tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53830225768374999842024-03-19T20:28:22.436+08:00Get lost, Get wild!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04396567015030218351noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383022576837499984.post-71368855448167764952015-05-15T00:34:00.000+08:002015-05-15T00:34:09.655+08:00A volcano within a volcano?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Rinjani is one of the very few or probably the only place in the world which has a lake within a volcano and in the middle of the lake yet another live volcano!We were lucky the weather was on our side throughout the 4 days and was treated to a spectacular sunset at the Summit. I'll leave the description of the mountain to the pictures but even the most beautiful of them just can't replace the experience of being there yourself. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ahmed's trekking centre</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quick briefing by the jovial boss, Ahmed</td></tr>
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Right after a quick lunch at 3pm, we kicked off from Senaru village, scurried up the initial steep slopes the moment we set foot on trail. Our initial plan was to camp at 'POS3' one of the checkpoints towards Senaru crater but due to the time we started, Ahmed's suggestion was to camp for the night at 'POS2'</div>
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The initial part of the hike is in deep vegetation which provides shelter from the merciless afternoon sun. Most parts of the path are barren and can only imagine how muddy it will turn out during the monsoon seasons</div>
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After about 4 hours of continuous trekking, we reached POS2!</div>
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The porters were ahead of us and when we settled, hot piping food was ready to tame our growling stomachs. The last thing we wanted was to have a bad meal to end the day. When the food was served, what was presented before us was way beyond our expectations! The presentation and taste was just superb, never have I had such a good meal in an outdoor setting. We were also given a choice of coffee, tea and hot chocolate. The items in our tent like the sleeping mats and bags were nicely set up together with a small air pillow. I have always been skeptical about the sleeping bags provided by trekking companies as they were either not warm enough or damp because of inadequate waterproofing.<br />
But after using theirs, I was very much assured!</div>
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Second day, we woke up at 6am and ended up setting off a little later at 730am. The path up to 'Pos3' wasn't particularly difficult. Along the way, Alan caught sight of several black monkeys with long limbs and tail (resembles spider monkeys) above the treeline, at first they were curious and stopped to look at us but quickly scattered when I tried to take a few snaps on my camera (this explains the absence of the photos!) About 5 minuutes walk away we came across the more common grey haired macaques which according to the guide are more aggressive and brazen compared to their shy cousins which we saw earlier.<br />
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The main problem about the increasing brazen behavior of these monkeys is not on the monkeys themselves but rather on us humans improperly discarding food and waste which attracts these animals. The monkeys have gotten too dependent on our food that they choose the easy way out rather than look for food on their own.<br />
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Big props to environmentally friendly guides and porters like these who ply through the mountains looking for discarded recyclables.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">This is the 2nd volcano I've ascended in Indonesia and the first one was such a disappointment it didn't leave me satisfied with the experience. Rinjani turned things around 180 degrees, especially with Ahmed's Expeditions. As a really stingy traveller, I made sure I wanted to get the best deal out of the price I pay and at the same time expect quality service. Seemingly hard to believe, I wasn't disappointed at all.