Lata Charok Waterfall : 18-19 May 2013

Last Saturday morning, I met up and join 9 other Cyber Trekker buddies at KPTMKL Cheras at 0730hrs .. as promised.

From left, Amir and wife, yours truly, Syafiq, Hj Yahya, Faiz, Muhammad, Akmal and Amy. Not in picture are Safwan, Hanafizah with wife and son. After re-packing and distributing our rations into 3 cars we convoy towards Genting Sempah for a simple breakfast ..  

I ordered a half plate of fried rice with bulls eye ..

Upon exiting Genting Sempah we turned left and drove up towards ILMU till Kampung Cheringin, Janda Baik ..

At this junction, you turn right ..

Drive up till you see this bungalow .. then turn left immediately (after the bungalow)

Just drive thru along the narrow gravel road beside the bungalow house .. You will see several fish ponds (Patin, Talapia, Lampam Jawa) on your left till you reach the dead end with a small make shift hut surrounded by several chalets .. You can park your car here .. The parking area is not very big but enough to accommodate 10 cars if parked appropriately ..

We were greeted by Mr Jafri Jais (man in blue), the 'land owner' who hinted a 'parking fee' of RM10 per car .. He asked if we were familiar with the trek and advised us not to leave any valuables in the car .. also reminded all trekkers to bring down all garbage for disposal ..

One for the album : group photo before the hike with 10 Cyber Trekkers ..

After a short briefing by Amy the organizer .. we recite a prayer for a safe trek and start walking towards this bushes .. Our target destination is that 'small' hill in the background ..

You have to walk through damp and wet ground with thick foliage of overgrown grasses and small trees .. Watch out for leeches !

Get ready to get yourself dirty .. At some point my feet sank into this soft mud until the calf level ..

Considering this wet and muddy terrain, it's best to wear rubber shoes / sandals ..

Most people do Lata Charok on a day pack. Since this time we are camping out so our backpacks are full of food ration, cooking utensils and standard camping gears such as tents, hammocks, sleeping mats, fly sheets, ground sheets, parang and ropes / strings ..

 A 'short' 60 degrees steep climb along the fence ..

 Taking a breather .. while checking for leeches .. ;)

And there you are ! A Double Jeopardy by the ever hungry blood sucking leeches ..

Natural health treatment .. some people say don't pull it out, just let them finish sucking your 'dirty blood' until they are full and will naturally drop off from your body .. huhu ;)

Akmal the Rambo-Man .. with kuali / frying pan on his back ..

Common sights in jungles of Malaysia .. wild mushrooms growing on fallen tree trunks ..

Fallen bamboo trees criss-crossing our treks ..

At this point you can already start to hear the roaring sound of waterfall nearby .. the trail now seems relatively easier with 'flatter' terrain ..

Finally, the Lata Charok waterfall came in view .. suitable for rappelling .. It is relatively clean and unpolluted, unlike some waterfalls i have been to before. After all, we want to preserve our natural resources for future generations, insyaallah.

Alhamdulillah tabarakallah .. TQ Allah .. what a nice and wonderful place to take a break from the hustle bustle of the hectic city life ..

Twin hammocks tied between two tree trunks provides the best place to take an afternoon short nap while breathing in cool fresh unpolluted air of the forest .. ;)

Our campsite .. quite small but nice .. suitable for 15-20 people max .. We found the environment around it to be well maintained and free from rubbish. 

Backpacks were left outside the tents but properly wrapped in large garbage bags to avoid getting wet and dirty if it rains during the night .. this technique was employed so that we can have more space in the tents for humans to dwell .. :-P

The water was very cold and refreshing .. making it all worth the hike and being bitten by leeches etc .. ;)

Solat time .. Jemaah style - Allahu Akbar !

Amy .. the most versatile young lady in the group .. she's The Organizer, Lead Trekker (recce) cum Master Chef ! .. all in one package ;)

Masyaallah tabarakallah .. what a sumptuous jungle lunch .. Bariyani Rice with chicken korma and mixed acar .. prepared by Amy .. our very own Master Chef .. ;)

After lunch .. simple light reading on the rocks ..

After Asar, went for another dip in the cool water of Lata Charok ..

Preparing for dinner ..

Headlamp (alternative to candle-light) dinner .. Chicken BBQ, Black pepper Beef Steak, Black pepper Lamb Steak, hot dogs and fried rice .. Perghh !

The next morning : at around 10:00hrs there was a sudden influx of visitors to our campsite .. 3 groups from Bank Islam staff, MSU students and City College students arrived .. The quiet and serene waterfall suddenly transformed to become like Mid Valley on Sundays .. Lata Charok was jam packed !

