Stories by Joleen LunJew
Saturday June 6, 2009
A day’s hike up Bukit Kutu in Kuala Kubu Baru will leave you exhausted, but happy.
A mountain a day to keep the doctor away? It’s just something I made up but having been sitting on my laurels for the past few months, I was beginning to feel a bit sluggish.
I jumped at the chance of heading to Bukit Kutu, Kuala Kubu Baru, when a friend posted the suggestion on Facebook. It’s so difficult to find like-minded people to climb with and I wasn’t too keen on joining big, organised groups.
Forest fungi
An avid naturalist I met in Cameron Highlands told me that he limits his group to about eight or 10 people so that he is able to make sure everyone is safe. There is a danger of losing people in a big group if some take a toilet break and are not able to catch up with the group once they are done. With that advice in mind, I agreed to join my friend as there would only be eight people in the group.
On Saturday, we met at 8am for breakfast in Kuala Kubu Baru, an hour-and-a-half drive from Kuala Lumpur. The final count was seven humans and one canine.
The trail entrance is located in Kampung Pertak, a modern orang asli village. The village is located on the right side of the road heading towards Fraser’s Hill.
We parked at the side of the road at 9am and followed the easy 4x4 trail on foot till we came to our first river crossing. There’s a sturdy bridge there so you can cross the river without getting your feet wet. I was puzzled as to why the bridge was built. Seemed like a waste of public funds. The ankle-high river was shallow enough to cross but maybe the river swelled during wet season. Oh well.
We came across a second bridge a few minutes ahead. This bridge had collapsed and lay suspended precariously across the river. It was possible to cross using the bridge, just watch your step. You can also opt to cross the river itself — it’s not that deep.
The still standing chimney of a crumbled British home. — Joleen LunJew
We followed the 4x4 trail again until we came to the last big river crossing. There was no bridge there but the thigh-deep river was fairly easy to cross. Do take off your shoes as it is quite uncomfortable to trek in soggy shoes. River sandals or those cheap rubber shoes that you can get from small town sundry shops for around RM6 are good as well. My fellow trekking mates and orang asli guides swear by this cheap, Malaysian-made shoe. Ask for the Bowling brand.
The trail proved confusing because it branches out several times. All of us were first-timers so we had to make a lot of educated guesses. To make things simple, follow the trail and do not take any of the smaller foot trails that branch off from the main trail. At the end of the trail, there’s a small foot trail on your right that leads into the forest. This trail is overgrown with undergrowth so look out for it carefully. There was a marker left by previous hikers so hopefully it is still there when you go.
The beginning of the trail is easy because of the flat land but it can get quite confusing at times. Use your judgement wisely and look out for markers — mostly raffia string or squares of paper stapled to a leaf. The trails seem unused and litter-free. An indication that it’s not a popular hiking trek, maybe? We didn’t see a single soul except for an orang asli collecting petai way up a tree. It was a nice change from the usual noisy crowds.
The trail was scenic with bamboo lining both sides and trees all around. There were some parts where we had to pass under fallen bamboo or trees. The trail got steeper after a while.
It was a challenge to trudge up that never ending hill. It was almost vertical. Our spirits lifted whenever we saw what seemed to be the end of the dreaded hill but fell again as we realised we were fooled. This happened several times until I started to wonder: Why in the world do I put myself through such torture?
We came across a gigantic rock face about midway up the trail. The surface is so expansive that you wonder how it got there in the first place. There are some small caves here that you can explore and there’s a wide flat space where you can rest to catch your breath.
We didn’t stay long as we wanted to have our lunch at the peak so we continued our long climb up again. There are plenty of leeches in Bukit Kutu and also a few ticks. Yes, they didn’t name the hill for nothing. I freaked out when I found a small flat forest tick on me when I got home.
I heard that leeches are not able to penetrate through pantyhose. All the insect repellent, ointment and tobacco-soaked socks didn’t stand a chance with the determined leeches. But my RM3 pantyhose, cut at the knee, worked like a charm. After four long hours of manoeuvring ourselves through thick forests and steep hills, we finally came across a clearing where a lone structure stood majestically at the end. This chimney is what is left of a British holiday home. Scattered around the chimney are loose walls and slabs of stone with logs across them. We couldn’t figure out what it was.
Why anyone would want to build a holiday home four hours up a steep hill in the middle of nowhere beats me. Imagine the labourers struggling to carry the heavy building material up.
There is a well near the house that has fresh water. It was dry when we were there but I heard that you can actually drink from the well. It’s quite a drop so you don’t want to accidentally fall in!
A rock summit a few metres away offered a rewarding 360° view of the mountains beyond. If you climb up to one of the ledges, you will be able to see the dam that paints a serene picture.
Famished, we wolfed down our lunch and lay in the sun for a while. We took this opportunity to check every inch of our body for leeches and ticks. My poor dog was quite beat by now and slept soundly under the shady rock.
After the much needed rest, we decided to pack up for our journey down.
I was dreading descending the killer hill. It was tough going up and it would be so much tougher going down. Unfortunately, I was right. The steep and slippery surface was pure torture on the knees.
I tried going down sideways but that hurt my right knee so I changed sides only to hurt my left knee. Nothing was working.
I began looking for straight, sturdy sticks to help take the pressure off. Newly fallen branches work the best. Use two sticks on either side if you like. It was a huge relief as the sticks absorbed most of the impact.
We didn’t speak much on the way down as we were concentrating on the steep descent, carefully calculating each footing so we wouldn’t slip and fall or worse, twist an ankle. Even my dog had renewed energy and picked up her pace once she knew we were nearing the end.
It was a good three-and-a-half hours down as we were treading slowly, but most can complete it in three. There’s a nice river near where our cars were parked where you can cool down and wash up. The cold water was a lovely respite indeed.
Despite being exhausted, there was a sense of accomplishment to have conquered Bukit Kutu. I won’t be doing this hill in the near future, but ask me again when my aching legs have recovered. I might just say yes.
Getting there
Take either the PLUS highway and exit at the Fraser’s Hill turn-off, or use the Ulu Yam road from Batu Caves and head towards Ulu Yam, and then to Kuala Kubu Baru. The journey will take slightly more than an hour.
After passing the Kuala Kubu Baru town, drive along the road leading to Fraser’s Hill and look out for Kampung Pertak, a modern orang asli village, on the right. Drive straight in until you reach the end of the road. The Bukit Kutu trail starts there.
WHAT TO BRING
Pack something for lunch like sandwiches, fried rice or fried mee hoon. Bring along some snacks for energy such as power bars, chocolate bars, raisins or sweets. Make sure you have at least two litres of water with you. A hydration pack is very handy.
WHAT TO WEAR
A light shirt (preferably dry-fit) and a three-quarter, quick-dry pair of pants are recommended. Wear river sandals or light trekking shoes. Use leech socks or pantyhose to prevent leech bites. Bring insect repellent, ointments and deep heat cream if you want. Make sure you have a towel and fresh change of clothes in the car for after the trek. -- The Star Lifestyle
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