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Upon recommendation by Ahmed we took a 4D/3N package because not everyone in the group was experienced. Ahmed's crew gave us the freedom of time without a single time rushing us. The porters were always at the front no matter how early we set out first making sure our latrine, tents and food were ready upon reaching camp. The crew were always in a jovial mood, never once seen any of them express discontent by our fussy requests. Adi my guide was especially helpful, I remember vividly there was one time my glove was blown to the edge of a steep slope, and without consideration of his safety reached out a couple of meters to get it back for me! Truly blessed to have him looking over our welfare. Warm food is a luxury on a mountain while good food, a scarcity. At the end of a long day, all we wanted was a hot meal enough to fill our stomachs but we got more than we expected. From spring rolls for starters to explicitly garnished Nasi/Mee goreng and finely cut fresh fruits. What more could we ask for!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Having said so much good things about this mountain, there is however one major problem. If gone unresolved, it definitely will bring this #1 attraction all the way to the bottom. Beyond the beautiful pictures, what people rarely take notice are the rubbish and human waste scattered throughout the camp sites and along the trails. Almost every square inch of the camp site is badly littered. Even Segara Anak has been polluted with trash, oil and swill from the washing of utensils. It is saddening to see such a beautiful place transformed to such a state and my guess is that it will only get worse if no action is taken. Although there are few companies taking the Eco initiative to clean up the area which they have used, it is definitely not enough without the local government's intervention and social consciousness on everyone's part. For anyone visiting, please help to make this place a more beautiful place :)</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04396567015030218351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383022576837499984.post-82073667992359283842014-07-19T00:35:00.001+08:002014-07-19T01:19:56.318+08:006 foot trail, Blue Mountains Sydney, Australia <div id="dE_H" style="height: 100%; width: 100%;">
This is the 2nd time I'm traveling alone and also the furthest I've gone. Coming from a traditional family and a conservative society, it was hard for my friends and families to imagine that I'll be traveling to Sydney myself and furthermore camping in the wilderness for a few days. Without hesitation I booked a ticket through Scoot and was there a month later. The last time I was in Australia was more than a decade ago and couldn't remember much of the details except for the farm stay in Brisbane and theme parks in Gold Coast.<br />
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First impression of Sydney is that everything seems bigger than in Singapore like the buses, the trains and even the food! Weather was perfect as it had just transit from to spring. Temperature was about 20 degrees odd. I stay at this trendy hostel for 2 nights just opposite Central station, it was the perfect location to stay in the city as it is the interchange for most of the city and suburban lines.</div>
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The third morning I was up early and got the first train to Katoomba which is the Blue mountains area. The temperature was significantly cooler there, people were also much warmer than in the city. I stocked up on butane gas and other supplies at the local outdoor store. The very friendly owner who offered to leave my bag at the shop while I head to the police station down the road to register, which I politely declined. Bad mistake. Apparently the police station rented out all their emergency beacons and the only ones left were at Echo point which is 20 minutes walk away. The view from Echo point was beautiful and it didn't take long to realize that this is the most scenic part of the town. The view from Echo point was stunning! Under the blanket of the mid afternoon sun, it highlighted the vast greenery across the canyon floors of the blue mountain range. Couldn't resist a few pre-hike snapshots from around the visitor area before grabbing the emergency beacon from the visitor centre. The staffs were also bewildered that I was doing it alone and they were particularly concerned that I couldn't make it back from the end point alone. The track which I intend to take is a 43 kilometers straight road which will start from Katoomba ending all the way to Jenolan caves and there was only 1 way back which is by the visitor bus which has only 1 trip back everyday at 3pm! Looking at my time, it was already late morning and neither have I had my lunch nor am I remotely near the start point. A harsh lesson learnt not to take things for granted for the 2nd half of my day.<br />
