Gunung Nuang via Janda Baik

Its been a while since the last time I climbed Gunung Nuang via Janda Baik and I never put it in writing before.

Gunung Nuang have 2 entrances - via Pangsun in Hulu Langat and via Janda Baik, Bentong Pahang.

The trail from Pangsun is longer and psychology challenged but from Janda baik, it is more nearer - 6.45km one way.

Estimated Duration of Hike

Average hikers may reach the top within 3 hours to 4 hours and descending back to parking lot around 2 hours to 3 hours later.

Overall Track

Trails are clear, wide and have only one direction. Easy to navigate through even if you are a beginner.

Summary Of Hike

Total distance - 12.9km

6.45km one way

Trailhead Coordinate

3.303957, 101.887198

Breakfast and Lunch

Eating places and restaurant are aplenty along the way to the trailhead.

 Parking

Last time we can park our car at the narrow road side but now the road side become narrower and being fenced, as such, the only car park in that area is at one of the land owner's. A designated parking area had been built to cater for the needs at RM5 per car. The area equipped with toilet and shower facility. If the car park is full, there is another parking lot at the side - also operated by the same land owner.

Since the parking lot is a fenced area, the problem arise if you arrive early before 6am (I think) because it is locked (I think...). So, please do take some consideration on your travel plan.

Road side parking (the blue car) and the fenced area parking lot - on the right

 Toilet and shower facility

The Journey

The parking lot is the trailhead actually. You will need to cross the river. 

Trailhead to The Steel Barrier (Through Vegetable Farm)

Distance - 790 meter

Time taken - 11 minutes

Trail condition - easy

The trailhead

The trailhead - This river located just in front of the parking lot. Impossible to miss it

Just cross over and head to the vegetable farm.

Vegetable farm like these are aplenty along the way

This is the steel barrier that once a ranger station. Just go straight following the gravel road.

Steel Barrier to Trail Junction

Last time the trail was different, I remember that I have to go into the woods soon after I cross the steel barrier, but now, we have to walk longer on the gravel road. Its long and slowly ascending.

Distance from Steel Barrier to Trail Junction - 1km

Distance from Start to Trail Junction- 1.78km

Trail difficulty - moderate ascending

Just keep going

Please go straight when you reach this junction.

This junction will confuse you. straight, left or right

This is the junction trail head - with arrow sign on the photo

1.78 km from start, 26 minutes to reach here

This is where we came from - gravel road to dirt road.

If you have 4 wheel drive, you may park here

The dirt road continuation. According to the locals, this road is one big circle.

Trail Junction to Chemperoh Water Fall

Distance from Trail Junction - 1.5km

Distance from Start - 3.31km

Time Taken from Trail Junction - 30 minutes

Time taken from Start - 53 minutes

Trail Condition - moderate easy, ascending

 Chemperoh Waterfall

Chemperoh water fall is at another side - little bit further

Chemperoh Water Fall to Simpang Bukit Repin

Distance From Chemperoh water fall to Simpang Bukit Repin -2.3km

Distance from Start - 5.64km

Duration taken from Chemperoh Water Fall to Simpang Bukit Repin - 1 hr 25 min

Duration taken from start - 2 hours 10 min

Trail condition - dry

Trail difficulty - hard!

Simpang Bukit Repin,  

Simpang Bukit Repin to Nuang Peak

Distance from Simpang Bukit Repin to Nuang Peak  -810 meter

Distance from Start - 6.45km

Duration taken from Simpang Bukit Repin to Nuang Peak - 32 minutes

Duration taken from start - 2 hours 43 min

Trail condition - dry

Trail difficulty - hard!

Made it to the peak

Rested around 10 minutes at the peak and headed down after that. 

Estimated around 2 hours to descend down from Nuang Peak to parking lot.

Downhill all the way.

Thanks for reading.

BUKIT GASING - COMPREHENSIVE TRAIL MAP

Introduction
Bukit Gasing is located in Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Its vast trail extended further up to territory of Kuala Lumpur i.e Pantai Dalam. Being one of many hills categorized as easy or hard by some, depending on which trail route you take, Bukit Gasing is suitable for all age.

Entrance Point
There are few entrance points to Bukit Gasing and the most popular are via PJ (Arch), Taman Rimba (Pantai Dalam) and Pantai Hillpark (Pantai Dalam). People will find it hard to find car park if you are entering from PJ (Arch) as it is located at the roadside and in a housing area without proper parking space.

Entrance from PJ

GPS coordinate : 3.095117, 101.656032

I personally would recommend to enter from Pantai Hillpark (near dewan komuniti pantai dalam) and from Taman Rimba as the areas have ample parking space and less traffic.

Entrance from Pantai Hillpark 

(dewan komuniti Pantai dalam)

This is the old design of stairs

This is the brand new stairs (mid 2018)

GPS Coordinate : 3.103245, 101.660825

Entrance via Taman Rimba, ample parking space. This is where the steel bridge located.

