Malaysia has a number
of tropical mountains which make good hiking trails, and the most popular one is, of
course, Mt. Kinabalu. Being the highest in Malaysia, locals and foreigners
challenge themselves to conquer the peak of this sacred national asset. Nevertheless,
Mt. Kinabalu is not even No.1 among these toughies!
Tips: Always register
with local authorities if possible, prior to your climb, and bring salt to
loosen yourself from the blood sucking monsters.
10. Bukit Kutu, Kuala
Kubu Bharu
Bukit Kutu is the least
difficult trail in this list. Though it’s not tough to climb, it’s filled
with lots of bamboo trees that grow in all directions,
vertically and horizontally, you will have to duck walk or do some matrix moves
just to get across these thick bamboo “forest”.
9. Fraser Hill
 |
| Wikimedia |
Fraser Hill has 8 hiking
trails, and the toughest one will be Pine Tree trail. Starting at 1,200m, a 300m
climb to the peak might sounds easy. But, never underestimate something that looks
simple. There’s a part where you have to pass fallen tree logs and steep
stones that you need to climb with ropes before you reach the top.
8. Bukit Tabur, Far East
& Extreme Trail
 |
| Nazir Amin/flickr |
Different from the popular East & West trails, there isn’t much info about Far East. However, it has a more
picturesque view than East / West trail which has been mostly obscured by thick
forest.
The least climbed Extreme
Trail have softer grounds and loose rocks that will make your footing unstable. Due to lack of cleaving of the paths, plants with lots of thorns will prick you and cut into your flesh.
7. Mt. Santubong
 |
| Dustin Iskandar/flickr |
A most climbed mountain
in Sarawak, but it’s only 810m tall. Tiny huh? But do not judge it before you
actually climb it. At the final phase, you are required to show some rock
climbing skills (90 degrees steep) and maybe some hawk eyesight to watch out
for poisonous snakes and tree saps, creepy crawlies and also monkey thieves.
6. Mt. Ophir (Gunung
Ledang)
 |
| Stan/flickr |
It’s the highest
mountain in Johor and ranked 6th most difficult to climb mountains
in Malaysia. Starting with concrete steps, you will then come
across with jungle trails.
Trail after CP5 (Check Point 5) gets even steeper, as it is known as KFC (not finger lickin’ good fried chicken, but Killer
For Climbers). Heed this: totally not for Acrophobiacs! My legs are trembling
when I see the pictures of ladders at CP6 to CP8!
5. Gunung Nuang
 |
| Irwandy Mazwir |
The starting point is at
190m, but imagine hiking all the way up to 1,439m. Gunung Nuang is ranked 5th
toughest to climb in Malaysia. There's a trail called the
“never-ending-winding-road”, which already sounds boring to me, and so to say,
this mountain has nothing much to see. Be prepared for a strenuous hike when
you reach False peak. It’d be a 40 minutes steep climbing and crawling down, and
back up again before arriving at the peak.
Psst, there’s 2 stray
dogs on the mountain too, but don’t freak out as they are a friendly pair.
Maybe bring some food to feed them?
4. The Pinnacles, Mulu
National Park
 |
| Wikimedia |
People who have climbed
the Pinnacles will recommend you to challenge this mountain. Why? The peak itself is the reason. Pointy and grayish limestones enormously jutted out from the forests.
Hiking this mountain is not for beginners, though it doesn’t sounds harmful. ONE misfooting is enough to take your life away.
The trail is terrifyingly steep and requires lot of rock climbing. Piece of cake? The sharp limestones
are actually the ones that you should be worried about. It may cause deep cuts
if you are not careful and it’s also a reason that guides wouldn’t bring
climbers up when it rains. So, pray for good weather!
3. Gunung Tahan
 |
| Wikimedia |
The highest mountain in
West Malaysia with the height of 2,187m tall, you can expect a breathtaking
view from the peak. The trek can last as long as 7 days, and the toughest part?
Carrying a 20~30kg bag with you when you climb those steep trails, 'cause there's no base! Ooh! I can’t
imagine how one can climb those 90 degrees stone walls with that bag on.
During descending, there
are muddy spots where you need to watch your footing so you don’t slip. And
watch for bugs too! I heard some bugs will cause itchiness for at least 1 week!
2. Mt. Kinabalu
 |
| Wikimedia |
I guess most people have heard about the name, Mt. Kinabalu. Being the tallest mountain in Malaysia, it
has been a must-climb for all hikers. People tend to train before they actually
hike it and there’s no way you can climb it without a guide due to safety
reasons.
Temperature can get
quite low in the evening. Bring along warm jackets and windbreaker so you
don’t freeze. As for the spoiler: Don’t expect any flat trails, and you have to
climb the steepest part in the dark at the final phase!
Tips: Don’t go naked, else you will make the forest gods angry and might trigger an earthquake!
1. Mt. Trusmadi
Ta-daa! Mt. Trusmadi has come face to face with Mt. Kinabalu, with a little more challenge. Being second highest mountain in Malaysia, it is nicknamed as Terus
Mati (Straight Die), and meant for hardcore hikers.
Mt. Trusmadi is Sabah’s
best kept secret (oops, sorry for exposing it), and you need to request for
permit at least 2 weeks before the climb. You also need to bring all necessities
to survive through the days, and get a 4WD to bring you to the starting point
(1,600m).
It doesn’t
have any flat trails, and when you need something to grab on for support, you might end up pricking your hands by thorns! I guess this is the more challenging part compared to Kinabalu climb.
*All content provided here is for informational purposes only. Tempting East will not be liable for any losses, injuries, or damages from the use of this information. Please be extra cautious.*
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Written by Elley
Born, fed and grew up in Malaysia and have a strong interest in Korean language & culture too. Love travelling and taking pictures that doesn't seems attractive to others and believe that determination brings success in the future.
