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Rangers Bukit Kutu Expedition |
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28
- 29 November 2003 |
Report by Justin Tiew
The year-end campout planned exclusively for the Trail Rangers outpost
saw its light in the form of the Bukit Kutu Expedition. The hike cum
overnight adventure lasted from the 28th to 29th November 2003 with the
participation of 3 leaders and 6 Trail Rangers.
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We gathered at 7am, all excited and ready to
go. Upon the completion of a final inspection on our hiking equipment
and camping gear, we had a time of prayer. Driving for about an hour, we
stopped at the Kuala Kubu Baru Police Station to report our expedition
plans as a safety precaution, before traveling to the village where our
“Orang Asli” guides reside.
Once the guides got ready their supplies and equipment, we hit the
trail. The initial trail was wide and it was a relatively easy hike. The
trail began to narrow as we moved deeper into the forest.
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the first 2 hours, the route brought us up and down hill a few times. We
had to cross several streams before finally arriving at a big fork path. One of the guides suggested that we take the
‘shortcut’ as it would save us some time. We agreed and he led us up all
the way. The route which we took was rather interesting, despite the
fact that it was really challenging for the lot of us. We had to hike up
waterfalls and be careful of slippery rock covered with moss and algae.
The presence of invading leeches and thorny plants had us wanting to
reach the top even more. The obstacles had only stood to boost our
spirit and determination to overcome them. At last, after 4 more grueling hours
of maximum strain on our physical stamina, we arrived at the peak at
1,200 meters. The terrain was no doubt challenging and the slight
drizzle threaten to make the conditions worse. Nonetheless, we thank God
for sustaining us all the way up Bukit Kutu and keeping the heavy
downpour away which would have inevitably hinder the expedition. |
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BUKIT KUTU |
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In the early 1900's the British
administration built a hill station overlooking Kuala Kubu and it
was destroyed during the World War II. Since then, the station at Bukit
Kutu (1,200m) was left to the effects of nature and still maintains
its tranquility. The only way to get there is by foot, tents are
your only shelter and food has to be brought up in your backpacks.
From the rock peak there is a commanding view of the valley and the
other hill resorts of Fraser's and Genting.
The trek is a good stiff walk taking from 4 to
6 hours depending on the speed of the trek and the coming down may
appear steep at certain parts. The old fireplace is still standing
and the amazing thing is that one of the wells at the top still has
clear drinking water after so many years. |
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It was about 5pm when we started clearing up the campsite, which was
saturated with overgrown weeds and grass. The 6 Trail Rangers were
divided into 2 patrols with a tent for each patrol. As the Trail Rangers
pitched their tents, the commanders set-up their makeshift shelter with
the flysheets and groundsheets they brought along. After a simple dinner of instant noodles and can food cooked over a
camping stove, we went for a wash-up. There were 2 wells, of which one
was empty. For some of us, it was the first time we had to endure a bath
with chilly, well water amidst the surrounding blowing wind. The
essential cleansing made us feel clean once again as we got ready to hit
the pillows. |
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We arose the next day, feeling fresh and all geared up for another hike
down the hill thanks to the good sleep we had throughout the night.
Breakfast was light and brief, as we wanted to begin our journey down
early. We packed our bags and tents, cleared the campsite of garbage,
prayed and subsequently set our soles back on the route all the way
downhill. It was a rather difficult
descent as the ground was muddy due to recurring rain throughout the
night. Some slipped and fell while others got injured by the thorny
plants along the downward journey. The entire hike down took us 3 hours, which was quite
fast compared to the time we took during ascent.
At the end of the trail and adventure, we extended our gratitude to the
guides. We were all feeling elated as we had accomplish another
achievement in our lives. The challenging yet rewarding experience of
the Bukit Kutu Expedition will always remain with us. |
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Back |
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YAL RANGERS KUALA
LUMPUR #1 Calvary Church, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia