Mount Yong Belar, Mount 3 boundaries, Mount Challi and Mount 6040 (YB3B)

 

Mount Yong Belar, Mount 3 boundaries, Mount Challi and mount 6040 at one go.

The four mountains are known for their hardcore inclination, extreme cold and muddy trails.

Located in between border Lojing district of Kelantan and Blue Valley Dam in cold mountain of cameron highland, Pahang.

Titiwangsa range offered series of killer mountains for us to choose and most hike were hard, mentally and physically.

Our trip was organized by Ajul Empire and this is the 3rd time I joined their trips. Always looking for mountains that I've never been hike and YB3B are one of those.

YB3B stands for Mount Yong Belar and Mount 3 Boundaries and...along the way, with no choice, Mount Challi and Mount 6040 were also in the hardcore menu. Tasty!

There are few starting point to Yong Belar and most popular one is via the Blue Valley Dam and via kebun (vegetable farm).

Blue Valley dam is approximately 1.7km away from Kebun which you need to follow a pipeline trail, while via Kebun, you may just start straight.

We started at Masjid Lojing in a cold, dark, few hours before dawn - riding a 4 wheel truck drive few kilometres away with 30 to 40 minutes bumpy ride.

Riding pass through a vast vegetable farms and as we move deeper into the farm, we need to cross an entrance gate.

The whole circuit

Different during those days, where the 4 wheel truck used the same road without restriction, but now, vegetable farms operators had ventured into this lucrative business and we are considered passing through their farm.

A loud honk blast loudly alerting the worker to open the gate. The farm worker with the slowest movement, unlocked the padlock and swayed the gates door to the side, letting us pass through.

In a cold dark morning, the road reached its end - The Blue Valley dam.

the start and End, the red arrow is the stairs and pipeline trail

Few Tips to take note:

1. Its extreme cold up there, please bring your jacket, glove, waterproof accessories
2. High chances of rain (depending on which month you go) - so prepare to get wet
3. bring your dry tshirt, change it at the top to keep you warm
4. Water points are aplenty at Tudung Periuk,Kem Gurkha and few along the trail
5. Its a rough terrain so, be prepared to cry, grin, regret
6. If you are slow, please train before you go - you dont want others to wait for you, few minutes is ok, but not for hours
7. Always hike with buddy, at least two, dont hike alone - if you fall, nobody will get notice

The Journey Plan

We will start from Blue Valley Dam (the 4 wheel truck will drop us here)

then climbing up the stairs from hell

Then the 800 metres pipeline walk - wet and dirty

Then to vegetable farm

Then into the woods to Yong Belar

Then Challi, 3 boundaries and 6040

Then back at blue valley dam but different pick up spot

The whole circuit had been carefully plotted out with waypoints for each check point, illustrated by flag as shown above.

A manual task by phone and my finger

Summary of Hike

23.8km in 18 hours 32 minutes

Started at 5.35am ended at 12.20am

From Blue Valley Dam Climbing the stairs from hell :

Distance : around 300 metres

Duration taken : 20 - 30 minutes

Trail condition : wet (after rain)

Trail difficulties : hard inclination

Pipe Line Trail

The trail continues with pipeline "pedestrian Walkway"

Around 800 meters

You will be stepping on a slippery rubber pipes that were parallel or on top of each other leading to one direction - forward.

The pipes are black in colour and the ground are mostly wet or submerged in water believed from the leaking pipes.

Your shoes will get wet here definitely, your feet may get stuck in between these pipes (or you may fall down). Just be careful.

Kebun aka vegetable farm

Distance from Start : 1.7km

Duration taken from Start : 1 hour 9 minutes

what are you doing in my farm?

We reached the Kebun after 1.7km walk in 1 hour 9 minutes

From Pipe Line trail and crossing one river, we arrived at Kebun around 6.42am. It started to rain heavily. We waited for the rain to subside.
Around 7.20am, we continued our journey. From Kebun to the trailhead is another 400 metres (appx) walk. The trail was easy.

After the rain

At this point, we have traveled, 1.7km from start to Kebun.
Kindly take note that we started at elevation of 1500 metres above sea level and Yong belar is 2181 metres, it's another 681 meters of elevation.

The view from "pintu rimba" - from open space into the deep, dark, cold forest

From Kebun to Kem Tudung Periuk

Distance from Kebun to Kem Tudung Periuk : 3km

Distance from Start to Kem Tudung Periuk : 4.8km

Duration Taken from Kebun to Kem Tudung Periuk : 1 hour 45 minutes

Duration taken from Start to Kem Tudung Periuk : 3 hours 22 minutes (including rest and waiting for the rain to subside)

Trail Condition : wet and muddy

Trail difficulties : Hard Inclination, rolling hills

Tudung Periuk is a waterpoint - a stream just beneath the hill

We rested few minutes here.