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The start point was quite a walk from Katoomba town and it was not a clear path as I had to walk along the expressway at times on the edge of traffic. Figured out later that there was a public bus to the start point. It was already 2pm when I reached the start point, the walk was relatively easy as it was down slope for most of the part, it was a steep and narrow path down the Nellies Glen canyon walls. There wasn't much to see until I came upon the private ranches, some of the paths intersect these private property along Megalong road and I could see cows and kangaroos roaming the pastures. With the afternoon sun setting shining rays across the meadows it was a sight to behold. A small pond by the fence shimmered glitters of light off its surface behind a backdrop of hay basked under the sun.<br />
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It was already 5pm when I reached the midpoint of my first day and I still another 7 kilometers to go. As I increased my pace, the sky got darker with every step. Putting on my headlight I could see ahead of me tiny eyes staring back at me from the illumination. Realizes the 4 pairs of eyes staring back were baby spiders and they were littered all over the ground ahead of me, I moved forward careful not to agitate any of them. My water had run dry and I was tired from moving the whole day. Finally reached the Cox River after an hour and by then it was pitch dark. Turning on my headlight, i see 8 eyes peeking back from their reflection. i suddenly realised there were dozens of them strewn all along the track. at the back of my mind I tried not to focus too much on the thought that Australia have the most poisonous spiders in the world! After much of the careful treading through the path, I came past this bridge called the "Bowtells swing bridge"<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image from wildwalks.com</td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Side story, the bridge was built and opened in 1992 by the Royal Australian Engineers. The bridge is named after a fellow soldier of the builders, Corporal Bob Bowtell, who suffocated and died in foul air whilst attempting to clear a tunnel of the VC during the Vietnam war [ref isbn=1865088234 page=37]. Bowtell grew up in Katoomba and is now buried in West Malaysia. After a short walk from the bridge I reached my first accommodation for my first night at the Six Foot Track Lodge. Was dismayed to know from the owner the previous day that I'll be the only person living here tonight as most of her guests come in only during the weekend. Probably it was the wilderness, darkness and loneliness but I was quite spooked by the eeriness of the night. I filled up my water, unpacked my stuffs and went straight to bed. It was 7.30pm, I slept till 8 the next day</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">cabin in the woods</td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The next morning I cooked up a breakfast too big to finish to compensate for yesterday's dinner. They had a stove but I chose to use my own as I didn't know how to operate, embarrassing. Moving towards Cox River campsite, from here the dirt road winds moderately steeply uphill for about 2.1km. The sun was as merciless as the slopes up and I had to take a 10 minutes wink by the slope to get back my energy.</span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The roads wind up to about a kilometer upslope through vast green pastures. The thing about the 6 foot trek is the freedom to walk through private ranches with the occasional cows grazing under the lazy afternoon sun. Certain parts of the trek however is spare and given that it is early spring, most of the plants and trees are barren. It can be pretty spooky walking alone when the sun is down. The rest of the second day is pretty bland, just lots of uphill walking and panting. Learnt my lesson from my first day and cut down on the photography just to focus on getting to camp early. Along the way I met a couple of hikers and everyone told me they were heading to the next camp but upon reaching. There was not a single soul. I went as far to the end of the camp site just to make sure but there was nobody! Supernatural concerns were the last of my priority, feeding my hunger was more important. Quickly set up camp and cooked dinner before ending my arduous second day.</span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The last day was the shortest but the most arduous. After a snappy breakfast, I set off on a mostly flat and down slope path. H</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">ad a little sharp pain in my right ankle while I was going down and couldn't wait to end the walk. The more I hurried the more painful it was. After a while I just took things in stride and enjoyed the scenery while taking a slow stroll down the hill. After going past a highway, I came upon a cluster of holiday chalets and I knew that I was reaching. Keeping in mind the timing of the ONLY bus from Jenolan caves back to Katoomba, I made sure I reached an hour before. To my surprise I hit Jenolan Caves town 2 hours prior the deadline and managed to do a short tour into one of the limestone caves!</span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The journey back to Katoomba gave me time to reflect on this memorable adventure I had embarked alone on the 6 foot track. Few points I've learnt from this track:</span><br />
