Broga Hills 30 Jan 2011

My last trip to Broga Hills was on 16 Sep 2010 (http://happyotrekker.blogspot.com/2010/09/gunung-tok-wan-broga-1692010.html)

It was a beautiful Sunday dawn when we left PJ at 6.30 a.m. and headed towards Broga Hill. Our joy was however short-lived when it started to drizzle while we were approaching Broga Hills at 7.30 a.m. Ever as adventurous, we decided to proceed with the trek notwithstanding the drizzle.

The view was super misty and the terrain was super slippery. By the time we hit the first peak, the drizzle has gave away to light rain. We then decided to abort our original plan to trek to Gunung Tok Wan but to proceed to the final Broga peak and returned via the plantation way.

We made it to the final Broga peak in good time at 8.55 a.m. After 10 minutes of refreshment, we proceeded into the jungle to find the plantation trail home. The plantation trail was obscure and covered by thick undergrowth. Obviously, this trail was no longer popular with hikers and it has been more than 2 years since we last trekked the plantation route. Fortunately, we were able to dig deep into our memory to recall several key landmarks to find our way downhill. We reached to the base safely, though very wet, at 10.25 a.m.

This wet adventurous trekking trip was shared with sporting buddies Elsie, Yeoh, Choo, Natalie, Terry, Sarah, Angie and Wendy.

For the photographs, please refer to http://happytrekker.shutterfly.com/pictures/9236.

Twin Peak 15 Jan 2011

Leaving PJ at about 7 a.m, our van took a slow winding drive to Gap, the gateway to Fraser’s Hill. We reached Gap at 9 a.m. in time for the uphill traffic. The journey from Gap to the head trail took only 30 minutes.

Compared to my last Pine Tree Hill Trek in 2006 (see http://happyotrekker.blogspot.com/2006/10/pine-tree-hill-2006_29.html), a lot of improvements could be seen. The entrance to the head trail of the Pine Tree Hill (PTH) has been spurned up with new bill boards and there were mileage signage as well as 4 huts enroute to the PTH’s summit. Furthermore, the trail was much clearer and not wild with undergrowth. Concrete and wooden steps together with balustrade have also been constructed throughout the major portion of the undulating trail.

Starting at 9.30 a.m. at an elevation of 1,385 m asl, we took about 3 hours to hit the PTH peak standing at 1,530m asl at 12.30 a.m. The distance covered was 5.5 km. The trail was slippery due to the wet weather. There was a fair number of clambering over and ducking under fallen tree trunks. Of course, the most challenging part was the vertical climb of over 20 meters near PTH peak. The view from PTH was vapid and limited by the shifting mist.

We had a good rest and refreshment before leaving for the Twin Peak (TP) at 1.30 a.m. The trail to TP was soft and muddy. It took us 30 minutes to hit TP which was only 1,510m asl. TP offered a better 360 degree panoramic view. We spent about 15 minutes and quickly retraced our path home given the overcast sky. We reached the base at 5.30 p.m.

Overall, it was a good energetic trek in the pleasant company of Yeoh, Ong, Ben, Muru, Kanchana, Paul, Aniza, Tracy and Teoh.

For the photographs, please refer to http://happytrekker.shutterfly.com/pictures/9316.