Chamah Ulu Sepat (Y2009 Summer XP)
BASIC INFORMATION
Trek: Y2009 Summer XP
Date: 25 July - 1 August 2009
Location: Chamah Ulu Sepat, Kelantan, Malaysia
Elevation: 2,161m
Duration: 5D4N
BRIEF ITINERARY
Day 0
Transport to JB
Day 1
0500 Reached Gua Musang
0730 Transport to Kuala Betis Kelantan
1330 Start of Trek from Pos Simpor
1630 Pos Rekom
1800 Kem Tengah Campsite
Day 2
Trek to Tongkat Ali
Day 3
Trek to Kem Maggi
Day 4
Trek to Ulu Sepat
Day 5
Kem Sg Besar
Day 6
Ended trek at Kampong Lelar
Stayed over in Ipoh
Day 7
Back to SG
Day 0
Travel route: Kranji MRT Station à Johor Customs à Johor City Square à Johor Railway Station à KTM train towards Gua Musang
Today we met at 5pm at Kranji MRT Station to get to JB together. It was a lively meeting as everybody were in high spirits. Luk, Guen and Amrit came to send us off, and Guen bought us suan mei as a parting gift! =)
I am glad that we enforced the pack light rule. Many of the packs did not exceed 15kg, which was great as it ensured a swifter and more manageable team.
Day 1
Travel route: Gua Musang Railway Station à Kuala Betis Kelantan (by car/van) à Pos Simpor (by 4wd)
Trek route: Pos Simpor à Pos Rekom (Orang Asli Village) à Kem Tengah (Overnight)
We reached Gua Musang early in the morning (about 5-6am). Jeremy took his temperature and discovered he had a slight fever. We gave him some medication and herbal tea. He decided he was fit to go on. The car to Kuala Betis Kelantan came at about 730am. 4 of us squeezed at the back passenger seat of the van. All of us were still in high spirits. Reached Kuala Betis Kelantan about half an hour later, where we had our last “civilized” toilet.
Thankfully, the 4wd to Pos Simpor went all the way. (we did not have to stop and push the 4wd like our seniors did 4 years back). However the journey was undulating. It was literally an off road ride.
We started trekking at about 1.30pm (after we had our on the go lunch) and proceeded to take the loggers trail to Pos Rekom (which was essentially following the same route that the 4wd would have taken if the route was 4wdrivable). It would have appeared to many as an easy trek (all open ground), however the steep ascends and slippery descends left many tired on the supposedly “easiest” part of the trek. I think at this point in time many of us were already mentally preparing for the worse in the following days.
We reached Pos Rekom at about 430pm. It was a small village, with several huts. After the guide said a few words to his village contact, we proceeded on our real trek proper.
The trek from Pos Rekom to Kem Tengah was quite like most treks. There was no major/minor river crossings. Lots of careful treading was needed as the route was narrow. However, the trail gradient was relatively small and the trek was very manageable, even with everybody’s full pack.
Wallace took the front of the trek, Kenneth was the sweeper. And I trekked around the middle. It was easily noticeable how the more experienced trekkers (the seniors) trekked this part confidently, without much difficulty, very often with their arms folded; whilst the newer trekkers (the juniors) were much more wary, taking more time to make sure that their foot was in the correct position before treading on. One of the things that came to my mind was that when a person was having difficulty with himself, he very often would not be looking out for others. It was heartening to see that Jack was starting to be aware of the people around him, checking back on the people around him, and declaring that he wanted to try trekking at the back (i.e. at someone else’s pace).
We reached the campsite soon after, about 6pm, before dark. Immediately we could see the role allocation coming into use. The wonderful chefs (CL, Suat, SY, WB) started preparing our dinner course. The tent guys started setting up the tent. And the water people started getting the water. The campsite was very near the water source. (The water source is a small stream) BK brought a tarp and nylon strings which we used to build a shelter for the cooking area. There was an atrocious number of sandflies in the area.
We decided to alter our itinerary and make a day trek up and down chamah, coming back to rest at the same campsite.
There was no rain until after dinner. Thank God. Couldn’t sleep the whole night. It’s funny how when you will yourself to sleep, your body becomes even more awake.
Day 2
Trek route: Kem Tengah à Kem Tongkat Ali à Chamah Peak à (spilt into the forward party and the back party) Kem Tongkat Ali à Kem Tengah
The next day we woke up at about 5am, had our breakfast (bread and hot drinks). Armed just with our packs with about 3L of water, we started the 1 day trek to Kem Tongkat Ali. (The trek to Tongkat Ali felt like the starting part of our day 2 trek in Tahan.) Tongkat Ali campsite was quite small, it was the last water point before summit. Those that went to take the water from here felt that the water there was clearer/cleaner.
We took about 3 hours to trek to the summit. Passing by 7 false summits. The first 5 false summits were close to each other, and the last 2 false summits were further apart. The Chamah summit peak had no view, it was covered by vegetation. When we arrived at the peak, it started raining and got really really cold. I think the peak could fit about 4 tents at the maximum. We huddled together at the summit, warmed by the flames of passion one of our members had. =P
We started our downward trek in the rain along the same route up. After the 4th summit, at around 430pm we did a check and realized we had another 3-3.5 hours more of trek left with the pace of the last man. Jeremy had very bad blisters on his feet and had troubles trekking.
We would not be able to rush everybody down in time before nightfall. (the front men and the last man having had a very wide gap). Decided to change course (i.e. break the group to the front party, who could get back much earlier to prepare dinner; and the back party who would accommodate the last men’s pace.)