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<ul>
<li>preparation is half the battle won: if I had not brought enough food, water, fuel things would have gone way south</li>
<li>over analysis leads to paralysis: although preparation is important, an over preparation and consideration would probably have impeded me from travelling </li>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04396567015030218351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383022576837499984.post-15851850989882075132012-08-19T03:03:00.000+08:002012-08-19T03:03:21.131+08:00Hiking Essentials<br />
Important lesson learnt from my XueShan hike is to always stay dry and stay warm.<br />
<br />
<u>Clothing</u><br />
-Insulation layer: Synthetic material shirt<br />
-Thermal shell: Fleece Jacket/ Soft shell Jacket<br />
-Waterproof layer: Waterproof jacket/pants (preferably goretex)<br />
-Hiking boots (waterproofed not only on the outside but also on the inside)<br />
-Waterproof gaiters to prevent water from seeping into the shoes<br />
-Sockliners to prevent blisters from long distance walking<br />
-Hiking socks<br />
-Sun cap/Beanie<br />
-Lingerie and everyday wear<br />
<br />
<br />
<u>Equipments</u><br />
-Hiking backpack (>40 litres for 3- 4 days) with rain cover and waterproofed on the inside with trashbag!<br />
-Hiking stick(s) (I have reliable and affordable sources ;))<br />
-Headlamp (preferably 3 LED)<br />
-Quickdry towels<br />
-Sleeping bag (<10 degrees Celsius)<br />
-Waterproof bag for documents and electronic items<br />
-Sewing kit/ Glue for sealing holes<br />
<br />
Please let me know if there are any additional items to include!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04396567015030218351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383022576837499984.post-89114247798949890902012-08-18T16:17:00.076+08:002012-08-19T18:22:02.687+08:00Scaling North Asia's 2nd Tallest Mountain<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">It was just a another random trip which my colleague Audrey suggested. A 9 day trip Taiwan and I thought sure why not?? Audrey warned me that this was not going to be one of those night markets, bubble tea kind of trip. She told me that we're to prepare to climb Xue Shan (雪山, translated: Snow Mountain). 2 things went through my mind, the first is that it's a martial arts backdrop while the second is that it's not gonna be as tough as my training at Mt Biang, Brunei during my time in the army. I was half right<br />
<br />
XueShan stands in TaiChung, Taiwan and is part of a mountain range including the tallest mountain in North Asia, YuShan (玉山, translated: Jade Mountain). It stands at 3886 meters while YuShan 3952 meters. Audrey, an avid traveller and excellent reviewer on tripadvisor suggested hiking up XueShan instead of YuShan as many say the scenery is nicer comparably. And so we set our travel date in May, 2 months ahead for our preparations and training<br />
<br />
Audrey, her boyfriend Isaac and I stayed in Taipei for the first 3 days preparing our food supplies and camping equipments. We were pleasantly surprised there are plenty of outdoor supplies shops along Taipei Main Station. One essential item is the butane canister and igniter, oh and also a good pair of gloves. Kang Loong, another colleague of mine flew in right after his exams just in time for the adventure ;) At the train station, we repacked and redistributed our stuffs before depositing our luggage at the luggage transfer office to send it over to Taichung which was our rest point after our 3 days hike.<br />
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To get there, we bought our bus tickets a day in advance heading to Yi-Lan through <a href="http://www.kamalan.com.tw/">Kamalan Bus</a>,cost around NT$60! Our original intention was to travel downwards by train to TaiChung and transit to XueShan which is a much faster way but the mountain roads were blocked by landslides beginning of the year. On the other hand car rental is exorbitant and cost around NT$20,000 with a driver for a 1 way trip! From Yi-lan there are only 2 国光 (<a href="http://www.kingbus.com.tw/">KuoKuang or KingBus</a> as in its English name) bus schedules there, one at 0600hrs and the other at 1230hrs. The bus journey from Taipei -- Yi-Lan is around 1.5hrs while the ride from Yi-Lan -- Wu Ling farm (武陵农场) is around 3hrs, take bus 1751 heading towards 梨山.<br />
