Penang Hills and Trails - Tua Pek Kong Rules OK?
 Bukit Batu Ferringhi Challenge

IMPORTANT

By December 2023, the route from the Bayview Beach Hotel towards the Batu Ferringhi Reservoir past the 'Chin Farm' had been aggressively blocked by razor wire in the area where there is a gate by the water tank. There are also numerous signs stating "NO TRESPASSING - NOT A PUBLIC HIKING TRAIL"

This will mean that there is no longer any access to / from any of these well known paths:

1. That to the Rimba at Teluk Bahang
2. That to RG 17, 18 and 19  (and on to Bukit Batu Ferringhi / Western Hill area)
3. That to RG 20 (and on to Western Hill area)

I do not know about current access through the main gate to the aqueduct above the former Holiday Inn.

In March 2017, I visited Bukit Batu Ferringhi (580m asl) three times, I have written at length about the experience (east to west and west to east). if you are not familiar with them, it might be a good idea to flick through them before reading what follows. I consider these BBF walks to be the toughest available on the island because there are no formal paths except for the connecting 'rain gauge trails' and it is very easy to lose your way, to the extent that I would not attempt the west to east route again, it being challenging in the extreme to follow the optimal ridge downwards from the summit.

In February 2018, I took Yuehong on the east to west circuit, it was both a triumph and a disaster. She completed a hike I would have never have attempted with her a year earlier but at a terrible cost to her arthritic right knee. Since then she has got fitter and fitter and as we have completed ever more challenging walks, her knee has given her no problems at all. Like my own left knee, she now has the muscles to compensate for the weakness. We also took along friend Nathan enjoying a week of the marital freedom which allowed us to have cars at both ends of the hike.

At home, both in the UK and Penang, Tua Pek Kong continues to 'watch over us' and, in return, we keep him supplied with his favourite oranges which nevertheless get eaten and replaced before their 'best by' dates. Today we would need all the help he could give us because last time we spent 6 hours 'off piste' following a route which at best merely followed a ridge and was rarely followed by humans and ended up in the dark with the rain coming down.

Once again, the starting point was the PBA pump house in Jalan Lemba Permai, Tanjung Bunga. Again, we knew it would be a long, long day so we started around sunrise at 07.45, not surprisingly in Penang, there was no security presence at this early hour, so again there were no lies to be told about our destination. Abdul was parked opposite the Bayview Beach Hotel and Mavis would be awaiting our return. That's our initial destination behind. Nathan led us up the steps which lead to the Sungai Kelian valley, the path along which is reported blocked by a landslide.

We didn't get that far, we would follow the gully / path to the right. We were soon halted by the first of several recent blockages, as evidenced by the leaves still being green.

It wasn't a great start but we were soon into what I would call a 'normal' clear area and in just 45 minutes we were at the pipeline with the pile of spare pipes, I always seem to end up here.

Still the obstructions came thick and fast and generally as they spread across the whole ridge, it was hard going. This was the first time I have seen hash paper above the pipeline but it soon disappeared, certainly they hadn't gone to the summit of BBF.

This was another place where we had to force our way through, Yuehong is throwing her sticks over before another bout of clambering. It was relentlessly hard work.

It was a luxury to see more than 20 metres ahead even it just meant a fallen tree had done the clearance. However, at times we could follow the traditional faint trail and make faster progress.

Last time around this boulder was almost 3 hours into the hike, today despite the extra obstructions it was just 2 hours, a real measure of Yuehong's development. Immediately after we skirted the fern patch as before.

If we thought that the worst was over, we were sadly wrong. After Yuehong ducked under the first tree, this was the sight ahead of us, a real 'steeplechase' of young trees. There was nothing to do but edge along one of the thicker trunks and then wade up through the adjacent ferns.

Finally the ridge eased and it was time for some water. Despite that last obstruction, at 3 hours, we were still an hour ahead of our 2018 schedule as we came to the giant fern patch which is the summit of BBF.

"Don't question me" I said as I marched us straight into it. "You want us to fly over that?" said Yuehong, but it wasn't necessary because an annual trample is just about enough to keep what passes for a route open. "Sharpish left" I said as we emerged, this was my landmark (2018 picture on a grey day).

And this is how it looked this year. From here we went right and followed the ridge down to a flat area before a barely noticeable climb. This was my next landmark, a distinctive tree on the left as the route levels out again.