The back party (Kenneth, Lewen, Jack, Jeremy, KP and me) had no guide who knew the proper route back with us; so KP and I were basically trying to figure out the correct route back and rushing the group so that we would not hit nightfall.
We reached Tongkat Ali just as the light was fading and rested there for a while. Jeremy miraculously discovered a pair of Kampong Addidas lying around and decided to keep it to use as it would have been a more comfortable footwear for him. As we left Tongkat Ali, it started to get dark. I kept praying for God’s protection and for us to be on the correct route. Hearing water sounds was great as it hinted to us that the campsite was near.
KP discovered the 3 stroke pattern (fresh markings left by the guide of the forward party) on the trees to guide us back. I would not hide the fear I had before that that we might have taken a wrong path and by passed the campsite.
We finally reached the campsite at about 750pm. The forward party had kindly prepared dinner for us already. It was great to see familiar faces and be safe at the campsite again.
We retired to the tent, and Wallace told me that Jeremy’s fever had reached 38 degrees. Went out to make Lemsip for him; and we discussed the possibility of shortening the trek and cancelling the trek to Ulu Sepat.
Day 3
Trek route: Kem Tengah à Pos Rekom à Kem Maggi (Ulu Sepat side)
We woke up to the good news that Jeremy’s temperature had subsided. KP took up Jeremy’s load (tent). After an early breakfast, we broke camp and trekked back towards Pos Rekom.
An initial decision by the guide to Ulu Sepat via a shortcut (by passing Pos Rekom) was subsequently dismissed when the short cut was discovered to be inaccessible due to a landslide. At Pos Rekom, after doing a visual check of everybody’s condition, and with group consensus we decided to carry on the trek to Ulu Sepat.
Although people say that Ulu Sepat was a more climbed mountain, the trek route to Kem Maggi was extremely bad. There were thorns and branches everywhere, meaning we had to bash through the route. We reached a long bridge across a river which was essentially held up by 2 wooden logs. Journey to Kem Maggi was relatively easy although there was some steep ascend.
We started to play the game “the lesser of the evils”; which was extremely entertaining to the girls. =D
It started to rain again as we reached Kem Maggi and it was extremely cold. Kem Maggi was like a small rectangular strip and all 3 tents were nearly kissing each other. The water point was not as accessible as the previous campsite, and it required climbing down a branch.
Day 4
Trek route: Kem Maggi à Sg Leper à Ulu Sepat summit
We started with a relatively easy trek to our lunch point at Sg Leper (which was to be our last waterpoint before summit). We refilled all our water bags and such before starting the grueling 3h attempt up the summit. It was a steep ascend, and some of our bags were filled to the maximum capacity.
I prayed again that it would not rain on Ulu Sepat summit, as seeing how cold it was on Kem Maggi, we were not prepared for the even colder temperatures on the summit if it rained.
Trail started to get muddy as it neared the peak. We had to swing from branch to branch to avoid getting hit by the legendary knee deep mud. Thankfully, the no rain on the summit made the mud less sloppy. A couple of areas look like chocolate fondue lakes. However, the trees along the trek up to the summit and the misty feel gave us the feeling that we were exploring the secret garden (as quoted from Jack and CL).
We finally reached Ulu Sepat at about 6pm, in high spirits. WB had finally completed his G7 challenge (being the next SMUX Trekking Team member since Heng to do so)!
Ulu Sepat did not have a view, but had a bigger campsite than Chamah. There was 3 small areas on the summit to camp at. CL’s eye got hit by a branch on the way up. Washed her eye with saline and covered it up with an eye patch to prevent dirt from going in. Suat’s toenail was badly bruised.
Day 5
Trek route: Ulu Sepat Summit à Kem Sg Besar
We woke up to SY’s birthday! =D We were all in high spirits and KP brought out the 400g fruit cake that he carried all the way up for her! (Awww…) We celebrated her birthday with a twig as a candle. At about 10am, we started our downwards trek to the Y-Junction, before taking another route down. (so that we would be doing a transverse of Ulu Sepat).
The terrain was steep and slippery and the route was filled with leaves, making the ground even more slippery. We reached the first campsite for lunch after 2 hours.
Thankfully after this part the route changed to a less slippery route. We reached our campsite surprisingly early at 430pm, (after by passing a village, and crossing a couple of rivers).
We had a hearty dinner and rested early.
Day 6
Trek route: Kem Sg Besar à Kampong Lelar
Travel route: Kampong Lelar à Sg. Siput (via river) à Ipoh
We had an easy 3 hour trek to Kampong Lelar and were really happy to see signs of civilization (motorcycles) along the way. The village was very much bigger than the first one and beautiful houses and many rambutan and durian trees. There were also many cute chicks and geese and mother hens.
We ended the trek at Kampong Lelar, where the villagers offered us durians to eat (Which was awesome! Creamy sweet and bitter). We all squeezed into one 4wd out of the village to the river. Where we took an hour’s boat ride, before transferring to 2 mini vans for a 30 min ride to Sg Siput. Had our first meal of fresh (I wonder?) chicken at KFC before taking the 4pm bus to Ipoh.
Missed all the buses/trains back to Singapore.
Stayed over at a budget hotel in Ipoh.
Day 7
Travel route: Ipoh à JB à Singapore
Woke up to Macdonald’s breakfast, before taking a bus to Singapore.
Video by: Kenneth Goh, Trek Safety IC Written by: Myra Tan, TM