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</div>Look out for this landmark after alighting at the bus station, the bus to KuoKuang is this non-prominent bus stop near it. We packed our hot lunch from Family Mart to take up the bus. Made friends with this Taiwanese guy, extremely helpful and this was also his first time going to Wu Ling farm. Luckily for his on-bus entertainment, made the winding road easy on the guts.<br />
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Upon getting off the bus we scurried to check in our resort. Spent a day there exploring Wu Ling's beautiful surroundings and also got to see the rare formosan landlocked salmon at the conservatory.<br />
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The next day we set off after lunch from <span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">Wu Ling farm up to register at the local police station out registration papers done way before the trip. It is necessary to do so before proceeding to the trail head as they will not allow you to pass. It is also highly recommended you have some kind of transportation up there as the roads are narrow and steep which can be quite dangerous since many campers drive along this road. The journey up to the trailhead can take a toll on your body even before you start as it is 5km of walking. We were lucky to hitch a hike from a friendly driver who was just passing through the area as he has not been there before! </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0VotCTz8Ckr54VD2iuR6Ra92qma8-v8RzL_MMT1LmGL1Qdlvhyphenhypheneh5PME0n-qwVmyes687PV5ODKV9BfGTnGspNL7BYPCSxY8Ft20TEx36ecGABvG7qdVzgQRK0KO3PaMXQV5NCxR78Nmw/s1600/IMG_1770.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0VotCTz8Ckr54VD2iuR6Ra92qma8-v8RzL_MMT1LmGL1Qdlvhyphenhypheneh5PME0n-qwVmyes687PV5ODKV9BfGTnGspNL7BYPCSxY8Ft20TEx36ecGABvG7qdVzgQRK0KO3PaMXQV5NCxR78Nmw/s320/IMG_1770.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);"><br />
</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">At the ranger station, we were asked to watch a safety video before proceeding which was quite amusing. Took our first group shot before proceeding up the slope. First stop was 七卡 Chika Hut and it's around a 2-3 hrs leisure walk up with steps. The hut was split into 2 living quarters each accomodating 80 people plus the canteen and washrooms. We reached the hut pretty early at 1700hrs and had plenty of time to rest. Met a group of 80 students and teachers on their field trip, very friendly people, invited us to share their food. It was also embarrassing that we had to get their help to start our fire</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9rbnzG0-s9tKP2uNNQ5xW3VOoc-aBIRrs-aqNyEUQchouNN-hwgF06YnziPnNeE8WRyXITVhPf57X0AMwe5SepJYyy2LiKpoJsrlCsVs0Y4yd-mRXWI_mtcG89kNNpqXBEP4y2UJTqm-_/s1600/IMG_1777.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9rbnzG0-s9tKP2uNNQ5xW3VOoc-aBIRrs-aqNyEUQchouNN-hwgF06YnziPnNeE8WRyXITVhPf57X0AMwe5SepJYyy2LiKpoJsrlCsVs0Y4yd-mRXWI_mtcG89kNNpqXBEP4y2UJTqm-_/s320/IMG_1777.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The first night for Audrey was terrible as she was down with food poisoning and had no appetite for dinner, fortunately Isaac was there by her side the whole night. <3</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The next morning was filled with low spirits as Audrey wasn't in her best of health and there were contemplation to give up the hike altogether leaving Kang Loong and I to continue on our own. The next checkpoint was 三六九 hut (369 hut) and it was a longer route compared to the one yesterday. This was going to be a 4-5 hour hike and with the rain clouds looming in it looked set to be a harsh journey..</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzhhNwNyJB2OM_rebsMON8_B3MCYtbOLT164xMjM1nQapDWZDnKGNMBZBCPZjNxyIG0FADcPGz5IlIA14qbHxnSjRSmXjQGg8TWYK6_TNiUUemrvr_yvnwLf3KIt-6ILNaq4KBlJpXKQeT/s1600/IMG_1776.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzhhNwNyJB2OM_rebsMON8_B3MCYtbOLT164xMjM1nQapDWZDnKGNMBZBCPZjNxyIG0FADcPGz5IlIA14qbHxnSjRSmXjQGg8TWYK6_TNiUUemrvr_yvnwLf3KIt-6ILNaq4KBlJpXKQeT/s320/IMG_1776.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Audrey had difficulty carrying on the pace and had to stop to rest at every band, to the point we stopped by a corner and made hot tea for her in the rain!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2BAp54FBWiI8L2aTKhU8D7dIaWnGKxDTTwypjYavYhihrP_hpWHAC97kjefdQYA_U4jaHqPns5NPV4oqmtiaFyvune4p9AlzVJ-gcghQeEmFcnZfq0RcmHc3k6V2jInSETFeH2LkXqj3n/s1600/IMG_1778.