Stong-ed
By Yap Ai. Last update: 25th Oct 2005 |
Gunung Stong Reflections |
I trust that David has already provided a detailed itinerary for this trip so I shan't repeat the entire story of where we were at what time and what we did etc. No, my intention is to share a snippet of my reflections on our trip to Stong. This account was birthed out of an email written to my friend living in Australia when we first returned to Singapore. It therefore captures the rawest emotions and thoughts on Stong, the biggest impact it left on me. It is, as such, a bias account. There is certainly more to Stong than rain and muscle aches, cuts and scratches, (fortunately eh? ;-) )
The stories I heard from trekkers who have hiked to Stong never fail to entice me to this mountain. The slides and flying fox at the waterfalls sounded fun and exciting, the treks challenging, but best of all, the sunrise was said to be most spectacular. In fact it was said that a man stayed at the Jelawang Falls for 30 days in order to catch the sunrise everyday.
So I had imagined or dreamt the trek to be picturesque and sun-streaked, marred not by a single hint of dark clouds, and much less so, rain. But no, it was not to be so. It rained. And it didn't rain for just one day. It rained every single day of the three-day hike! In all my hiking/trekking trips, never had I once had to contend with the rain. Yes, I'd hiked and slept in the heat and the cold, walked on varied terrain, but not the rain. Till then, I was indeed a fair-weather hiker.
Incidentally, just prior to the trip to Stong, I did have a taste of walking in the rain although it could hardly count as a wet trekking experience. It rained on four consecutive training sessions at Bukit Timah nature reserve. "How could it be that it rained on four Sundays in a row!" I grumbled. Yet in retrospect, was it mere coincidence that I "had" to train in the rain? Still, I never planned, and never intended to trek in the rain, during training or the actual expedition.
But I guess that wet experience at Bukit Timah did prepare me somewhat for Stong. Mentally and physically I knew a little of that to expect. I was also more prepared in terms of the waterproofing my equipment: double plastic-bagging items, watertight dry bag and my latest investment - rain-cover that actually fitted my backpack.
We started the hike from the foot of Gunung Stong with a light drizzle against our backs. Five minutes into the hike though, the drizzle got heavier. Another five minutes later, not only was it raining heavily, it was POURING! It was as if the floodgates of heaven had been opened and all the water it held fell upon us.
Initially I tried to avoid the puddles as I knew that my GoreTex boots were no longer 100% watertight (yea, strange though it may sound). But soon it became apparent that it was simply impossible to avoid the puddles without falling or jeopardizing my safety. I wanted to complain but was prompted not to. So I gave thanks to God and no sooner had I started, my spirit was lifted and I began even to enjoy the ascent, yea, in spite of the wet weather. I revelled in sloshing through the mini-waterfall that gushed down the trek. And I loved the rush of cold water flooding my shoes.
Having said all that, I still can't quite decide if I really enjoy hiking in the rain. I was happy on day one but was quite cold and miserable when we reached our camping site wet on the second day. Perhaps it's because I stopped moving and cold wet clothes clinging onto my body was just too much to bear. Still I must confess that the rain did make walking in longs more bearable.
On the whole, I enjoyed Stong thoroughly. The trek itself was sufficiently challenging with its steep ascents and descents, avoiding low hanging bamboo trunks, and at times, crawling under them. I know the body took it well this time. While the arms and legs are still crying out in protest, I know they really did enjoy a good workout ;-) and are itching for more!
Copyright © Yap Ai & David Wong. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced without prior permission from the authors. To email David, remove the "_spamaway" from the following address: kalohimal_spamaway@yahoo.com.sg