Revisit Laksamana Trail
After almost 4 years, I am back on this same trail called Laksamana Hill. If you have not heard of this, let me tell you, it is Penang's Longest Hiking Trail. Well, that is what the signboard says anyway.
Thanks to Andrew and his i-Run gang for organizing this trip and I am fortunate to be one of the invited ones. I sign-up for it without too much hesitation. Have always wanted to do it again after that trip with colleagues back in April 2007.
After so many years, I have forgotten most of the previous experience and the difficult terrain of the trail. I only vividly remember it to be a very long hike, and that half way through it, I was rewarded with the beautiful scenery of Teluk Bahang Dam and it's surrounding hills.
This time, I am doing this with a bunch of runners. There are 45 of us, chartering a bus to fetch us from Youth Park to the start of the trail in Teluk Bahang. It takes about 30mins of bus ride from Youth Park.
Once there, took a few group photos, queue up for toilet, which cost 30cents per person, a short briefing by Andrew and we're ready to go. Started the hike around 8.15am.
Re-visiting this hiking trail, I find the trail noticeably narrower. At some part of the trail, it was so overgrown with bushes (some plants that looks like paku pakis) that the trail is almost not visible. I've got a lot of scratches on my legs from these paku-pakis because I was wearing shorts. You just have to 'chiong' in-between the narrow opening of bushes.
The platform at Eagle Point is also no longer able to support any human weight. It is now a dilapidated half crumbling platform. There's missing planks here and there.
There's a reason why this spot is called Eagle Point. We can actually see eagle glide gracefully nearby. Because we are at such a high point, the eagle is either at our eye level or slightly below us. It was so cool I tell ya!!
The terrain after Eagle Point is mostly downhill. This is the part where you will find garden gloves useful because most of the time, you'll want to hold on to that white rope. Right before we exit the trail onto tar road, we have to go through a steep uphill climb. That was tough!
The first batch of us reach the tar road slightly after 11am. We waited there for everybody to reach before taking the 4.7km tar road up to Penang Hill. The beautiful and colorful flowers that I remember lined the tar road were missing this time around. That is just sad :(
The first thing we do is of course eat!! I had the nasi lemak and a ABC topped with ice cream. I find the nasi lemak not as good as I have remembered it to be. Anyhow, it feels so good to have something to fill up the stomach after a tough hike.
After lunch, we take the kereta sapu (MPPP lorry) to go back down to Botanical Garden. The tram is not up and running yet, so we have to go down via tar road. There was also this nicer Toyota Landcruiser-like jeep that fetch visitors up and down Penang Hill, but they wanted to charge us RM10 per person for a trip down. We think that it is too much to ask and they are being too greedy, so we opt for the MPPP lorry which cost us only RM4 per person.
I had fun re-visiting this trail. If I have the chance to do it again, should bring along parang or big scissors to clear the trail.
Thanks to Andrew and his i-Run gang for organizing this trip and I am fortunate to be one of the invited ones. I sign-up for it without too much hesitation. Have always wanted to do it again after that trip with colleagues back in April 2007.
After so many years, I have forgotten most of the previous experience and the difficult terrain of the trail. I only vividly remember it to be a very long hike, and that half way through it, I was rewarded with the beautiful scenery of Teluk Bahang Dam and it's surrounding hills.
This time, I am doing this with a bunch of runners. There are 45 of us, chartering a bus to fetch us from Youth Park to the start of the trail in Teluk Bahang. It takes about 30mins of bus ride from Youth Park.
Once there, took a few group photos, queue up for toilet, which cost 30cents per person, a short briefing by Andrew and we're ready to go. Started the hike around 8.15am.
Re-visiting this hiking trail, I find the trail noticeably narrower. At some part of the trail, it was so overgrown with bushes (some plants that looks like paku pakis) that the trail is almost not visible. I've got a lot of scratches on my legs from these paku-pakis because I was wearing shorts. You just have to 'chiong' in-between the narrow opening of bushes.
Just came out from the almost non-existent trail behind me
The platform at Eagle Point is also no longer able to support any human weight. It is now a dilapidated half crumbling platform. There's missing planks here and there.
The platform that allows you to take in the awesome view. Sadly, it is old and not properly maintained, no longer safe to stand on it.
There's a reason why this spot is called Eagle Point. We can actually see eagle glide gracefully nearby. Because we are at such a high point, the eagle is either at our eye level or slightly below us. It was so cool I tell ya!!
The terrain after Eagle Point is mostly downhill. This is the part where you will find garden gloves useful because most of the time, you'll want to hold on to that white rope. Right before we exit the trail onto tar road, we have to go through a steep uphill climb. That was tough!
The first batch of us reach the tar road slightly after 11am. We waited there for everybody to reach before taking the 4.7km tar road up to Penang Hill. The beautiful and colorful flowers that I remember lined the tar road were missing this time around. That is just sad :(
Arriving at destination, Penang Hill
The first thing we do is of course eat!! I had the nasi lemak and a ABC topped with ice cream. I find the nasi lemak not as good as I have remembered it to be. Anyhow, it feels so good to have something to fill up the stomach after a tough hike.
After lunch, we take the kereta sapu (MPPP lorry) to go back down to Botanical Garden. The tram is not up and running yet, so we have to go down via tar road. There was also this nicer Toyota Landcruiser-like jeep that fetch visitors up and down Penang Hill, but they wanted to charge us RM10 per person for a trip down. We think that it is too much to ask and they are being too greedy, so we opt for the MPPP lorry which cost us only RM4 per person.
I had fun re-visiting this trail. If I have the chance to do it again, should bring along parang or big scissors to clear the trail.
Labels: Healthy living
posted by LieWei at 11:53 PM
4 Comments:
May I know where is the starting point? Any signboard along the trail?
By
~Lynn~, at Feb 25, 2012, 12:40:00 PM
Start point is in Taman Rimba Teluk Bahang, you know, the park beside Penang Butterfly Farm.
There's signboard along the trail, although they are old and some words may be fading off but it is still quite visible.
Have fun hiking!
By
LieWei, at Feb 25, 2012, 6:56:00 PM
Thank you. By the way how many hours you have taken to reach Penang hill?
By
~Lynn~, at Feb 26, 2012, 9:05:00 PM
3 to 4hrs depending on fitness
By
LieWei, at Feb 26, 2012, 9:51:00 PM
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