 |
The Asahan Trail |
Effective 1st May 2004, Taman Negara has taken over Ophir and an official trail guide is compulsory for both Asahan and Sagil trail. Please call the ranger's office for information on the guide fee.
How to Get There
The Asahan trail starts near the waterworks besides Asahan village in the state of Melaka. Here is how you can get there (refer to the map on page 2):
Drive to Tangkak town from North-South Highway (PLUS). After passing through the town, look out for the road sign on the left to Jalan Bekoh. Turn left to Jalan Bekoh. At about the 7km mark there is a palm plantation. Follow the main road on the left until reaching the end at a T-junction. There should be a Police station on your right. Turn left to Jasin, and that will lead to Kg. Bekoh town. Turn right at the T-Junction. Follow the road and turn right at a big junction to Kg. Asahan (there is a road sign on the left but is somewhat obscured). After passing through Kg. Asahan, turn left to Kolam Air at the Y-junction. Follow the paved road and after passing by Kem Asahan (on the left), turn right near the reservoir (do not go straight or you will hit a mud trail which is the wrong way). At the end of this paved road you can see the reservoir fence on your right. Proceed onto the mud road and turn right at the second junction. Walking further in is the Ranger's Post.
Camp Grounds and Resting Points
As the terrain is quite gentle at the beginning, the first part of the trek is quite easy. The
trail is obvious except for some occasional detours where trees were fallen. After ascending pass
CP3 to about 800m, you will come to a deep valley which will bring you back down to 700m (CP4).
From there on is where the fun begins: the trail become steeper and is uphill almost all the way.
After all the hard work, you will reach the rock face which you can walk right up if it was not
too slippery, or detour by walking along it's side. There is a camp ground (Padang Batu) above
the rock face at the trail to the right and the view there is good. Most people will take a
break here and have some snacks or an apple or two. There is a stream beside the camp ground
where you can refill your water bottles.
Moving Up to the Summit
The trail up from here can be a little hard to find if you were not paying attention. From the campsite, back track the trail that led you here earlier, and you'll find yourself standing above a boulder - the trail leading up is at your right. From there on is more hard work to overcome the trail full of tree roots. Getting a little further up the slope and the twin summit of ophir is in sight, with a second deep valley seperating you and the summit. You are at Gunung Rundok.
Trekking down to the bottom of the valley leads you to the foot of the summit. Trekking up from here and you will find a steep slope where you'll need to climb up with ropes. There are ropes there so you don't need to bring your own. At the end of a series of rope scrambling, you get your reward - you've reached the summit.
| CP* | Name | Official Time** | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lubuk Kedondong | 30 | Asahan Ranger's Post. | |
| 1 | Enggang Berangang | 30 | Checkpoint 1, 240m (800 ft). |
| 2 | Hentian Hanuman | 30 | Checkpoint 2, 460m (1500 ft). |
| 3 | Hentian Unggas | 30 | Checkpoint 3, 720m (2367 ft). Go up further to about 800m before going down the valley. |
| 4 | Lembah Beruang | 30 | Checkpoint 4, 700m (2300 ft). At the bottom of the valley. Starting from here is the steep part. |
| 5 | Batu Berlumut | 30 | Checkpoint 5, 760m (2500 ft). |
| 6 | Padang Batu | 25 | Checkpoint 6, 820m (2700 ft). Campsite is right after the rock face. This is the only water point on Asahan trail. |
| 7 | Gunung Rundok | 40 | Checkpoint 7. From here you can see the summit and the Telekom radio station. |
| 8 | Summit | - | 1276m (4187 ft). |
| * CP = checkpoint | ** Official Time = official time to next CP. E.g. CP1 to CP2 needs 30 mins. | ||
Disclaimer: the trail information presented here are for reference only and are not intended to be used as a trail guide. If you are not familiar with the trail, please hire a proper guide. The author shall not be held responsible for any mishaps resulted from the use of the information presented in this publication.
Copyright © David Wong. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced without prior permission from the author. To email me, remove the "_spamaway" from the following address: kalohimal_spamaway@yahoo.com.sg