GPS Coordinate : 3.096519, 101.662872

Bukit Gasing is popular not only among the locals but people come from afar to enjoy a leisure and peaceful walk in the park. Often, it will be full of aunties, uncles, makcik and pakcik along the trails, not to forget trail runners making their rounds during the weekend. It is my training ground too.

Point of Interests
The most popular point of interests that every hikers should go are : The Temple or Telekom tower, Suspension Bridge (Bukit Gasing), Cardiac Hill, Watch Tower and Steel Bridge/Cable Bridge (Taman Rimba).


It may take up to 7km to 10km for full trail course to complete the journey and could be more if you're "zig zagging" the whole area with lots of up and downs. You should finish by noon.

Indian Temple/Telekom Tower
The highest point is at the temple or Telekom tower, both are close together, make sure you visit these spots, located 400 meters uphill from bottom (in distance, not elevation ya..). There are 3 main entrances to go up - you can find it on the map below...better try all of them...haha.

Indian Temple

With my close friend who on his way to shave off few kilo...

Suspension Bridge and Cardiac Hill
Suspension bridge (Bukit Gasing) is another popular spot for it's unique "hanging" bridge being the most photo taken. Then, further up (then down) is the famous "cardiac hill" popular among trail runners. Full of stairs and hard climb! Go slow ya...once I saw people got passed out upon reaching the top.

Suspension bridge (gasing)

Watch Tower/Look Out Point
The Watch Tower is another popular spot and located 410 meters in distance from the start. There are many entrances to here, you may choose which trail you want to take from the map. The watch tower or the 'lookout' tower is actually a view point previously but I think due to safety reason, the tower was no longer there. What remain is the wooden/concrete platform. Entrance to here are quite a lot, also, you should try all of them.

Watch Tower no more

Steel Bridge/Cable Bridge - Taman Rimba
Another popular spot is the steel bridge/cable bridge located in Taman Rimba (Pantai Dalam). This area is well preserved - with river flowing, gazebos, trim grasses and proper pathways. If you are from PJ and Pantai HillPark Entrances,  I would suggest going here via Taman Rimba - the dense jungle - more challenging and with multiple trail routes - Everyday is a new challenges.

Steel bridge/cable bridge of Taman Rimba

This is Taman Rimba area - Laluan Denai aka trail ahead

The cement pathway...

Exploring Bukit Gasing
There are few more locations that you need to go, which I've labelled with "camera" signs. In order to get there you need to walk further while enjoying the trail's beauty - good exercise for you also.

Keep exploring...

Start planning your hike today and explore the whole Bukit Gasing, to do that, I've prepared a map of the area complete with distance from each turning point to another. Hopefully it can assist you in navigation. Just download it, share or whatever you please....it's free....

Bukit Gasing Map view link

Direction/Navigation

The Gasing trails are like labyrinth where you have many trails lead to somewhere either long, hard climb or short route trail. Most of the trails are without directional signage and most of hikers especially newbie will find it difficult to navigate through. They will just follow the crowd and ask around. Even experienced hikers also will used their normal route to their favorite location and seldom explore to other part of the trails.

People Can Get Lost

Its easy to get lost but it is easy to find your way back also, however, ones need to endure a long walk if not familiar with the trails. I encountered people who get lost and seeking for help, many times I assisted people finding their way back or lead them the way out and also I found people who lost and been circling around many times and getting tired and fed up....haha.... 

Location Where People May Get Lost

Taman Rimba dense forest is the high risk location but not to worry as the trails are clear and few junctions have directional signage already. No matter where, there will be people to ask around, don't worry.

We call it Cempedak Junction because few thriving cempedak trees here

Yes, its a wild cempedak

Doing My Bit To Society

Realizing the difficulties to navigate around and to prevent or minimize people getting lost, I've installed few directional signage at strategic points in Bukit Gasing and Taman Rimba. Hoping hikers may benefit from the effort and making their hike more enjoyable type of exercise.

Bottom hill - the Temple is up. Happy climbing

Distance to watch tower from this junction is 250 meter

Connecting the missing link 

Figuring out where we are and how far is the distance

The Ugly Truth of Malaysian

Few of my signages have been torn down or misplaced which I believed done by unscrupulous individual or maybe someone don't like it being there. Whatever the reason is my intention is good and I think most of the hikers valued the effort. Nevertheless, I could not say or do more and just keep moving forward.

Putting any negative vibe aside, I enjoy Bukit Gasing as the way it should be - exercising, trail running or walking. 

Bukit Apek - Hidden Trails of Cheras

The mini waterfall

Bukit Apek located in Cheras Awana Kuala Lumpur. The distance from trail head to the peak is around 1.5km more or less, depending on where do you start and which route you take. There are 3 starting points and most popular is via Cheras Awana.

The other one is from Bukit Hatamas, 1km plus from starting point and another is from Wangsa Cheras.

