Hiking Penang Hill (Hiking Graduation Test)

(Note: Since this is the first time I post pictures in my post, I mistakenly reduced the quality of the pictures in an attempt to save space. So, the resulting pictures are not of very good quality and I am just too lazy to load up the original high quality photos... I'll remember this lesson and will upload photos of stunning quality next time!!! Alternatively, you can click the pictures to see a clearer version)

Finally, after weeks of intensive training (fine, it’s just for two weeks, and in weekends only loh)… I am ready. Ready to take the hiking graduation test, held by the Bamboo Academy. For those who were too lazy to read my earlier posts (shame on you!), I tortured myself with these training because I will be going to Sabah and conquer Mt. Kinabalu in less than two weeks.
Initially, when I started my first hiking, I had body aches for four whole days. However, last week, after hiking for three times in three days in a row, I did not feel any of the adverse after effects. The time that I used to reach to the top of my training hill had shortened considerably and I finally achieved the acceptable time end of last week (from a mind staggering 90 minutes to the impossible 15 minutes!).
So, this time, fully geared with my expensive equipments again, with an additional stylish yet useful backpack, a very cool cap, an extremely powerful camera, a large bottle of water and some energy bars, I started off to Botanical Garden before sunrise. I reached the famed Moon Gate which is several minutes away from Botanical Garden at exactly 7a.m.
Once past this magical Moon Gate, several paths laid in front of me (which my ‘forgetful’ friend failed to mention) … being a wise person, I took the path that resembles the most of a hiking path.

The mythical Moon Gate

Climb up these ancient stairs

Choose the stairs not the nicely paved road.

At first, I was really afraid that I took the wrong path, but after analyzing the multiple paths in front of me, I decided to take the stairs that leads upwards. At the next corner, I was met by a rocky path and the sounds of the crickets and other insects/animals were starting to get louder and louder… and there were no one around. Fervently, I wished that I would meet someone along the path, and after a second thought, I modified it to ‘someone alive’. Anyway, my wish did not come true and I just had to trust my faultless logic and sharp honed survival instincts that I have chosen the correct way.

Rocky path...

Path filled with leaves

Withered tree… hope it's by natural causes...

As my mind wondered along the dark, gloomy ancient path, horrid images kept on jumping at me… I pushed them away, and they still kept on attacking me. Really, next time, I would definitely hike only under the bright sunlight… but then again, why on earth would I want to hike again, ever? I had to be on the constant lookout for the natural wildlife that might attack me (e.g. snakes, scorpions, tigers, bears, yeti, dragons, etc.) and I have to be NOT on the lookout for something unnatural… in case I saw something that I should not see. Believe me, that is definitely not a skill that everyone possesses.

Who could have broken this tree?


A path into nothingness

A temple in a hill? That’s so clichéd

Then, I even saw a sign that says “Way to Ayappan Temple”. All those Chinese horror movies flooded back into me. Needless to mention, I went the other way… and I came to a flight of endless stairs. Well, I supposed I should be happy since if it is not a hiking path, no one would have bothered to make these stairs. So, up I climbed and up and up and up… OMG is this gonna to end at all?

Stairs… Stairs…


And stairs…

I swear that these flights of stairs are higher than even the BJ Hill… I was just cursing, cursing and cursing. After uncountable number of stairs, I finally reached a clearing, and I was able to see a fogged view of several tall buildings. I took several shots but none were really impressive.

Normal shot

5X shot


10X shot

Anyway, I trudged on, and thankfully, there are no more stairs… on and on I walked and I finally saw one of the landmarks that 100% confirmed that I was in the right track. Just in front of me is a magnificent building, which is known as Point No. 5. It is a rest area (for unfit hikers :P) where you can sit and relax or if you are not tired enough, you can try the numerous exercising equipments there. Of course, for someone like me, there is no need to stop. I checked my watch, and it pointed to 7:45a.m. So, I took 45 minutes to reach this stop. I supposed that if I did not stop to take the gazillions number of pictures, I could have arrived faster. I would expect a fit person (normal fit) to reach this stop in 30 minutes time.
One thing that I observe is that the trail before Stop No. 5, is easy for one to retrace back his steps. However, once you enter the next trail, going downhill using the same trail might be dangerous for some. It is still possible, of course as I saw several people trekking in my opposite direction. However, I found that the path is very uneven and rocky. Thus, it is easy to sprain oneself while using this path to go downhill. Continuing my journey, I think that this trail is actually easier than the first one. I just don’t feel any tiredness at all, though my sweat was pouring down and my towel is already soaked with sweat. Along the road, another landmark that you can look for is a very big rock blocking the path (shown below)… and the way through it is a tiny road at the side.

First sign of humanity…


Point No. 5…


Humans… at last

Uneven rocky path…

Dead end??!!!


Can you fit through?

