Laksamana Hill, Penang Longest Hiking Trail

I went hiking today, it was no ordinary hike. Long post ahead.

Thanks to Tenny for forwarding the chain e-mail to me. In the email was a list of participants and very little detail about the hike. It said that a bus will be hire, for RM70, to fetch us to Teluk Bahang, the starting point. Time will be 7am to 3pm. The end destination would be Penang Hill. I quickly scan through the name list looking for a familiar one. None. Out of the 21 in the list, only know 5 person's name from Altera. I know their name coz they work in the same floor as me, my knowledge of them is only as far as meeting them on my way to toilet or pantry.

After a moment of thinking, I decided to join this unfamiliar group of people to go hiking. It is very difficult to be able to get a group of people to go hiking together, what's more, it is consider 'The Longest Hiking Trail in Penang'. I don't have a lot of active friends who are willing to do outdoor activity with me, so it was like a GOLDEN opportunity. I added my name into the list and was included in the loop.

We were to meet at Asia Cafe and park our car at Air Hitam, the foothill of Penang Hill. Then board a school bus which will fetch us to Teluk Bahang.

The classic school bus

Actually, this trip is part of a fitness training for some of them in the group. Next week they are going to climb Mount KK in Sabah.

Reaching Teluk Bahang

The participants, there were 23 of us

At 8.20am, we started our journey. I don't know what to expect as this is the first time I'm trying this out. We hike, we hike and we hike. The first part was kinda easy, just a stroll along the nature trail. The group separated, I was in the first group, the other group behind is slowing down, i guess they stop frequently for photos kua...we tried waiting for them but the tour leader ask us to go first, he said no need wait for everybody.

So those of us who were in front walk at our own pace without stopping to wait for the others. There were 5 of us in this small group: Hup Chin, Wan Fee, Kok Siong, Teng Chow and me. Oh ya, and this wild dog, it was following us from the starting point, leading the way. When we stop for rest, it also stops and wait with us. If one of us is too fast, it will stop and block the way..haha..I felt safe with this dog guiding us, safe from snake and maybe some other wild animals.

After walking for about one hour, we reached station 10, the first station leading to Penang Hill. The station number goes smaller as we're reaching Penang Hill.

At station 10

We tried to wait for the others at station 10. 10 to 15 mins passed and there was still no sign of them, so we decided to continue the journey.

This is definitely a tough trail, after 2 hours, my shirt and pants are fully drenched in sweat. Cannot take clear pictures anymore, hands shaking.

Even pictures looked blur

Terribly exhausted, very very tired. We had to go uphill, downhill, uphill, downhill....passing through a few hills. The famous hills we pass through are Laksamana Hill and Tiger Hill.

Teng Chow (in front), and Wan Fee (behind)

After a very very tough and long hike, we reach Eagle's point at 10.30am.

Kok Siong and Teng Chow, reaching the Eagle's point

Met 2 guys there, one of them is a pro in hiking. He was telling us all sorts of story from his previous hiking experience. We rest for about half and hour at Eagle's point.

Teluk Bahang Dam from Eagle's point (Hazy)

After the Eagle's point, it was all downhill. Going downhill was even more difficult and scary than uphill. It was very steep and slippery. After all the downhill, my leg was trembling and at one point, my leg couldn't support myself and I slip and fell. Hit my backside and scratched my arm, other than that I'm fine. Luckily didn't strain my ankle, if not duno how to go get out of the forest.

The pro hiker and his friend come along with us. He keep on telling us that we're almost there...haha...after tens of times of 'we're almost there', we were still not reaching. Other than cheating us all the way, he also gave us great help by letting us know in advance what to expect. He'll said 'up front is a short uphill path', or 'it's steep, becareful', or 'when you see a stream up ahead, you're almost reaching'.

A few steps to reaching station 1, the dog who had been with us all the while suddenly bark and run back to us. I got scared, there must be something ahead, if not the dog wouldn't have bark like that. All this while, there was not a sound from this dog and suddenly it bark so fiercely. All of us stopped and waited, look around us not hoping to see any wild animals. After awhile, the dog started moving forward again and we follow it. We don't see anything, the dog must have scared the thing -watever it was- away. And a few steps ahead is THE TAR ROAD TO PENANG HILL!!! VICTORY, WE MADE IT! It was 12.00pm when we reach station 1.

These are the 4 guys I hike with (from left: Kok Siong, Wan Fee, Teng Chow and Hup Chin)

It'll be another 4km of tar road to reach Penang Hill. We rest at station 1, take photos of our tired faces and let our tired legs a break. At this moment, I can squeeze sweat out from my towel and shirt and pants. I have never sweat this much before, never, not until water can be squeeze out from my clothes.

Brought along a spare shirt, but i did not put it in a plastic bag, straight away throw into bag. I sweat so badly that the shirt in the bag got partially wet also.

We took 1 whole hours to reach Penang Hill using the tar road.

Some of the colonial cottage along the tar road

My hand wasn't shaking anymore

Can see the Penang Bridge and Komtar from the Penang Hill

Sit down at the small foodcourt and had the best food of my life, ais kacang and nasi lemak. Maybe coz we were tired and hungry, the food taste so delicious :)

A very old signboard at the hill

After the savory meal, we took the tram downhill. Then from the station, we walk back to our car. It was around 3.30pm when I reach my car.

23 of us started the journey, and now only 5 of us going back. We contacted the rest while we were having ais kacang, at that time they just reach Eagle's point. I can see dark clouds was forming, I hope they were not chase by the rain. One of them had a cramp, we estimated that they will reach foothill at least around 5 or 6pm. The 5 of us was so tired, we couldn't sit and wait for the rest. So we said our goodbyes and go our separate ways.

Wow! What an experience. Luv it!