KokMun's Mini Guide To Hiking

Disclaimer: This guide is only my personal view on hiking. Tips may not be applicable to every individual.

Before I start, I wanna thank Hippo and Nemo for organising this trip for us and supplying most of the stuff (food, pots, stove, tents etc..). And Nemo especially for contributing most of the pictures. I am yet to get pictures from Hippo's camera. Oh yea, thanks Hippo for driving me, Mangosteen and Sushi to-and-fro Camerons!

Introducing Nemo! The professional camera man. Try to picture him in every photo.

Introducing HIPPO! A perasan-ly skillful driver.

Last weekend, a dozen of young Sky Adventurers went for a hike at Gunung Irau. Gunung Irau is actually besides Gunung Brinchang, and Brinchang is in Cameron Highlands. Saturday morning, we left TBS at 6.30am. After all the hassle, we finally started to climb around 1.10pm.

As shown, G.Irau is JUST BESIDE G.Brinchang

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A picture at the start of the hike. Poor Nemo couldn't be in the picture.

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KokMun's Mini Guide To Hiking:

1. Wear hat: Hat is useful especially if you have long hair. Try to hide all the hair in that cap so it will not be so irritating.

2. Wear gloves: Another extremely useful equipment. It enchances the grip of ur palm, can prevent injury and its more hygiene, in other words lesser clean up needed

3. Wear long pants and long sleeves: It can be cold at times, so longs are always better. And can prevent some scretches and injuries. Thank God I wearing long pants, if not my leg would be gone by now. While hiking down, I slipped and a branch jabbed (not pierce!) my leg, and dragged along as I continued to fall. My long pants koyak, but luckily there was no open-wound. Just bruises with an anak-Irau (bongkak).

Me wearing gloves, hat and longs. Tks Kipas for the hat, and Sushi for the gloves. And I know, I look like a rapist. zzZZ

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4. DO NOT wear loose shoes: This also means don't borrow your sibling's shoes which are like, not-so-fitting for you. If and when you end up in a mud pile and the next thing you'll know is your shoes is stuck inside.

Donkey's shoes got stuck, and poor Bear Bear had to help her take it out.

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5. Bring just enough stuff: Imagine carrying a more-than-10KG load all the way up Irau. *Ouch*. Clothes may be light, but do not underestimate the weight it can contibute. As for water supply, you know your body's water needs, so try to bring just enough, and probably a little more for steamboat =). I suggest Gatorade. It seriously quench thirst like no body's business. 1 bottle of 500mL Gatorate lasted me for a 4.5hours hike up Irau.

See those 'tracks'?? 4.5hours of hiking with >10kg load is not a very pleasent task. But it makes you stronger, definitely.

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6. Know your body's capability: If you know you can't move fast, DO NOT try to be a hero. Stay with the people of your pace.

7. Keep a constant pace throughout the hike: This can conserve energy for the next few hours of hike.

'B' and 'Group C'. Kipas was taking this picture. We aren't slow. We just like to enjoy nature with a slower pace.

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8. Bring a camera: The view on the way up and up there is magnificient.

Priceless Sunset View

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9. Do not just sit down and wait for people to serve you: Try to help out in anything and everything. Its a camping trip, not a luxurious-hotel-trip. I sat there and waited for dinner and look what I got...

My legs 麻痹 ('ma bi') or in english - numb, and semi-cramped 抽筋 ('chao gan')

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10. Try not to create too much rubbish: All rubbish have to be carried down also. So try to keep rubbish at minimal levels.

Us, packing up the camp site just before leaving.

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11. Bring maggie mee: A must. Easy to cook and filling. Thanks Gunner for the curry chicken maggie. Some of you may be thinking that energy bars and biscuits would be much easier. Yea, agreed, but maggie comes HOT. Energy bars and other dry foods are good for providing energy during hikes. But at the cold peak, anything hot (maggie, vico, steamboat etc..) will taste so darn good, even if its tasteless. (Nothing was tasteless during the trip. Its just to help you get the idea of how important heat is.)

DELICIOUS STEAMBOAT!!

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12. Bring wet-tissue-wipes: Very useful for cleaning up, especially since there is NO water supply up there. It can wipe off mud stains, clean up utensils and even useful after doing 'big-business'. (And for those of you who are wondering, there are no toilets up there, we use the natural ones. Just hide behind the bush and do your business.)

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Lastly, before we went down, a timer-set group photo with Nemo inside!

Top (from left): Coffee, Elephant, Kipas, Bear2, Gunner

Bottom (from left): Sushi, Hippo, Mangosteen, Donkey, Wanton, Dragonaut, Nemo

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Other details can be read at Nemo's Blog

Thats all for the mini guide and trip. Hope for more to come.