It didn't look too different this time around. Again, I must repeat the warning that failing to turn left here and instead following the faint trail on downwards might be the worst mistake possible in these hills, on a parallel with the Christmas Day 2018 incident near rain gauge 7 (RG 7). Here the unfortunate hiker had a night on a not so bare mountain, elsewhere the Bomba were called out to rescue the unfortunates. Counterintuitive it might be but soon a tapering ridge appears in front with ferns to the left and this open patch, beyond which lies the ridge all the way to rain gauge 18 (RG 18), a route where getting lost really would be a challenge.

Of course, nothing is simple here, there are trees to cross and this pinch point between the boulder and the tree guarding a steep fall. 

Where the ferns are to the right, the ridge is wide enough not to worry, the point where they move to the left is another matter, there's another big drop on the other side.

Ahead is a very minor summit which can be skirted to the right and when we came to the open area, I knew we were close to our immediate destination. This patch of ferns is one that is actually a very welcome sight.

It's barely 20 metres wide and beyond is rain gauge 18 (RG 18), it had taken less than 1½ hours from the summit of BBF and Yuehong was as 'bright as the proverbial berry'. Previously it had taken 2¼ hours and Yuehong had been tired and her knee was more than a little sore. I went to my bag and extracted some refreshment for Nathan and myself and this time even Yuehong took a sip. We took a 20 minute break to allow some respite for the knees as we were still a long way from home even if we were now running no less than two hours ahead of a year ago.

We sent Nathan on ahead, so we could take our time, after all there are two minor summits on this section. Down we went into the first dip and, reassuringly, the sticks were being rested.

Then we found Nathan sitting on a log, he had come to a junction and needed instructions. Now this wasn't here a year ago and regular readers will no doubt recognise the style (if you don't you can read about it here). If complete, this would probably be a revival of a trail shown on an old OS map which ends up at one of the minor dams on the top section of the Fettes Aqueduct. As you can see, Yuehong was all for checking it out immediately but there was no chance of that happening. We had a guest along and my house rules would not allow it, we were some 550 metres above the aqueduct and the initial descent, although it would follow a side ridge, would be steeper than today's descent from Bukit Cempedak. Yuehong's body language as we went down the path made it clear what she thought of that. Never mind, we'll soon be back here and we'll be fresher than we were this time.

This is a minor dip and soon we were on a fairly level section..

There were a few minutes to draw breath and enjoy the jungle sounds before we went down a long steady descent. Last time, it had been agony for Yuehong but today it was just something to take carefully.

At the bottom, it was time to bring the sticks back into action and to engage low gear.

I held back to get a picture that emphasised the steepness of the climb and such was Yuehong's speed that I only just caught her up as she cleared the ferns which surround rain gauge 17 (RG 17) at the top of Bukit Cempedak. By now we were no less than 3 hours ahead of our previous identical hike and the lady was very happy, naturally so was I.

After another 20 minute break, we headed on for the final rain forest section. Just below the rain gauge is an alternative descent on the right which was effectively cleared by the FTAC some time ago. I followed it quite successfully a couple of years ago but don't know its current state.

Nathan was again sent ahead, I held back to let Yuehong go at her own pace but she must have been a little overconfident as the slippery leaves on a slightly steeper part landed her on her bottom. Only pride was dented and she was quickly up again.

However, for the only time on this hike, I did catch her engaging reverse gear but overall it was as if the slope had been mysteriously eased since her last time here.

The sticks went up and down according to conditions and I got the distinct impression that she was actually enjoying herself knowing we were almost finished.

Through the trees, we could see the aqueduct and we skipped down the final steps. There was no more Tiger and no water left in the bottles but the local supply was unlikely to poison us. We were 7 hours into the hike, 3½ hours ahead of before.

I confess my knees did not enjoy the stroll back to the Bayview Beach Hotel where Nathan had left 'Abdul'. Last time we had left there on a bus in the dark as the rain teemed down. This time, of course, we collected Mavis, went back to the flat for a shower and then were back from dinner before dark.

Nathan would be the first to agree that this is as tough as it comes in Penang. As I complete this he will have arrived back home in the UK to the coldest night of the year so far with, I hope, some fond memories of three very special hikes, the like of which he will never have experienced in his many years of visiting Penang.

As for ourselves, three days later we were back up Bukit Cempedak to investigate that intriguing new trail.