Tudung Periuk time - group of hikers to Yong Belar

4.8km from start

From Kem Tudung Periuk to Kem Kasut

Distance from Kem Tudung Periuk to Kem Kasut : 3.7km

Distance from Start to Kem Kasut : 8.5km

Duration Taken from Kem Tudung Periuk to Kem Kasut : 2 hours 26 minutes

Duration taken from Start to Kem Tudung Periuk to Kem Kasut : 5 hours 49 minutes

Trail Condition : wet and muddy

Trail difficulties : Hard Inclination, rolling hills

Kem Kasut area...full of dark, watery mud

Saw few campers here..they camped at the the spot nearby which is dry.

Our leader aka organizer En Ajul always on the lookout for his team member

There you go....suunto 5 features

From Kem Kasut to Yong Belar Peak

Distance from Kem Kasut to Yong Belar Peak : 1.4km

Distance from Start to Yong Belar : 9.9km

Duration Taken from Kem Kasut to Yong Belar Peak : 1 hour 17 minutes

Duration taken from Start to Yong Belar : 7 hours 5 minutes

Trail Condition : wet and muddy

Trail difficulties : Hard Inclination, rolling hills

Glory of torture - the background was white, no any sign of sun coming out to play.

When my watch alerted that its going to be another 99 meters to the top, it seems the longest hike of all time.

almost 10km from start.

another 4.1km to Kem Gurkha

From Yong Belar Peak to Kem Gurkha

Distance from Yong Belar Peak to Kem Gurhka : 5.3km

Duration Taken from Yong Belar Peak to Kem Gurhka : 3 hours 12 minutes

Distance from Start to Kem Gurkha : 15.2km

Duration taken from Start to Kem Gurkha : 11 hours 9 minutes

Trail Condition : wet and muddy

Trail difficulties : Hard Inclination, rolling hills

Kem Gurkha...checked

Its one of those tiring up and down

15.2km from start. Another 0.96km to Gunung Challi

Let's go...but..we have to regroup here and wait for others..20 - 30 minutes spent here

From Kem Gurkha to Gunung Challi

Distance from Kem Gurkha to Gunung Challi : 1.2km

Duration Taken from Kem Gurkha to Gunung Challi : 1 hour

Distance from Start to Gunung Challi : 16.4km

Duration taken from Start to Gunung Challi : 12 hours 49 minutes

Trail Condition : wet and muddy

Trail difficulties : Hard Inclination, rolling hills

Gunung Challi checked.

16.4km from start in 12 hours 49 minutes

another 1.2km to Gunung 3 Boundaries peak

Setting up headlamp, its going to get dark anytime and it may get a little bit rough hiking in the dark

From Gunung Challi to 3 Boundaries

Distance from Gunung Challi to Gunung 3 Boundaries : 1.7km

Duration Taken from Gunung Challi to Gunung 3 boundaries : 1 hour 20 minutes

Distance from Start to Gunung 3 Boundaries: 18.1km

Duration taken from Start to 3 boundaries : 14 hours 18 minutes

Trail Condition : wet and muddy

Trail difficulties : Hard Inclination, steep downhill, rolling hills

and finally I can sit...and have a 'dirty' smile

It was tiring, full of mud, I dont even bother to evade the mud anymore. Just step on it as I pleased though unpleasant

18.1km from start in 14 hours 18 minutes

Another 1.6km to Gunung 6040

another 3 milestone.

This is a shared border of Pahang, Perak and Kelantan.

A dark memory in a photo

It is compulsory to capture your unforgettable moment here

From 3 boundaries to 6040

Distance from 3 boundaries to gunung 6040 : 2km

Duration Taken from 3 boundaries to Gunung 6040 : 1 hour 44 minutes

Distance from Start to Gunung 6040: 20.1km

Duration taken from Start to Gunung 6040 : 16 hours

Trail Condition : wet and muddy, mossy trees, duck action, narrow passage between tree branches, steep downhill

Trail difficulties : Hard Inclination, rolling hills

Final Peak checked - Gunung 6040

20.1km from start in 16 hours

Look at the time, its 9.35pm.

another 3.97km to finish...oh yeah

From 6040 to Finishing Point - Blue Valley Dam pick up

Distance from gunung 6040 to Finishing point : 3.7km

Duration Taken from Gunung 6040 to Finishing Point : 2 hours 45 minutes

Distance from Start to Finishing point : 23.8km

Duration taken from Start to Finish : 18 hours 32 minutes

Trail Condition : wet and muddy, scary, dark, pipeline, small stream, cold water, burst pipe

Trail difficulties : Hard Inclination, rolling hills,

The finishing point is another part of blue valley dam, same path before we reach the drop-off point earlier.

Finally, after 23.8km hike and 18 hours 32 minutes later, we have completed the grueling journey of YB3B.

Completed at 12.22am, it was very cold indeed.