : Kem Bear (about 4.5km away from Suku trailhead and  16km away from Pass trailhead) – pack your food and water accordingly

Hardest part (steepness) : starting point to Suku peak

Hardest part (mental) : Yellow to Pass Junction

Scenic spot : Gunung Suku Peak, Ridgeline viewpoint (bonsai tree), Mossy Forest (approaching Yellow Farm)

Unclear path to watch out : Kem Bear, Pass Junction 

Alternative hiking route:

***Disclaimer: The following tips are formed based on my personal opinion. As I’m not a mountain guide nor professional hiker, please exercise your own judgment before following. 

🔼 Gunung Suku Day Hike / Gunung Irau Day Hike / Gunung Yellow Day Hike / Gunung Pass Day Hike 

Each four mountains can be done in half a day (okay, maybe a little more than half a day for Gunung Irau) and it’s considered easy to moderately easy. However, you may need 4wd to get to Gunung Irau trail head (bad road condition and minimal parking space) and as for Gunung Yellow, you will need to walk a long way from the farm entrance. 

🔼 Trans Suku-Irau or Trans Irau-Suku

This is for those people who only want to enjoy the view at Gunung Suku, at the bonsai tree (at Ridgeline viewpoint) as well as at Gunung Irau peak, since both Gunung Yellow and Gunung Pass will not give you any impressive scenery. However, you may need 4wd to get to Gunung Irau trail head (see above point 1), and you will be missing out on the beautiful mossy forest towards Yellow. 

🔼 Trans Irau-Yellow-Pass or Trans Pass-Yellow-Irau

This is for those who want to see the famous Mossy Forest (the officially advertised one) from Gunung Irau trail. But then you miss out the panoramic Ridgeline viewpoint (the bonsai tree).

🔼 Trans Suku-Irau-Yellow or Trans Yellow-Irau-Suku

This is for you if you don’t want to miss the Ridgeline viewpoint as well as the mossy forest towards Yellow, or if you found yourself not capably of completing Trans Jerging and needed to end it right there at Yellow. Only problem is the long walk you have to take to exit from Yellow Farm, and to get back to your car. 

🔼 Trans Pass-Yellow-Irau-Suku

This is the opposite of the classic Trans Jerging. 

🔼 Trans Jerging and reverse

Maybe you are a little crazy, so you think it’s fun to do Trans Jerging then reverse. That’ll be more than 24 hours and I would rather be on my bed.

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-Thanks for reading-