Bukit Tabur - Meticulous Mount of Melawati

Taman Melawati -a quiet and peaceful neighborhood in the Klang Valley. The place I grew up, my back yard, my playground. A perfect abode, and one I call home.

It is famous for Bukit Tabur, an imposing 300 m quartz ridge, shaped like a sleeping gargantuan prehistoric leviathan. A great hiking hill, yet reports of accidents -serious and fatal- were on the news these recent years. The collection of my climbing photos here demonstrate how relentless it was. Unlike Mt Kinabalu or Tahan which are lengthy and laid-back climb, this one is brief and jagged -kinda 100 m dash of mountaineering. Let the ascent begin!  

Team Tabur, right to left: Emri, Haris, Eivon, Ajib, Ina, and Pak Ali.

Bukit Tabur - Our lil' Everest. We hiked peak to peak from east to west (right to left).

Ulu Klang Dam from the base of Tabur. Nice shot from Emri.

Ajib was way ahead of us!

Eivon almost threw up from the initial climb. Girls, take note.

View of Melawati from one of the peak.

Like a tiger sneaking for the prey...

Sermon on the Mount -with reluctant audiences.

Facing Bukit Tabur Timur. Notice the dam on the left and forest rape to the right.

In awe of the Nature's bounty and beauty.

Rugged climb on razor-sharp rocks.

Ajib celebrating his victory over the painstaking ordeal.

"The sky is blue. And God's evidence is elegantly everywhere..."

Girls standing a few centimeters to 200 m cliffs.

I'm about to bungee jump down the dreaded abyss!

R&R on top. Titiwangsa Range in the background.

Another team trudging for the next peak.

Almost noon, no wonder it's searing hot.

Best rock climbing position of the year.

Pak Ali tried to imitate, but failed miserably.

Ascending to touch the face of Heaven. Were we almost there?

Portal to the land of elves...

At the westernmost resting site. Drank water of joy (air bersuka ria). Planning for our next hike. Note the comfy moss. Pure bliss.

Detail of the moss from earlier expedition.

At the westernmost end. No more peaks to climb.

Ascending is one helluva challenge. Descending is another.

One of few points with ropes. I believe this one is accident-prone. Don't worry guys. If she could make it, so could you.

The kings of Tabur. Emotions ran supreme. No word could express more.....

Indeed, we were the king of the World!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Special encounter with origami cranes. We believed they were placed there to ensure safe journey for hikers.

Overall climbing, I must say the initial climb was the most demanding. The rest was fine, with intermissions of pointy climbs and scaling cliffs. Yet, the ordeal was rewarded with awesome views of mesmerizing Mother Nature and a satisfactory sense of being there -one only mountaineers could ever feel. The overall journey back and forth took about 3 hours. I lost a few kilos as well! Also, the climb might look hard at first that many turned back after reaching the first peak -with barely nothing to see. No matter, exhilarating fun awaits for those who dare.

Last but not least, I found an article about Bukit Tabur from a fellow blogger. His climb was extremely harsh yet gilded with ethereal beauty. Click here to discover more 

RESPECTO.
 

Journey Through Time - Lenggong (UPDATED)

Last November, I trailed the path of our ancestors, way back 11,000 BC here in the Prehistoric Capital of Malaysia Peninsular -Lenggong. I went there before in 2006, but this time I expected a lot more due to my friend Maej, who invited me for the trip, had a friend worked there as an archeologist. Along the way from downtown KL, we stopped by at a lake at Sungai Tua road near Ulu Yam for quick clicks: 

Ulu Yam Lake at first stop after Batu Caves. Sneaking behind a newly wed couple for a harsh surprise.

Need to tie this up or I'll be soaking wet, which I did a few minutes later :p

The lake was near to the waterfalls, infamous for being shown in 'Edisi Siasat' TV series as lovers hideout some time ago. The view was relentlessly breathtaking! Maej and I went down and let the cams play their part ;)

Amateur fishermen casting nets.

 

Maej with killer pose. Note the dark-green portion. It leads to an unfathomable abyss.

Interesting to know that the lake was a huge dam and the dam was once terrestrial dusun (food orchard) back in the 70s. Government dealt with the locals and gave them compensation as exchange for the lands. That explained myriad of mansions in the village of Kampung Sungai Kertas, which is adjacent to the lake. 

So, careful if you were to venture here. The seemly shallow lake gives away to unknown depth, which I barely escaped just after a few steps forward into the calm, peaceful water. Ask Maej if you've got any doubt.

Ajib's country crib.

After a stop at Tanjung Malim, we continued along the PLUS highway to Ipoh, where we picked the third crew Ajib. We spent a night in Ajib's crib at Kuala Kangsar -the royal town of Perak Sultanate. Next morning, we continued our journey to Lenggong. The scenery of twin mountain ranges which hold Lenggong in the middle put me in awe... I felt back in time, and somehow the spirits of the ancestors greeted me like old friends...

Welcoming sight of peaceful Lenggong...

We had a nice lunch before the cave-venturing. Mouth-watering, nothing else holds sway than the truth:

Ultimate gastronomic delights.

Name of the restaurant. Empowered by Gerai Pak Ali.

Cavemen hard at work. The ancestors reenacted. History appreciated. They would be very proud...

Caverns of forgotten Homo sapiens. I could imagine they hid or even made love here 10,000 years ago... The bottle doesn't count.

Maej found a new path to deeper sections of the cave.

In 10,000 years, the graffiti will be a precious piece of art. 

Playing Adam & Eve of Lenggong.

Stalagmites which used to shape like KLCC, hypothetically.

Nice shot from Maej.

"This couple was cursed and turned to stone because FB addiction and cheating" -our tour guide.

Entrance to the ancestors.

Archeologist hard at work.

Reality of an Indie-wannabe. Who said that archeologist is a glamorous job?

Ajib as a test subject. Note multiple holes which contain untold treasures of the past...

Maej turn. Seemed we found a perfectly preserved Perak Woman.

In the hole picture above, Maej spotted a shell put there by the ancestors.

Going down the caves... Now that's some Indie in action! ;p

After a few cave explorations, finally we're up to the epitome of them all -Gua Gunung Runtuh. This is where Perak Man -the oldest human remains in Malaysia, was found. Mind you he was buried in the cave located on a hill. I couldn't imagine he was carried high up there. Perhaps the topography was different back then. Indeed, the site is now covered with lush jungle but research revealed that a lake existed here thousand of years ago, hinting that the area was alive with activities, perhaps stone-making, even partying... stone age style.

The timeless hill of Gua Gunung Runtuh looming before us.

The area surrounding Gua Gunung Runtuh. You can discern an outline of a lake if you observe close enough.

Same site, my view.

On top of the hill; signpost telling we were finally there for the Man.

Detail of the signpost.

Entrance to the cave. Like entering into a time machine. Emotions running wild...

Interior of the cave. Speechless. We were then in 11,000 BC.

Reenacting Perak Man burial position. Journey through time begins.

In this final photo, as I lied facing the ceiling of the ancient cave, I let my imagination ran wild with the thoughts of the people long dead millennia ago... At last, I could see through the eyes of my ancestors. They faintly spoke to me, through rocks, through sands, through dust that strewn the caves... whispering the call to remember the past, for the sake of the future.

Special: Lata Kekabu - we deserved a cool and splashing retreat afterward. What a day! 

RESPECTO.