JUST TO SHARE (Lau Tai Onn): Hiking at Ah Pek Hill on October 9, 2022

On the invitation of my old-time friend i.e. former GBBM PJ (青团运八打灵支会) member Saw Cheng Ngee (苏清义), I joined his group of hikers to Ah Pek Hill (阿伯山, officially known as Bukit Putih) on Sunday, 9/10/2022, using one of the many trails starting point from Taman Wangsa Cheras, for the first time in my life.

The original time to meet up was 9.00am at the starting point. But it was raining very heavily at around 4.30am on Sunday morning. It was still drizzling at 8.00am. As Saw told me the rain had stopped in his area (Taman Cuepac, Cheras), he assured me the hiking was to proceed as planned, I left home at 8.20am as the Waze Apps indicated that it takes about 25 minutes or 11 km to reach Taman Wangsa Cheras (location sent by Saw to me earlier).

I reached Taman Wangsa Cheras at 8.50am and there was very slight drizzling. Saw came out from his house to meet and as we were still waiting for other hikers friends of Saw to turn up, we went to the nearby coffee shop to have breakfast (actually I only took a bowl of noodles as Saw had taken bread at home). Saw’s friend Simon Kuah came to meet us for a cup of coffee.

We went back to the starting point of hiking at 10.00am and met Ng KM (吴启民) and his wife from Subang Jaya. I knew both Saw and Ng in GBBM Cawangan PJ since 1983 to till I left in 1987.

The five of us started our hiking at about 10.10am. The initial part was very challenging as the brick steps were high. The trail was quite steep, muddy and wet due to the early rain. As I was the beginner of the group, Saw accompanied and chatted with me along the way, while the others also slowly hiked up the hill with a few stops for rest.

I have learned my mistake from my Penang Hill hike in July this year and this time I came well-prepared with a backpack carrying a bottle of plain water, 2 cans of 100 Plus and some sweets. And I also bought from Mr. DIY just the day before a walking clutch (actually not quite suitable for hiking according to Saw, it should better be a long bamboo stick or the like) and knee guards for today’s hike.

We reached Station 3A (actually Station 4) at 11.25am and had picnic there. We didn’t proceed to the highest Station 6 which is the peak of Ah Pek Hill.

There is a rest kiosk (凉亭) at Station 3A provided by the local hikers including our friends where there are a few lockers to keep their utensils like a kettle. They boiled water there to make Chinese tea and coffee. Food brought included fruits (mangoes, oranges and jack fruits/nanga), biscuits, moon-cakes, fried noodles and others. Saw and his friends come hiking regularly on Sunday since many years ago.

Saw’s friends Lily and Mary joined us at 12.30pm and they also come from Subang Jaya.

This group shared many stories of traveling (they used to go sight-seeing regularly in group all over the places in the country) and other life experiences. I did enjoy listening to their conversations very much.

At 1.45pm (long picnic for 2 hours), we packed up things and left Station 3A, stopping for a short while at a riverside shed (watched 3 girls from Sabah fixing sleeping nets swinging between trees above the river).

The downhill hike was not so tough as the uphill one. The walking stick is a must in such hiking in the jungle trails.

We reached the foothill at 3.00pm and I bid my friends farewell as they continued with their food trip.

I returned home at 3.30pm.

Our group of hikers on 09/10/2022

A pose with my old-time friend Cheng Ngee

Aerial view of our destination: Station 3A (the blue dot)

Starting point of our Ah Pek Hill hike

One pose before embarking on the hiking

Here we go hiking, very high steps

Jungle track after the steps

Fully equipped with walking clutch and knee guards

Muddy trail

Station 1 of Ah Pek Hill

Tua Pek Kong for prayers

Interesting view of a huge rock embraced by tree roots

Station 1

Taking a rest along the way of hiking

Reaching hilltop Station 3A

Station 3A Rest Kiosk

Let's have picnic and chit-chatting

See the facilities allowing us to hang our backpacks and storage locker owned by other hikers

Picnic food almost finished consuming

Lily (pic right) and Mary (pic left) joining us at 12.30am

Wefie photo taken by Saw (pic front)

Photo taken by Saw

Simon Kuah (right) making a point

Interesting weight-lifting tools

Pic from left: Ng, Mrs. Ng, me, Lily, Mary, Saw and Simon (the passerby girl was really helpful in not only taking group photos for us, but also guiding us to pose with gestures)