So we decided to break camp and start packing our things .. and get ready for descend at around 11.00hrs .. The way back seemed easier and faster, perhaps because we were already accustomed to the trail .. It was also mainly downhill without all the breaks.

Upon reaching the parking area we wash off all the mud and dirt with the cool river water provided in a large water tank by the land owner at this hut ..

Loaded our things into Hilux .. Feeling a bit tired but satisfied with the enjoyable experience and adventure. The average hiking time to the waterfall was between 30-40 minutes, pending on fitness level. While trekking back to parking lot at a non-stop relax mode took me only 25 minutes. Not bad huh ?

Bye-bye Lata Charok and all the blood sucking leeches .. When the time is right, we might come back to visit you again later in the near future .. ;)

My GOUT Experience

Definition of Gout >> a painful form of arthritis, caused by inflammatory reaction to precipitation of excess or 'over production' of uric acid in the blood and tissues, which frequently accumulates at large joints of the big toe, although any joint can be affected. Occurs predominantly in men. Tends to run in families.

Patient profile ..
54 yr old male, married with 1 wife and 4 teenage kids, very active in sports since young, now not as active as before but remain physically active as weekend warrior with weekly power walks and chi kung and monthly trekking or hiking to nearby hills or mountains ..

Oct 7, 2012 - gout 1st attack
Oct 29, 2012 - gout 2nd attack
Apr 26, 2013 - gout 3rd attack

My first gout attack was on .. 7/10/12 (age 53)
Attacked abt zohor time, had morning power walk as usual.
Possible cause >> Unknown (cannot recall any special activity or food intake prior to attack)
Treatment >> Went to Klinik AlHaj, given tabs Colchicine for gout, Papain for anti inflammation and Diclofenac sodium for painkiller.

My second gout attack .. 29/10/12 (age 53)
Possible cause >> Attacked after asar, on AL after eidul adha, took abt 5-6 small slices of Raya Korban meat and liver /hati goreng with ketupat ..

Treatment >> Went to Klinik AzZahrah, got a jab of Voltaren painkiller, not a wise action but have no choice but to take it to reduce unbearable excruciating pain in the joints of my right big toe .. Given tablets Colchicine ( with side effects of diarrhea) n tabs Danzen for anti swelling, Arcoxia painkiller and tabs Allopurinol for gout ..

Took blood test for Uric Acid with readings of 500 mmol/L (normal reading is 180 - 420 mmol/L). Fully recovered after almost 2 weeks, with medications both from hospital and traditional methods (honey, black seeds oil (Habatussauda), pomegranate vinegar, apple cider vinegar) ..

Third gout attack .. 26/4/13 (age 54)
After asar, one day after day pack hiking expedition to Bukit Kutu ..
Treatment >> Went to Klinik AzZahrah, took a jab of Voltaren, a painkiller to release the excruciating pain.. Tablets colchicine and Voltaren .. Uric acid level 440 mmol/L .. Now partially recovered after one week of medication (can walk n perform solat and other normal activities with ease without pain) .. Inflammation still visible after week one ..

Possible cause >> anchovies (ikan bilis) in nasi lemak, ground beans in rempeyek .. Satey with blended ground beans as gravy ..

What i thought of gout before the first attack ?
Gout only attacks 'old people' who are fat, lazy couch potatoes .. But i was wrong ! As gout attacks almost anybody, regardless of age, race, activity level etc

What now for me ?
To AVOID or at least control intake of BEANS and any beans family like peas, soy products, anchovies, seafood and purine rich meats .. Which can cause sudden increase of uric acid level in body .. Also to consume plain water as much as possible on daily basis to promote and assist in better blood circulation and excretion of excess uric acid .. Need more activities to sweat it out ..

Bukit Kutu at 1053m ASL on 21 Apr 2013

Alhamdulillah .. last Sunday 21/4/13 i finally conquered Bukit Kutu with 7 other fellow trekkers .. Bukit Kutu (some say that its original name was Bukit Sekutu, aka Treacher's Hill) is located and accessible through Kampung Pertak, just after the Selangor Dam along the Kuala Kubu Baru-Fraser Hill trunk road .. it is a Temuan Orang Asli village with 'modern' chalet-like abodes .. ;)

Four trekker friends from KPTM KL and i met up at KPTM KL parking lot at 0630 hrs immediately after subuh prayers .. Had a simple breakfast of roti canai n telur masak separuh at a roadside stall near Taman Melawati, as suggested by Amy, our trip organizer.

