Finally. The main summit of Mount Irau

Continuing from Pressing on to higher grounds....

 

At 3.10 pm we reached another check point called Bonsai 2.

We were told by returning climbers it is only 30 minutes more to reach the summit.

As we meet more people on their way back my friend began to have second thoughts. We have already go way past our budgeted time of 3 hours from the start or trail's entry point and yet the main summit was still not in view. 

He was thinking of turning back especially since our other friend who suffered from diabetes had already turned back. I convinced him to press on. As he is actually 5 years younger and much fitter I told him to go in front and get on with his much faster pace.

Thank God he soon arrived at the summit. The less fit me followed suit at 3.35...

All in all it took us 4 hours and 35 minutes to reach the peak, 50 per cent more than our budgeted time of 3 hours.

The stone of top marking the border between the states of Perak and Pahang...

Pleased at this achievement despite it being unplanned me being unfit and us being unequipped I proceeded to wear a piece of sampin (cloth wrapped at the waist) along with 3 pieces of traditional Malay weaponry for a pix. For the record the headgear known as tanjak was worn all the way for the climb and back. 

Pressing on to higher grounds...

Continuing from Stopping at Anak Irau, 'son' of the main mountain.

After spending about 5 minutes at the lower summit that is Anak Irau we continued the journey by going down that summit.

At certain places along the trail we could see higher peaks and ground calling us to press on...

At 2.25 we found the tracks leading up again.

All in all the tracks felt like going more and more difficult as we pushed ourselves to go on...

At 2.35 we arrived at a check point known as CP Slide. This is perhaps due to the fact that one can slip and slide down fast steep mountain slopes at both sides...

Next check point Bonzai 1 arrived at 2.41.

At 2.48 we came across a signboard saying there's still 350 metres to go before reaching the true summit of Mount Irau...

That distance is short on even ground. Going up a mountain with tough muddy and slippery tracks it can feel like forever just to cover half...

Stopping at Anak Irau, 'son' of the main mountain

Continuing from To the Mossy Forest and beyond.

After the end of wooden pathways of the Mossy Forest the trail leads down from Mount Brinchang on to a base where it meets the slopes of Mount Irau. After that we came across a signboard that says we have only covered 1/3 of the whole trail.

This was after an hour and a quarter or so following the trail or tracks from the entrance of the Mossy Forest. The tracks then start to go upwards indicating we have started the climb up Mount Irau

The condition of the track is challenging due to the wet season. All the way one have to negotiate carefully, at times almost tip-toeing through twisting and turning tree roots while at best trying to avoid stepping into mud which can go knee-deep. Add that to going up and down and steep parts and slopes it was quite a test.

This picture was taken at 1.20 pm, two hours and 20 minutes after starting from the entry point. If I remember correctly by then one of us had turned back to follow another group who were returning after a climb made almost 12 hours earlier. He suffers from diabetes and need insulin shots.

At 1.35 pm we have only covered 60 per cent of the whole trail. Looks like it would take more than the 3 hours we budgeted to reach the summit of Mount Irau.

Along the way we came across pockets of people on the way out after reaching the summit. For the record we were the last persons to attempt a climb that day.

We later found out that the last group to enter before us started following the trail at 9 am, two hours earlier than us. Anyway at 1.52 pm we arrived at a resting point where a number of people from different groups had stopped after returning from the summit.

The rest area itself is actually a summit, a lower one of Mount Irau.

Said to be situated at 6,666 feet above sea level it is known as Mini Irau, also as Anak (son of) Irau...

From Anak Irau we could see another peak which could be the main summit or one before it. But we were told the highest or main summit is still an hour's walk  away. For some people reaching the Anak Irau is already good enough especially when it is already late in the day...