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The Ledang 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.
The Resort's Gate
The Ledang trail starts from Gunung Ledang Resort located near Sagil village in the state of Johor. Outside the main gate of the resort, there is a canteen where you can make preparation and have a good breakfast before the trek. The stalls here open early in weekends, and food is available starting around 6am. There are also two grocery stalls here selling T-shirts and soap, among other items. Beside the canteen is a public restroom where you can wash up after the trek - it's 30 cents for using the toilet and 50 cents for showering. Alternatively, you can also wash up at the waterfall nearby, except of course that you are not advised to use any soap there.
The security guard at the gate will not let you through unless the park rangers are in. The
official working time of the rangers begins at 7am (Sat & Sun), but I had waited till 8:30am
before without any ranger in sight. You'll need to pay RM1 per person entrance fee and sign in
at the gate, and then proceed to the ranger's office for more paperworks. At the ranger's office
you pay RM10 park fee per person, register your name and emergency contact with the rangers, write
down the date you intend to return, and declare all items you intend to bring up to the mountain.
An RM50 deposit is required and refundable once you return with all the garbage you created.
Trail Profile
| CP* | Name | Official Time** | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trail Head | 20 | Many campsites along the paved road beside the river, and after climbing up a few staircases, the last staircase next to the Puteri Waterfall leads you to Kolam Puteri. | |
| Kolam Puteri | 15 | (Princess Pool. Remember the legend of the princess?). Two trails here: one crossing the bridge to the left and another through the fence to the right. The jungle trail to the summit is on the right through the fence (unlike Asahan, this gate is always open). Do not take the left trail. | |
| 1 | Checkpoint 1 | 25 | This place was a camp site, until Taman Negara built the Ranger's Post here. To get to CP2 you'll need to cross a small stream which is a branch of the waterfall's main stream. |
| 2 | Checkpoint 2 | 60 | A few camp sites along the way. Nothing much here. |
| 3 | Kolam Anak Gajah | 25 | (Baby Elephant Pool). You have three choices here: easy trail, scenic trail, or shortest trail. The easy trail is on the right while the shortest trail is on the left after crossing the stream. The scenic trail is at the right before crossing the stream. All three will take you to the next check point, but the beautiful Twin Falls is along the scenic trail. Take note of the many diversions along the Twin Falls trail especially at the portion near Kolam Gajah, so that you know which way to go when returning. |
| 4 | Kolam Gajah | 60 | (Elephant Pool, also known as Square Pool). Lots of camp grounds here. If you came up via the Twin Falls trail, cross the stream to get to the up trail (just hop on top of the boulders to avoid getting wet). Two hills stand between here and the next CP. There is a new and longer route that goes around the hills but is not well marked. |
| 5 | Sungai Segi Tiga | 30 | (Triangle River). Three streams joining into one at this place. You will cross a stream (the new trail mentioned above joins back at this place from the right) and then another. There is a camp site here. From here and beyond are the tougher terrains. The trail between Sungai Segi Tiga and Gua Kambing is called KFC, and no, they are not selling fried chickens. KFC is a stretch of tough uphill terrain. |
| 6 | Gua Kambing | 45 | (Goat Cave). You've reached the first of the three Ophir obstacles. Here you can either manoeuvre you way through the caves (there are two caves you need to go through), or bypass the caves via an alternate route that involves an almost vertical cliff about one storey high. The second way is more difficult, and yes there are fixed ropes there. After the cave are some very rough and steep terrains, and again you have two choices: the right side is the old trail and the terrain is very rugged, while the left side is easier but rather steep. You can climb up this part either by ropes or by free climbing, depends on how experience and adventurous you are. Coming up next is the second obstacle: the rock face. Here you need to climb up a steep cliff that is about four storeys high. It is not difficult as long as you use the proper technique and do not feel scared. Just stand upright, hold on to the rope and walk up while maintaining maximum friction between your legs and the cliff face. After the rock face is a scenic place called Bonsai. |
| 7 | Botak Hill | 30 | This is the last water point and camp site (although the summit is big enough for camping, it is dangerous to camp there - you won't know when lightning will strike). From here, the summit is in view. Going onwards from here is a valley, and there are two paths, one straight ahead and the other to the right. The shorter one is the one straight ahead but it is also more difficult, as you need to descend down to the valley and then climb up again. At the bottom of the valley is a stream (which has very little water most of the time), and eventually you will come up to another steep terrain that is the last obstacle. |
| 8 | Summit | - | After coming up to a clearing, the path to the summit is on the right. Scamble up the rocks and you have made it to the top. Congratulations! Enjoy the view! |
| * CP = checkpoint | ** Official Time = official time to next CP. E.g. CP1 to CP2 needs 25 mins. | ||
I started climbing Mt. Ophir back in 1999, and my first two trips were done taking vehicle down. Since then, I have returned to the mountain many times, and I love doing the day trek via Ledang trail due to the challenges it presents. Ophir is not very tall nor very tough, but it is definitely a lot of fun to climb.
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