Gunung Batu Puteh, Perak. 19~21 June 2010

The white rock was mystified behind the midday thick dancing cloud, 

all of us anticipated silently like a pilgrim at Batu Kak,

eyes unwaveringly fixating forward, 

for that sudden revelation of timeless beauty..

- T.H.
 

Gunung Batu Putih，2131 meter, is the eighth highest mountain in Peninsular Malaysia. This is the highest mountain I climbed besides Gunung Ledang and Mt Kinabalu. One only needs good stamina to complete the hike to the summit which takes 2 days at easy pace, and certain muscle strength to carry an average of 10kg backpack.

 

Orang asli village, not far from the trail head.

River crossing at "Sungai Y", a confluence of two tributaries of Sungai Woh. The current is strong and the rocks slippery, a wrong foot step will send one and his/her backpack to a good dip- if not being swept away.

Jungle path. We walked an hour to reach 'Sungai Y'.

Our organizer, Encik Hamid, doing stretching exercise in the morning after the first night camping. Dr Joy Mak can be seen massaging her aching thighs, while Zainal Abidin was putting his socks, and Aishah busy taking some amusing snap shots.

Boon Siong in Gua Azan cave, our second night lodging. It is a huge boulder overhanging, quite airy and we don't need to use tents. At night the temperature was recorded at 18 deg.C.

Zainol climbing up wooden scaffolding over rock face to reach Batu Kak.

Fairytale-like mossy forest near the summit.

A well-earned slumber at 5:15pm, after pushing hard to reach summit before dark. Still, on the way down I had to grope in the dark with headlamp on slippery terrain in the drizzling rain- the result was countless bottom ground hits.

Kudos to all the team members- you made the trip so memorable and fun. I hope one day we can go climbing once again. For that particular one with poor fitness level and common sense, he has to buckle up or else nobody is willing to go with him anymore haha..