IN the wee hours of the morning, while the streets are practically empty, a group of hikers leave Kuala Lumpur.
They head east, some 180km by road, which would take them about two and a half hours to arrive.
Their destination: Jerantut in Pahang.
The pre-dawn traffic along the dark Karak highway can be busy with buses and lorries travelling along this main artery that connects the city to the east coast.
But there is only one thing on everyone’s mind – to reach Jerantut before dawn, find the small road on the palm oil estates to Lepar Utara, hike in the dark with a headlamp and reach the hilltop before the sun rises.
Jerantut has long been known to be a gateway and outfitter to the jungle. It is an old town, once a trading stop and a jumping-off point into the interior.
Back then, it was a market town surrounded by villages and plantations, which later became the administrative centre of the Jerantut district.
As the town came to life later, it revealed the other side of it. Its markets under zinc roofs stock up with river fish and fruit, hotel lobbies with the smell of coffee, shophouses in faded colours and a road sign pointing to Taman Negara as if the forest were just around the corner.
Visitors heading to the country’s national park and one of the world’s oldest rainforests would have to pass through this town.
Life in Jerantut can be slow-paced and people tend to be laid-back. By mountaineers’ standards, Bukit Botak, which is gaining popularity among hikers, is a modest rise. More like a bump on the earth than a hill.
Its name suggests a bare scalp, and from the summit, its view is endless, uneven forested hills that look like a wrinkled green quilt.
The journey to the hilltop starts along the path in the oil palm estate, which is covered by fallen fronds.
The buzzing of cicadas is loud and clear as hikers make their way in, while a light pine-like scent lingers from freshly-cut tree trunks nearby.
It’s an easy-to-walk trail but rises gently as it goes along, especially towards the end, nearer to the top.
This short section is steep and requires some effort, but it’s manageable with a little push. Tree roots stick out of the trail, where one can step like ladder rungs to go upwards.
From the trailhead to the top, it takes 90 minutes or roughly five kilometres and 200-odd metres of climb.
As one hikes higher, the trees stop blocking the view and the whole sky bursts wide open.
On a clear day, depending on the time of the year, one can catch the Milky Way rising from the southeast to southwest, with the brightest core in the southern sky.
A cool wind blows gently across the ridge when the party arrived. Then, a transformation slowly takes place as the sky begins to lighten.
Slowly, rolling clouds engulf the entire valley. Locals call this the land of cloud seas.
From the viewpoint, parts of the rolling hills and faraway ridges stick up on the horizon amidst the clouds.
The view is striking.
As the sun continues to rise, it casts a copper glow over the blanketed sky. For several minutes, the world is separated by layers of white moving clouds.
It hosts a perfect moment for photographers to find the best shots, couples pose for photo opportunities, while hikers take turns for the best spots. As the breeze comes and goes, the clouds drift slowly against the treetops, like rolling waves as they change colours.
Some hikers linger longer to witness the display of the clouds, while others pack their belongings and start the descent.
The return leg of the walk is much easier and gentler than the climb.
As the day gets brighter, the scene is much more visible.
The ferns open their geometry, ants move like porters, new leaves uncurl with pale insistence and oil palm trees in symmetrical march.
The walk down also reveals village life unfolding.
The trip to Jerantut town for breakfast reveals shops and markets opening as people begin their daily business.
Fruit sellers press their thumbs into ripe fruit. Schoolchildren balance heavy bags as they wait for transport. A market auntie manages three errands in a single walk.
Despite having grander mountains and higher perches to watch the colours of the world go by, Bukit Botak manages to lure hikers back to its viewpoint.
As the clouds finally dissolve, leaving the ridges stitched against the sun, the memory of a morning in the clouds lives on.
