Ten climbers finish 238-km TTV4 mountain trail in 33 days
Published on: Monday, June 03, 2024
By: Bernama
A group photo of the climbers. - fotoBERNAMA
KUALA LUMPUR: It was a phenomenal adventure for 10 local climbers, including two women, who successfully tackled the extreme climbing challenge of Trans Titiwangsa Version Four (TTV4) on the longest mountain spine in Malaysia, the Titiwangsa range.
The climb started from the intake of Sungai Renyuk, Jeli, Kelantan, to the final destination at Blue Valley Dam, Cameron Highlands, Pahang on May 23, as the expedition wound silently through the jungle, hiking for 33 days to cover a distance of 238 kilometres (km) of tropical rainforest, the pristine home of undisturbed wildlife, assisted by four mountain guides on rotation.
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During the TTV4 feat, the 10 hikers also managed to conquer 63 mountain peaks including six of the seven highest mountains in the peninsula, with a height of over 2,000 metres.
The 10 climbers are Muhamad Izzat Syahmi Ahmad Shokree, 22; Abdul Halim Mohammad, 27; Erwan Rezal Nasaruddin, 45; Danesh Murugan, 28; Qayum Ahmad, 33; Nurul Rizqi Che Muda, 36; Chiah Ruey Peng, 29; Muhammad Hanif Muhammad Abdul Wahid, 25; Mohamad Ariff Omar, 37 and Muhamad Zamri Bahari, 33.
Sharing the experience of a lifetime, Muhammad Hanif, who has been actively climbing since 2017, said climbing mountain trails in the Titiwangsa range is a test of mental and physical endurance because more than 60 per cent of the trails are not commercial trails used for normal climbing, but are fraught with hidden dangers as the climbers adhere to the explorer's mantra of '(In the jungle) Take nothing, leave nothing behind (except footprints)'.
"Climbing around the permanent forest reserve from Gunung Basor to Gunung Chamah involves the North Titiwangsa Upper (TNT Upper) trail, which is very rarely used as a climbing route and rarely accessed by people.
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“So, while we were climbing carrying haversacks weighing 30 to 35 kg, we also had to use the machete to hack down the saplings and bushes so that we could pass. There were also times when we had to crouch due to obstacles like fallen trees in addition to a maze of tree roots that made it difficult to move," he told Bernama.
The young man from Pantai Remis, Perak also shared the harrowing experience of facing an anxious moment when a day before the end of the expedition, part of the climbing trail from Kuali Camp (elevation 6,585 feet) to the top of Gunung Yong Belar (at 2,181 metres/7,156 feet, it is also the highest peak in Kelantan and a demarcation between 3 state borders with Perak and Pahang) encountered a landslide, posing a risky zone for the climbers to pass by.
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“Examining the texture of the ground soil and the location of the incident, we could tell the collapse had just happened. There was still soft ground plus the (wet) condition at that time was raining and on the right side of the trail was a steep gorge.
“We had to plod through the trail carefully considering that the distance to the top of Gunung Yong Belar is only about 15 minutes compared to pioneering other trails that may take more than a day," he said, adding that all 10 climbers made it through safely.
The hike also turned out to be an experience of sheer survival for climber Danesh, who is thankful that his life has been extended after experiencing extreme cold (hypothermia) to the point where he lost consciousness for an hour-and-a-half on the 29th day of the climb, from Camp V3 to Camp Lopak Air, a distance of around 16 km.
According to him, they had to start climbing as early as 2 am because they had experienced a slight delay from the original climbing schedule and it was raining throughout the climb.
“With the freezing temperature plunging below 17 degrees Celsius, my body at that time (climbing) was already shivering from the cold and it was a little difficult to breathe. Arrived at Camp Lopak Air at 5.30 pm and while I was installing the flysheet of the tent, I suddenly collapsed, unconscious.
“My climbing mates quickly helped by removing my shoes, gloves and wrapping me in an emergency blanket, and lighting up the portable camping stove to warm up my body,” explained Danesh who intends to document the story of the climb in a book.
Meanwhile, Ruey Peng has wide experience climbing abroad such as in New Zealand, Indonesia and Nepal, whereupon she observed that climbing in the Titiwangsa range, which is covered in tropical rainforest, promises a more difficult and interesting challenge which is rich in the beauty of its biodiversity.
"Besides the pug marks (footprints) of the Malayan Tiger, elephants, we also found some flora and fauna that can be categorised as endemic and protected species such as Siput Api (fire snail), Baning Bukit (impressed tortoise), red-tailed axe snake, Corybas holttumii orchids and the Rafflesia (Stinking Corpse Lily) flower.
In the meantime, the director of Forest Eco-Park and Taman Negara Reserve, Department of Forestry in Peninsular Malaysia (JPSM), Mohd Yussainy Md Yusop noted that the previous climbing record for the Titiwangsa Range was TTV3 with an estimated distance of 116 km.
"The inaugural success of TTV4, organised by the Silver Outdoor Sports and Sfre Hiking and Scuba Diving Club, enabled JPSM and the Malaysian Space Agency (MYSA) to take field data from participants to speed up the official climbing trail in the Titiwangsa Range.
“This allows for monitoring and detecting if there is a change in the forest, in addition to being used as a tourist product for extreme climbing tourism such as the Appalachian Trail in the United States," he said, adding that JPSM also presented certificates to the 10 climbers in recognition of their astounding success in mountain hiking endurance -- conquering 63 peaks including six of the seven highest (G7) mountains in the peninsula.
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