Stuif's Adventures

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Congkak
Hutan Lipur Sg Congkak is a recreational forest in the Ulu Langat region. I have been birding here several times with the Gang of Four.


From the entrance of the park a tar road follows the Congkak river for about 2km.There are several campsites, chalets, the place is popular during weekends.
Where the road ends a clear trail continues and there are also several side trails to the left.The topo map shows even more trails


Could there be a waterfall somewhere around?


A first recce takes place on 30-11-2007 with Chee Weng, Patrick, Ash and Nathan & friends. We follow the main trail (red color on topo map). It is a nice walk beside the river, here and there some cascades, but no waterfall. We pass some Orang Asli huts, the trail goes on and on, we have no time to follow it to the end, it may lead to a durian plantation.


A discussion with friends (Khong, Tashi) and an Internet search suggests that there may be a waterfall on the slopes of Bukit Cenuang. This 820 m high hill is not often visited, but from the top you have a view of KL, far away, and the Klang and Pangsun reservoirs.


During a morning walk at Bukit Kiara, I meet Teck Chai, a friend of Chee Weng and an experienced jungle trekker. He is eager to join a next trip and on 21-11 we go again to Congkak. From the topo map I have a hunch where the trail head should be, and at first it looks promising (on the topo map it is the lower light-blue trail going up the ridge to Cenuang). But after a while the trail peters out. We try another one, with the same result and at the end of the day we have to give up.

But not for long. We gather more information and try again on New Year's Day(!). This time we finally manage to find the trail head. It does not start from the tar road, but from a parking lot! Actually the first part of the trail is the mountain biker trail to Ulu Klang. If I had known that earlier...:-)!

This first part is easy and indeed, after one hour trekking we can see a waterfall deep down to the left. We decide to climb the mountain first. This second part is steep and strenuous, with lots of fallen bamboo. Actually I am getting too old for this kind of exercise! But we make it. Unfortunately it is quite hazy, so the view is limited. And my camera breaks down, so the pictures are courtesy of TC.
There is another trail from the top leading down, and it looks like it may connect to one of the trails we have attempted earlier. We decide to try our luck and descend this way. It is a shorter route, and indeed, we come out at that trail. But it is so vague that using it for climbing up would have been almost impossible.

Anyway, we have reached our goal, finally. But, by choosing the other trail to go down, we had no chance to have a closer look at the fall. So I have to come back another time!

Topo map of Congkak
 

Start of the first recce
1 comment

Getting wet feet?
 

Or not...
 

Wet feet no problem..:-)
 

Here we turned around
 

Ginger flower
 

Orang Asli hut
 

Lunch time
 

Time to relax
 

Nice countryside
 

Bunga Raya
 

Failed attempt to Bukit Cenuang
 

TC ready to go
 

A big crowd!
 

The Congkak river
 

Finally! The real trail head.
 

Markers left by earlier visitors
 

On our way
 

A parang is useful
 

On all fours
 

Almost there
 

The top of Bk. Cenuang
 

View of the Quartz Ridge and KL
2 comments

Pangsun Reservoir
 

Sliding down!
 

Mission accomplished
 

wrote on Jan 7, 2008:
The trail head looks like one on the second or outer car park?

Kwai Loh wrote on Jan 8, 2008:
Correct!

wrote on Jan 8, 2008:
Nice view!!! I went there before but didn't go to climb the mountain.

Kwai Loh wrote on Jan 8, 2008:
Unfortunately it was quite hazy. On a clear day, the view should be spectacular.

wrote on Jan 8, 2008:
The second picture I see our friend in his signature pose. Reminds me of my Khoo, who has similair habit.

wrote on Oct 6, 2010:
Where did u get the topo map sir? Do u think amatuer hikers can do it?

Kwai Loh wrote on Oct 13, 2010:
You can buy the topo maps at JUPEM (Main office in KL, Jln Semarak). The trail was clear, you should be able to do it. Good luck

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