Gunung Chamah & Gunung Ulu Sepat Expedition 23 to 27 June 2019

The G7 mountains in Peninsula Malaysia may not be world famous, but in the region, they carry a notorious reputation. All seven of them are not at the elevations of the ones in Nepal or Tibet, but while they lack in altitude, they make up for it in their very own treacherous, gruelling terrain. They are seven of the highest summits above 7000 feet in the peninsula. Here are the G7s: G1: Gunung (means 'mountain' in Malay) Tahan (7175 feet) G2: Gunung Korbu (7162 feet) G3: Gunung Yong Belar (7156 feet) G4: Gunung Gayong (7129 feet) G5: Gunung Chamah (7123 feet) G6: Gunung Yong Yap (7113 feet) G7: Gunung Ulu Sepat (7090 feet).

All but Gunung Tahan are situated along the Titiwansa Range; a geographical belt of mountains which forms the backbone of Peninsula Malaysia, acting as a natural divider that splits the peninsula into East and West. Gunung Tahan is found in the Tahan Range of the peninsula. Having ascended Mount Tahan (G1 of G7) in 2017, our plan, as advised by many, was to go for the other 'easier' lot, leaving the terrifying duo of Gunung Chamah (G5) and Gunung Ulu Sepat (G7) to the last - a wise thing to do so as to gain as much experience and exposure. So since December 2018, we have been planning on scaling G2, G3 and G4 (also known as V1 of the Trans Titiwangsa Trek).

However, a month before our expedition date, we were informed by our mountaineering guide that the region will be closed for research purposes. After going through serious considerations, the group agreed to embark on G5 and G7, something which I did not expect the group to agree to. We were seen as taking a risk, since this time round, we would be taking four others who have not attempted any of the G7s.

Call it faith or instinct, I had the strong feeling that this group would be able to overcome this despite seemingly having all odds against our decision. Fast forward, after all the work put in for trainings and re-strategising, we found ourselves on the road, fully loaded and belted up. Inaccessible to vehicles that lack torque and 4-wheel-drive capabilities, the expedition starts somewhere deep in the rainforest of Kelantan where the Orang Asli (indigenous/native people) live. Over 3 hours of adventurous ride via a 4x4 truck was required to inject us to the start point. Tailong (lead) and Den, mountain guides for the expedition, started a quick friendly greet before changing to a serious tone on the challenges before us for the next 5 days. The necessary brief emphasised on the real threat of wild animals, including the Malayan tigers and elephants; and injuries. Getting help in an emergency situation so deep in the wilderness would be of huge concerns, and everyone understood how crucial it is to stay safe and healthy for the entire expedition.

The short film will take you through snippets of what the team has gone through over the 5 gruelling days.

I am beyond proud of what my team has achieved. Perhaps it is better (and deliberate) that there is no view at the summits of the terrifying duo. What matters is truly the journey you embark on, with the people you want to spend quality time with, accomplishing something that is real difficult together, and through that, you etch solid memories and forge lifetime bonds for this will never be replicable elsewhere.


Music by:
Tidecruz & P.thepi
Aerotake
Tristan Barton
Desolate
BlauDisS
Abstract April's
Richard Smithson
Mattia Cupelli
Gisli Gunnarsson
Ed Carlsen
Insomnia
Nadav Cohen
Embers