Being a non-nature enthusiast myself, I think that the rest of the trail to be pretty mundane. I mean, there’s nothing much to see except for dirt paths, ants and trees. There is not even one fauna that I can see (not that I would want to meet one). Just follow the path and at times, when you come to some Y-forks, choose the sign that is showing 84. I don’t know where other signs lead to… I saw in one blog that one of these forks will take you to Bukit Cendana. At one point, the road will start to go downhill, don’t worry, you are still on the right path. I myself was pretty scared that I missed a turning somewhere. The trail was going downhill and sometimes it became very narrow. However, I persevered and continued on.


Hanging rock…


Do not follow this sign…


Follow this instead… 84

It took me another 65 minutes to reach the next rest area, 84. When I finally saw another house, I was practically jumping with joy. The first building you will see is a toilet. Quite clean, although dark and gloomy. Then, continuing the path along a tar road (which is also known as jeep trail) and I finally saw the glorious building of 84! I was told that you can get free drinks and snacks here, but I did not feel tired at all, and so I continued on. OMG I’m on fire!!!

The toilet…


Tar road… jeep trail

Stop No. 84

If you do not know, when you see 84, it means that you are halfway to the top of Penang Hill. Halfway???!!! Yup, stop 84 is located halfway of the Penang Hill. However, you must take note that it is not halfway of the trail that I was trekking. I started from somewhere near Botanical Garden, using a windy, long path while the jeep road from near Botanical Garden is pretty straightforward. That means I have trekked more than halfway… so cheers! Sadly, the real hardship has only begun. Trekking uphill using the jeep road is extremely difficult. The slopes are… well, sloped… and I still have 2.5km to go! Stop 84 is located at around 2.5km (of the trail of course) from Botanical Garden. So, if you look to the left side of the road, you will see small signs showing the number of km you are at. So, I just need to walk until it became 5.0! On a flat road, walking for 2.5km is not a difficult task, but walking the steep road is really testing one’s stamina to the limits. However, I must raise my doubts about the signs. Sometimes, I found them missing by several ones only to reappear further up the road… I’m not sure if it is accurate… but then again, it might be that I was just tired, grumpy, hungry and thirsty. I have finished my 800ml water and I forgot to refill it in stop 84… and I was too far up to go back down when I realized that… sigh…

Really very steep angle…


Place to take a breather…


Still 1.9km to go…


Ant in front of me…


So long s*****


Please take the path that leads up


Nope… it’s not the top yet… just some rich people's place


Follow the sign…


Welcomed by brothers

Several times I really wanted to give up because my progress was excruciatingly slow. I kept on looking at my watch, somehow hoping that as time went by I would reach the hilltop without walking the distance. Anyhow, I just kept on walking and walking until I reach a point where I rest for 5 seconds for every 20 steps I take. Suddenly, there it was… the magical 5.0. I really could have drop down on my knees and kiss the earth. Check with my watch again, and it was 10a.m. I took only 70 minutes to reach the top from 84! I read from one blogger, which was an ex-Mount Kinabalu conqueror; he took 90 minutes to do so! I could almost hear the fanfare congratulating me for passing my graduation exam with flying colours. In total, I took 3 hours to complete the whole trail… I think that this is an acceptable result (ignoring the fact that my friend said she completed it in 90 minutes, which is impossible unless you run the whole way up, which again, is impossible).

Finally, the magical 5.0


The great sign…


Nice fountain….


Bukit Bendera…


My breakfast…


My breakfast…


And my breakfast…


Annoying bee…


The place I had my breakfast

After my big breakfast, it was time to go down again… as they say, what goes up must come down. I was not really dreading this because walking downhill should be very much easier to accomplish. However, my previous experiences in going downhill is using the steps, this time, I’m going downhill in an incline. I could feel the pressure squashing my kneecaps. I decided to take the jeep track straight down to Botanical Garden since it’s much more straightforward. I heard there is a trail that would lead one through a waterfall before reaching the Botanical Garden too. Going downhill past Stop No. 84, I finally met my very first fauna… a group of monkeys. They were pretty docile, minding their own business. I think they are used to being photographed as they did not even flinch when my camera flashed at them. For the rest of the way, even though the sun was already blazing in the sky, not much of its intensity reached the ground. Thus, I don’t even have the chance to wear my beautiful new cap. With the remaining 1km in my trail, I started to feel the pain in my left knee already. I was favoring one leg when I reached the bottom of the hill. Whew… finally the ordeal is over! I checked my watch and my final results are 3 hours going uphill and 90 minutes going downhill!!! But at the expense of my knee. I wondered if I could ever walk right again.

The great slope…


Finally, some animals…


Hey, what are you doing?


Mother and son/daughter…


My second animal encounter


Finally, end of trail!


Botanical Garden… another time perhaps…

Anyway, while I would not say that I enjoyed the whole experience, I can now proudly say that I am one of the crazed people who hike several hours up a hill that has a tram service!!! Mount Kinabalu; make way for Bamboo the Great!