Walking up Sri Bintang proved to be one the shorter hikes I have been on, covering a distance of just 3.3km in just under 90 minutes. Nonetheless, it was a good workout with 3 ‘peaks’ of 150m woven into the route.

The trail is referred to as Sri Bintang by nearby residents as the trail head starts at Taman Sri Bintang, Kepong.  Located behind Desa Park City, the trail actually features two little hills next to each other, both marked by pylons at the summit.

A short distance into the trail, the climb started immediately.  At the fork, we chose the uneven steps on the right, and kept to the right each time the path split.

Skirting the fringe of the hillside, we could see glimpses of landed terrace houses below on our right.

We walk-climbed on hard packed earth that wound its way up and down.  As the tree line thinned out, we emerged onto a grassy area and a quick time check told me that we had covered 1km in 20 minutes.

Out in the open, we walked through knee-high grass, and could see all the way to the next hill where a high tension pylon beckoned. We followed a perimeter fence fortified by razor wire that climbed steeply up, breathing hard for about five minutes.

At the top, a 270-degree view opened up, with Desa Park City on one side, and the hill we came from behind us. This is the only lookout point that offers such a wide angle of unblocked views.

We drank in the sights, and by consensus opted for a steep descent down the ‘rope slope’. Comforted by the assurance that a rope will be available where it was needed most, I descended slowly, making sure to land with my entire foot flat with each step. When I got to the rope, which was (of course) at the trickiest part, it made the going down much easier. 

Five minutes later, we were down. At the base, the undergrowth was so thick, whatever semblance of a path had long since disappeared. We beat a new path left, heading back up into the hill.

This climb proved to be challenging, with no clear trail in sight. Despite taking the path of least resistance, I found myself clamouring over tree stumps, taking large strides, grabbing trunks, roots and vines as hand holds to pull myself up. At the same time, I was careful to avoid touching vegetation with thorns that could leave vicious cuts.

My lungs were in overdrive as I crested the hill, exhausted but most satisfied. We had expended a lot of energy to cover very little ground, just for the thrill of it. In terms of horizontal distance, it was a mere 20 metres from where we were 20 minutes ago.

The next part of the trail took us parallel to the highway, walking along one of many cascading drains down the valley, just so that we can climb up again on the other side.

After about 1km, we emerged onto a barren flat area that reminded me of the wastelands in a Star Wars movie. From this open top, we could see Segambut Dalam to the east, with Mont’Kiara beyond it.

We crossed the brownish yellow coloured wasteland, which was marked by the deep scarring of narrow ruts merging into the packed red earth, before turning left into the green hills once more.

Under the cover of trees again, we cut left and discovered a gym at the top, complete with exercise bench, dumbbells, barbells and weights.

It was like stepping into a DIY gym when I saw weightlifting equipment fashioned out of a Y-bar with tin-shaped concrete blocks at the ends. There was also a strength training machine strung together with a bicycle handle bar and chain.

After a quick session of resistance and strength training exercises, we bid a reluctant farewell to this no-frills outdoor hilltop gym which was absolutely free (no joining fee or monthly subscription) and also naturally ventilated.

Deciding to take the most direct route for the return trip, a short five-minute downhill walk brought us back to the fork that was our starting point 90 minutes earlier. I followed the sound of trickling water to a small stream with clear water before retracing our steps to where we parked our cars.

The Sri Bintang trail is well marked, with sufficient in-trails and short cuts to offer varied hikes in terms of distance and duration. The chances of getting lost are minimal as it is a relatively small area with a maximum hike elevation of about 155m.

Sri Bintang is definitely recommended if you are on a tight schedule. For a strenuous workout, hike from peak to peak repeatedly. Taking a criss-cross route will give you a moderate workout with respectable hike mileage.

Getting There
Sri Bintang Hill Trail