After that we head off straight to Kuala Kubu Baru (KKB) through the Batu Caves - Selayang - KKB road to meet up with another friend Nizam who is waiting by the Selangor Dam rest area .. with two of his anak buah tagging along. That makes all of us 8 people altogether, convoying in two cars ..

We reached Kg Pertak around 0900hrs. Parked our car along the roadside just before the 1st hanging bridge .. After a short briefing and reciting the prayers for safety we began our hike circa 0915hrs.

From base camp (parking lot) .. you gotta cross this first bridge (check point one) .. after this you will cross another 3 small river streams like in the pics below .. We saw a couple of campers fishing along the river.

The water is very cooling to the feet .. Considering this terrain, it's best for hikers / trekkers to wear the Adidas Kampung rubber shoes .. First timers gotta be careful as you may encounter a couple of tricky Y-junctions before the real climb starts .. ;)

Sir 'Mr Gadget Man' Mart .. giving a 'peace' sign after crossing the last river stream before 'the real' climbing takes place ..

With Nizam the Sweeper .. the Last Man to ensure everybody in the group is safe and sound .. If you are lucky you can see several wild durian trees at the beginning of the trails ..

The hike was led by Amy as The Recce Lady - a G7 graduate ! Caya lah Amy ;)

As usual, the beginning trek was a bit flat / landai .. at this point everyone looks happy, excited and smiling .. Wait till the next phase .. ;)

Then the climb starts .. overall trek is quite a continuous climb but i have to say that it was shady and cooling all the way as the trails were covered by canopy of trees esp bamboo trees (as in picture below) .. Sometimes you need to climb over or go under fallen tree trunks to get across ..  Do watch out for thorns .. ;)

Yes ! Taking a short break at 'The Rocks' at CP5 (check pt 5) .. just about a little more than 1/2 way up to the summit. After this point, it is up, up and up again to the peak !

Akmal 'Mr Rambo Guy' - toying with his 7" blade .. ;)

This way up, please .. ;) Actually the trail up was quite clear and not confusing, only at the beginning part you have to be extra careful with the Y-junctions ..

VAT59 in his element ..

As the climb was quite tiresome to some of us (including the writer himself .. huhu), we took quite a number of short breaks every now and then .. After all, this is supposed to be an enjoyable and 'fun' weekend outing .. so we don't want to exert unnecessary pressures on anybody .. Climb at your own pace and speed so to speak .. ;)

Watch out for your footsteps ! .. Besides bamboo trees, some treks are covered with large tree roots .. gotta be extra careful not to slip and entangle your feet in between the roots .. if injured, nobody gonna carry you down except by your own self .. huhu ;)

Fauna of the forest .. the black ants !

Taking another 'short break' and respite while admiring the cool jungle fresh air and wonderful smell of nature provided by Allah swt .. free of charge ..

As you approach the summit (at CP9 - the last check pt) you will see this abandoned chimney standing tall by the remnants of the old colonial British bungalow ..

One for the album .. Taking picture at the abandoned bungalow or 'fort' ..

Faiz 'The Savior' enjoying his lunch at the summit .. Thanks to Nizam n wifey for the Nasi Lemak special KKB !

Group photo at summit before the descend .. semua otai2 belaka in their own special ways .. especially the one with red t-shirt sporting a shade in the middle .. mmg ganah arr .. huhu ;)

The ladder leaning on the giant boulder leading to the highest point of Bukit Kutu at 1053m ASL .. ;)

Alhamdulillah .. with Allah's grace and blessings, VAT59 does it again ! One more proof that age is not a hindrance to an active life style .. ;) Total trekking time clocked was 5.5 hrs (3.5 hrs uphill n 2 hrs downhill) .. over a total distance of about 11 km (up n down) .. on a 'relax' mode .. Not bad huh ?

The graphs above were plotted and generated by Motion-X GPS apps .. You can see how 'steep' Bukit Kutu is .. :-)

Overall i would rate Bkt Kutu in the category of a moderate difficulty level .. One thing i learnt from this trip is to NEVER under estimate a bukit .. This one maybe 'just' a bukit (hill), but its difficulty level can challenge or tougher than some mountains (gunung) that i have climbed before.

Personally, i feel that with a height of 3,456 ft ASL, Bkt Kutu can be re-classified as a Mount or Gunung Kutu .. ;)

As with all climbs, once u reached the summit, all those tiredness and aches were 'cancelled and overwritten' by excitement and joy of success and achievements to summit that no money can buy .. making it all worth it ! .. Bukit Kutu is a must-try for all trekkers, at least once in their lifetime .. hehe ;)