Sunny Outdoors

Sep 11, 2011 - On a whim, my wife and I signed up for a hike to Gunung Nuang via Janda Baik, organised by the Kuala Lumpur Hiking and Trail Running Meetup group.  We were supposed to attend a wedding ceremony on Monday. Since we had the Sunday free, why not ? Climbing Gunung Nuang from Janda Baik is supposed to be easier than starting at Hulu Langat.  Apparently, the trail starts at a higher altitude and the route to the base of the mountain is shorter, making it an easier climb ... or so I was told. At 5:30 am, my wife and I waited at the Summit hotel bus stop for our ride. Chanec, a fellow participant, was kind enough to drive us and 2 other hikers to the starting point. We started the hike at 8 am from a dirt track where the cars were parked.  We had to cross a river that was about ankle deep and we foolishly decided not to remove our shoes. Our feet got wet at the beginning of the hike. Starting Point Once we got across the river, the path led us through...

30 Apr 2011 - Gunung Nuang is situated in Pangsoon, Hulu Langat, Selangor.  Standing at 1493m,  it's summit is the highest point in Selangor.  I have always wanted to climb Gunung Nuang ever since I've heard of it's infamy.  When I found out Uncle George was organising the climb,  I signed up immediately.  There are many stories of how tough and challenging the climb is and they are all true haha.  First of all,  there's sleep deprivation. Traveling from Singapore to Selangor in a mini bus takes about 6 - 7 hrs and I am not the sort that can fall asleep anywhere, especially in a small noisy bus. I probably slept about 1 - 2 hrs that night ! We departed Singapore at about 10:30 pm that night and arrived at the Gunung Nuang Park at about 7 am.  This included rest stops and time taken for supper at Yong Peng and Roti Canai breakfast at a mamak stall near Gunung Nuang.  Then there's the issue of turnaround time. As we wouldn't want to...

23 to 24 Feb 2011- This is my first time climbing Mt Kinabalu and I am really excited to be here after 3 months of training. To prepare for the climb, we trained by stair climbing (40 storeys building) and hiking up Bukit Timah hill weekly. I can't wait to ascend this mountain, after all this is South East Asia highest mountain right ?  Jo's Climbers (Photo from Jo)  Briefing before the trek starts  We started the climb at about 9:45am and were advised not to go too fast as that will increase the risk of acute mountain sickness (ams). Anyway, all the good advice went out the window when I started.  I was just focused on reaching Laban Rata base camp.  Distance markers and maps at every 0.5km The terrain goes UP UP and UP, with steep inclines with very little flat ground. I am really glad I trained for the climb.   Porters carrying 30 kgs load  Resting for lunch on the steps as the huts were fu...