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2BAp54FBWiI8L2aTKhU8D7dIaWnGKxDTTwypjYavYhihrP_hpWHAC97kjefdQYA_U4jaHqPns5NPV4oqmtiaFyvune4p9AlzVJ-gcghQeEmFcnZfq0RcmHc3k6V2jInSETFeH2LkXqj3n/s320/IMG_1778.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The saving grace eventually was Audrey's miraculous recovery after the break, she picked herself up and paced herself slowly till she was able to keep up with her average pace. It was an encouraging moment knowing that Audrey's getting better and that we could all achieve our common goal. At the same time I could hear our pace increasing with my <i>Runkeeper</i> app blaring out from the speakers of my iphone every kilometre.<br />
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The terrain opened up gradually as we moved higher till we could see the ridge line!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsPvUiW1Bz3T_SkmdrFBIVohpY1yN5Tg3NF6akl-6FYuzZPkdIcqNHLfKD-wgswV7B-tgM_FPM6XIX8VvHbkD3sU4Pd3Zj1pKHzThDrcvsnmL5jnb8B6a-C2HlPKEQ3BDrX6jkX0UkUD7u/s1600/IMG_1790.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsPvUiW1Bz3T_SkmdrFBIVohpY1yN5Tg3NF6akl-6FYuzZPkdIcqNHLfKD-wgswV7B-tgM_FPM6XIX8VvHbkD3sU4Pd3Zj1pKHzThDrcvsnmL5jnb8B6a-C2HlPKEQ3BDrX6jkX0UkUD7u/s320/IMG_1790.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8nJ-LZdby3ZplwRa2pQ-aL5_1nVDSApN7CHdKHMVW1EfFjZvA8RwbQxPjOVf1yGkbG1guJ0seS3x9Q3NTBRN6a8RM2zO8xSSA35I7EcCYuqtkicFxG_GQA9D1rZTSlCmEesqEvX34tg_b/s1600/IMG_1794.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8nJ-LZdby3ZplwRa2pQ-aL5_1nVDSApN7CHdKHMVW1EfFjZvA8RwbQxPjOVf1yGkbG1guJ0seS3x9Q3NTBRN6a8RM2zO8xSSA35I7EcCYuqtkicFxG_GQA9D1rZTSlCmEesqEvX34tg_b/s320/IMG_1794.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I read about the 'Crying slope' on Barking Deer's website and it seemed the toughest part of the hike. It was a slow 30 minutes climb up this obstacle but we managed to do so. Along the way we could see the mountain flowers emerging by the sides of the slopes, beautiful sight which lifted our spirits.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEnyWHalt5vAJf5GP7bNcDuX8zoJpza2d_h-MvysVQt0ymtAK4ZbOmS88ocQeG-vfOmKchdtPc4xouqdv8xYZN4NZ9-iOVFd0e0AYjd0xms0g8e_nZ3IPm8BCiJSZk7KjXqZlxW6ZSd2af/s1600/IMG_1791.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEnyWHalt5vAJf5GP7bNcDuX8zoJpza2d_h-MvysVQt0ymtAK4ZbOmS88ocQeG-vfOmKchdtPc4xouqdv8xYZN4NZ9-iOVFd0e0AYjd0xms0g8e_nZ3IPm8BCiJSZk7KjXqZlxW6ZSd2af/s320/IMG_1791.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNJtE3LRU2P7kMaX6WHv2MC3v3Wlb4qGZYZygVy2wh92Hps_NLOUzCoSdq2AB5tZDF8L0zqi2h3nBw_itCwkqSZR3UG1bGtZTehK7oe19AqSwQL-gEylg_jKa4EM5ewaf3yiM9A3uuKYub/s1600/IMG_1795.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNJtE3LRU2P7kMaX6WHv2MC3v3Wlb4qGZYZygVy2wh92Hps_NLOUzCoSdq2AB5tZDF8L0zqi2h3nBw_itCwkqSZR3UG1bGtZTehK7oe19AqSwQL-gEylg_jKa4EM5ewaf3yiM9A3uuKYub/s320/IMG_1795.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Further up, we reached the east peak of XueShan, the Audrey and Kang Loong were tired out and didn't want to take another slope up. I didn't want to miss the chance and managed to take a few snap shot of my mini victory @ 3201km :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRkBt4KcaAnM4MfLKzbSk9fNl4aYlUJJPn-vrxMdC5BsW3iXUl4_vPHODuEb6g2NnP-8uXPxmyvKrbUewy2tiWruVC3nn6eLXQWLtg3MK-DxpvwLYVNFG_GIcAfHeTkkKPTJmWHMTVY1bG/s1600/IMG_1804.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRkBt4KcaAnM4MfLKzbSk9fNl4aYlUJJPn-vrxMdC5BsW3iXUl4_vPHODuEb6g2NnP-8uXPxmyvKrbUewy2tiWruVC3nn6eLXQWLtg3MK-DxpvwLYVNFG_GIcAfHeTkkKPTJmWHMTVY1bG/s320/IMG_1804.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Not long after, we reached our second checkpoint 369 hut, it is smaller in size compared to Chika hut.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKPZKDPJk2Asc7E82KivIMEbZLuU6t8EjLBrG6qxiWrb91ZUSCVmhEtCNrn-nQORH6xqzWAiIebu86mCgXtC73wDNJienNu7K08GIDlRWYg1HQplhESo6V0f14V8s9ZGbrfjoQNAqvBlwD/s1600/IMG_1816.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKPZKDPJk2Asc7E82KivIMEbZLuU6t8EjLBrG6qxiWrb91ZUSCVmhEtCNrn-nQORH6xqzWAiIebu86mCgXtC73wDNJienNu7K08GIDlRWYg1HQplhESo6V0f14V8s9ZGbrfjoQNAqvBlwD/s320/IMG_1816.JPG" width="238" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We made a blasphemous mistake right from the start. Our items were not waterproofed on the inside and many of our belongings were wet from the unrelenting rain! My sleeping bag was soaked entirely and there was no way for it to dry before nightfall, it didn't hit me as a problem until the other hikers warned me about the low temperatures at night. Suddenly it hit me that I could really die in my sleep..