The signboard of the notorious section of the mountain. — Photos: JOHAN JAAFFAR
There is a notorious section of Gunung Ledang in Johor that’s interestingly named “KFC”. The signboard reads “Killing Fitness Centre” but climbers would probably call it “Killer for Climbers”.
KFC is located between Check Point 5 and 6 at 800m above sea level. For hardcore climbers, this is where the real climbing begins as it has an inclination of 65°.
Climbers need to meander through the trail and scramble over rocks and boulders. There are ropes to help but the vertical nature of the rock requires a lot of physical effort and stamina to climb.
That is one of the many challenges of climbing the highest mountain in Johor, although Gunung Ledang is a molehill in comparison to many other mountains in the country.
I have climbed higher mountains in Malaysia, Indonesia, Nepal and Britain. When my team and I trekked the Langtang Valley circuit – the hamlet of Sherpagaun – in Nepal last September, our first stop was already at 2,444m. The summit of Gunung Ledang is 1,226m.
When I was in Form Three in 1969, my Scouts teacher Cikgu Yaakub Karim organised a trip to Gunung Ledang. We cycled all the way to Tangkak and camped at the reservoir.
We started climbing the mountain very early in the morning and I remember doing it effortlessly. I was 16 back then, and we reached the top in no time.
Fast forward to Dec 16, 2019 when I was 66 years old and about to climb Gunung Ledang again.
By then, I have had a reasonably impressive record of trekking and mountain climbing.
However, December is a bad time to climb any mountain in Malaysia as it is the rainy season.
Needless to say, we failed our mission to reach the peak as it rained all day. We actually stopped just before reaching the KFC section.
Recently, I made another effort to summit.
Although Gunung Ledang can be climbed by both the young and old, I think it is a challenge that is best left to the super fit.
The writer at Check Point 1, also known as Bukit Semput.
To start with, you have to brave the first section which is called “Tangga Mahligai” or Heavenly Steps. You have go up a total of 688 steps to reach Check Point 1, which is aptly named Bukit Semput (literally, Wheezing Hill).
The next 600m to Hentian Meranti is a struggle against protruding roots and slippery terrains. That is pretty much the nature of the climb from there on.
The next check point, Simpang Kolam Gajah, is 750m away. Climbers normally take a short break here before heading for the next stop, Batu Orkid.
From there the climbing gets tougher. The climb from Simpang Bukit Satu Dua to Simpang Pendeta offers nothing but trees, leaves and roots. You can hear your hearts pounding and your knees creaking!
Check Point 5 is at Sungai Segi Tiga (630m). According to the guides’ rule, all climbers must reach this check point by 10.45am for safety reasons; not many people can actually achieve this, even though it is not even halfway through the journey.
From here you will reach the KFC. The climb takes about 20 to 30 minutes of struggling to catch your breath and put your feet forward, and, for oldies like me, to make sure the hands and legs are strong enough to move up. The ladders certainly help but at this point in the climb, there are no amount of ladders that can truly help a weary climber.
The KFC is also the point where many climbers will give up and turn around. I did that in 2019 for it was already noon, 45 minutes later than the required check-in time of 11.15am.
Gunung Ledang is strict about its check-in times. You have to be at the summit by 2.30pm at the latest.
Going down the mountain is equally tough. Most climbers will be at the bottom by 5.30pm, though some will still be making their way down long after the sun sets. This is why the management is strict about the timing for every check point. Ideally, one has to be at KFC (800m) by 11.15am.
Anyway, once you’ve conquered KFC you will be at Gua Kambing, which is Check Point 6 (900m). From there, it is all rock, fixed ropes and ladders.
Mohammad Raziz using the fixed rope to climb up. — HAIDA AZREENA HANNIE YAHODA
But the last three hours of our climb, we were told, merely served as a “warm-up” for what’s to come.
The mossy forest, which I enjoyed walking through 56 years ago, is now the rope section. This is the best section for any mountain above 1,000m in Malaysia. Unfortunately, I was not able to enjoy it in 2019 or during my recent climb.
The final push from Bukit Botak features only ropes and ladders. Bukit Botak is the highest point in Johor.
The success rate of climbing Gunung Ledang, I was told, is only 40%, which is atrociously low for a mountain of that height.
There are always contingency plans for those who get injured, succumbed to sickness or are unable to move. The management has vehicles on standby during peak climbing periods.
Someone in our group was taken to safety in such a vehicle from a particular point in the mountains because her knees were wobbling.
Taman Negara Lagenda Gunung Ledang is a well-regulated park and one of the most guarded in terms of the trails, general cleanliness and protection of flora, fauna and wildlife. It is the perfect example of how a nature park should be managed.
We have to declare everything before we even start climbing – every piece of plastic, food, clothing that we carried had to be declared. Each team must also place a deposit of RM200 to ensure that no one litters.
You will not find a single piece of litter on the trek.
The park is a popular destination for locals and Singaporeans because it is a one-day hike, though climbers must have a guide to go along with them.
I was told there were 40 local registered guides, of which four were women. They are paid between RM130 and RM220 each trip, depending on which section of the trail a climber wants to head to.
These are reliable and experienced guides who work as a team besides taking care of their clients.
The writer (centre, wearing a beanie) and his group of hikers with Firdaus (far left), one of the guides.
I was with a group of 10 climbers a few weeks ago.
The oldest person in the group was Hamid Yahya, 76, my trekking buddy for many years. The youngest was Nur Alysha Mysara Mohd Hafiz, 19.
Two climbers were older than 70, two were in their 60s, and the others were younger than 40.
There were four women altogether, while four people were also members of the previous Langtang Valley Challenge.
Nur Alysha is the star of the group as she showed incredible skill, strength and determination throughout the climb. She proved her capabilities in the Langtang Valley Challenge and I believe she did even better here.
The other three besides Nur Alysha who made it to the peak were Mohammad Raziz Isman (41), Haida Azreena Hannie Yahoda (42) and Haida Izzaty Izyan Yahoda (32).
Haida Azreena and her sister Haida Izzaty, are my nieces.
My record at Gunung Ledang has been less than satisfactory. But my last two failures did not dampen my spirit to try again.
Those who failed in my group this time around have been talking about making another attempt soon.
The lure of the legendary mountain is simply irresistible!
Johan Jaaffar is an avid trekker and mountaineer. He celebrated his 70th birthday at the peak of Gunung Batur in Bali, Indonesia in 2023. He trekked the world- famous Langtang Valley trail in Nepal in September last year.