I've made a simple route map for easy reference, you may choose which route you want to take. There are distance on each junction, turn and check point (CP) from one another. The map is a work in progress but will update from time to time (tried to upload it in online google sheet but all the trails got mixed up, anyone can help? email to me at sanorhizamsadili@gmail.com). Please do revisit this blog for an update version of the map.

Choose your trail route. Hope the resolution is sufficient

My blog entry today will take you to Bukit Apek from Bukit Hatamas trailhead.

Hope the reader may find it useful.

The entrance to Bukit Hatamas. Got shoplot before you reach here where you can have breakfast (mamak).

Bukit Hatamas - please turn right for parking

This is the entrance from Bukit Hatamas. The round brick thingy on my background is the landmark

I've been using Cheras awana and Bukit Hatamas as starting point but never use from Wangsa Cheras trail. Bukit Hatamas entrance is shorter than Cheras Awana and easy parking too...

Turn left or right also can...it will lead you to same direction. On the right is the field 

Abandoned car can be seen here

Turn left. This is the field

Bukit Apek hike is suitable for beginner level but prepare for hard incline (but short)

Here is the Map again - hope the image will be sharp

This is station 1 

Still at station 1

Its a great place to explore with places you never been before. You can finish hike by noon even if you took the longest route, the longest I did was 13km with one big loop.

Please do consider to visit mini waterfall, tree with unique root, big stone and tree house along the way - marked by "star" sign on the map.

 On our way to Station 1 from Bukit Hatamas

after the tower, please turn left to station 1.

Going straight uphill will take you to the entrance at Cheras Awana

 On our way back from Apek peak

 View up - either left or right path, though different trail but can be customized to exit at which point 

This is the tower

Please find tower - 90 meter from bukit hatamas. That is the red and white tower.

This unique giant tree root can be found on the way from Station 1 to Mini waterfall.

This is the mini waterfall. Look at the map to search the way to here

This is the 'stone forest' as they call it (got one Ahpek informed us the name).

Please find stone forest on the map. This is where you are

Bukit Apek also can be entered from Bukit Saga which inter-connected, but entrance from bukit saga is closed at the moment for Suke highway construction. There are hikers from Bukit Saga trail head but its quite risky.

Climbing further up, you will reach here...the "stone".

Please find "stone" on the map to pin point your location

There's a lot of junction..wrong turn will end up with an extra mileage

If you choose the normal route from station 1. You will notice this signboard

Station 3 A (AAA). Please refer the map and search Station 3A

 The tree house located on the top of bukit apek

Bukit Apek surrounding

At this point, readers may know how to get on top of Bukit Apek. Now the hard part, lets go to the longest route. From on top of bukit apek make your way to Ahmeng station. Please see the map.

 This is Ahmeng station. I came from Bukit Apek - Station 5.

Going under the tent will take you to Mini Waterfall (going down).

Turn on your left will take you to Bukit Saga Waterfall and Water Catchment area.

The junction to waterfall from Ahmeng station is 380 meter and its a long up and down ya, take note.

The signage at Ahmeng station

From the waterfall junction, 280 meters down, you will reach here..the river with the pond area.

There are two junction, left and right.

On the left will be the water catchment station, around 360 meters. Just follow the pipe, lets go to water catchment area first:

 "Cul de sac" - dead end. The trail ends here. Need to u-turn

If you can see carefully, do notice that hikers coming down few meters from the yellow signboard. Thats where we came from Ahmeng station.

 Further up around 130 meters, there is this pond or pool. I think for observation, study or analysis or whatever. You can jump in if you wish. There were few hikers using the same trail here. 

Please cross the pond.

 Around 50 meters, you will emerge from the way I pointed down.

Going further up will take you to lookout point in Bukit Ampang but I tried to searched for it last time but no avail. Its a dead end.

Another view. You will be coming from the right (from the pond) where the signboard is.

Now prepare for a long uphill hike for 2.9km! good luck...

Another one point that you can enter bukit saga or Bukit Apek is via Bukit Ampang (near Look out point). The starting point from Bukit Ampang is almost elusive. There are 2 hindu temples on the way up to look out point from Cheras Saga, the big hindu temple which is visible from the road side is on the left and the other one which is not visible from the road side located on the right side but further down hill. There is no signboard for the down hill temple. The entrance via bukit ampang is few hundred meters from this downhill temple (will further explain below).

You will reach here. Junction to Bukit Ampang on your right. Its quite difficult to view from the main trail, so keep your eyes open.

Going few meters in, you will see this stilt with red paint. That's the trail to bukit ampang. Going down all the way - 890 meters. Lets go.

At the foreground, few hundreds meters is the "downhill" hindu temple.

Ok, lets go up again to the junction.

Another 630 meters (up and down) you will reach this signboard. 

This signboard was viewed from up, meaning that it pointed to where we came from.

After this, please go straight to Saga Peak, another 340 meters and another 1km to reach Bukit Apek peak.

Once again, please do revisit this blog for an update on the map...and please say hi whenever you see a person with a paper in his hand on bukit apek trail.

Thanks for reading.