</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Even in the day I was freezing to my toes as my clothes were all wet and the poncho didn't help too. It was then the second miracle appeared! Kang Loong out of no where handed me a fresh sleeping bag (with down!) for myself and him! Apparently he managed to get one with the help of one of the local hikers and the ranger who had spares in the store. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our itinerary the next morning, very early morning, was not quite what we expected. All of us were tired and the rain yesterday blew away our expectations of a summer hike. The night before, we decided that if it rains the next morning, we'll sleep in and abandon our trip to go back to the trail head.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We woke up at 0200hrs and were elated to see the skies filled with stars, complete clear of rain clouds! After breakfast we set off with a group of seasoned hikers and photographers at 0330 hrs. We camped by a ridge line overlooking a set of mountains to await the sunrise.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOC73LrwjaFPX5e0OctTuN06JrsSy6bBvHKRVSGKvVSrwETCGT4l89q9hoUTae9lqFwZJhL9_J2quyIDzQNTKTf9A9CZvBeOyQWTi6mHHk-_M99ayOtWWG6KT-enbxs_pfHVKG4G1j75rD/s1600/IMG_1821.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOC73LrwjaFPX5e0OctTuN06JrsSy6bBvHKRVSGKvVSrwETCGT4l89q9hoUTae9lqFwZJhL9_J2quyIDzQNTKTf9A9CZvBeOyQWTi6mHHk-_M99ayOtWWG6KT-enbxs_pfHVKG4G1j75rD/s320/IMG_1821.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjolZVDuPiziMMAvdhzfEHooRD3b4I6XostxSSf6do8K2-RTWYnAujW_2cSdTBEAStoobDHaxcxZkkVW7grfEPdsNBgfGf4E_Gz__HnwbeO1ultVZWnUMm-VEmCHtej4xqsVVuLyD1qvsaM/s1600/IMG_1822.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjolZVDuPiziMMAvdhzfEHooRD3b4I6XostxSSf6do8K2-RTWYnAujW_2cSdTBEAStoobDHaxcxZkkVW7grfEPdsNBgfGf4E_Gz__HnwbeO1ultVZWnUMm-VEmCHtej4xqsVVuLyD1qvsaM/s320/IMG_1822.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The wait was worth it and the first break of light was at 0430, could see streams of clouds pouring out between crevices of mountains and we were standing right above them.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We set off next into the Black Forest, which was around an hour hike through a rocky, forested terrain.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmXD7mop2PqoxF4yJuzvmLtaRIjd2NcY14SCte9RZWlMKX3iVJMMuFs5SyhhzA1raBJLd2i3lU3mAV68-GUNux1cq4_qm-nayDgptLXgbXsaw6KCxQ7EwwkKjsA5QNSshJ7jML6KEanR9A/s1600/IMG_1825.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmXD7mop2PqoxF4yJuzvmLtaRIjd2NcY14SCte9RZWlMKX3iVJMMuFs5SyhhzA1raBJLd2i3lU3mAV68-GUNux1cq4_qm-nayDgptLXgbXsaw6KCxQ7EwwkKjsA5QNSshJ7jML6KEanR9A/s320/IMG_1825.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNkCK4dKpErPnuSKD1pYNSN5JMXMiMtdPfsEz8HEFD-HqdXL_AafOQk37JDY0MW-41dx-KI69s6lv5wJxdaPYmTQJfA0edV63M4HOYdOPPrcmG4KOsfRM9qWyl880GcNhi6Ptei5BbUPAS/s1600/IMG_1827.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNkCK4dKpErPnuSKD1pYNSN5JMXMiMtdPfsEz8HEFD-HqdXL_AafOQk37JDY0MW-41dx-KI69s6lv5wJxdaPYmTQJfA0edV63M4HOYdOPPrcmG4KOsfRM9qWyl880GcNhi6Ptei5BbUPAS/s320/IMG_1827.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The sun rays emitting through the forest illuminated the whole forest and was a beautiful sight, lifted everyone's spirit too. We knew we were one step closer to the peak :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What beheld us after the black forest was breathtaking, the terrain opened up immediately to a valley of flowers and bright clear skies. The weather was on our side, but not for long.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The locals mentioned that this cherry blossom only grows from April to May and only above altitudes of 3800 metres, this year also happens to the most abundant in 7 years. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The distance markers by the side of the trails gave us more confidence as we pushed on, the increasing numbers were a motivation and strengthened our spirits. A few more steps and finally...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">To celebrate our achievement, I ignited a bunch of fireworks bought from Taipei :)) Took our pictures and scurried down to catch our rental car to Taichung, the descent is another interesting story which I'll share next time.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This trip will be one which all of us will remember for a very long time. It has also bonded me with my friends, changed my perception about holidays and sparked my passion into hiking! I look forward to conquering the next peak probably Mt Kinabalu, Mt Bromo, or even Everest Base camp!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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