Our intention to conquer Ulu Sempam, Fraser’s Hill almost unravelled even before we got to the trailhead. The bigger disaster would have been missing out on the chance to touch a little bit of Spencer Chapman’s historical, mountainous traverses in the region. Sungai Sempam was one of Spencer Chapman's favourite hideout base camp, and the …
Continue reading Hulu Sempam via Jeriau Waterfall, Fraser’s Hill
So I learnt on my visit in December 2019. It is also the lake where 'Jesus walked on water' and the place where numerous miracles of biblical relevance, occurred. Technically this “sea” is a freshwater lake, fed by underground springs and the Jordan River. Nestled in the mountainous Galilee region in northern Israel, the shimmering …
Shrouded in mystery, Pulau Besar is an abandoned island off the Melaka coast. Legend has it that the 120-hectare island was once inhabited by the Founder of Melaka and has many historical sites. Some of the weird and wonderful sights include interesting shaped boulders (Skull Rock, Horse Head Rock and Split Rock), a cave (Gua …
First built in 312 BC, Petra was ‘lost’ for a 1000 years after an earthquake in 363 AD, only to be rediscovered again in 1812. Today, this 2000 year-old city is the most visited tourist attraction in Jordan. Blissfully ignorant of its intriguing history, Petra was already on my radar thanks to Indiana Jones, The …
Billed as “no ordinary walk in the park”, participants were forewarned of the many challenges such as limited forest cover, soaring heat, barren terrain with lots of rocks, boulders, steep cliffs and sandy beach. The circumnavigation of Cape Rachado, Port Dickson is only possible at low tide, and has a cut-off time of 5 hours …
Visited November 2019Impossible to SINK At 10 times saltier than most oceans, the Dead Sea is one of the rare places where it is impossible to sink. Floating on the other hand comes naturally. I made this interesting discovery as I tried to sit down in 18 inches of water. No matter how hard I …
While KL city was besieged by a Thor-like thunderstorm with lightning flashes streaking across the sky, seemingly with every throw of the God of Thunder’s hammer, just 22km out of the city at the Desa Melawati runsite, it was clear skies with nary a drop of rain. Being a less frequented site, the hares set …
Like many others before me, the Seven Wonders has been on my ultimate bucket list like... forever. On December 8, I struck gold with the Pyramids of Giza, which is the sole surviving wonder from the ancient world that is still standing today and was granted honorary status on the Seven New Wonders of the …
It’s a round trip. Getting to the summit is optional, getting down is mandatory… Anonymous Route Down 22 - 26 September The trip down took just 4 days. After Kalapattar, from Gorakshep I just wanted to go down to thicker air, setting my sights on Pheriche at 4240m. Thirty minutes into the 2-hour walk to …
It’s always further than it looks. It’s always taller than it looks. And it’s always harder than it looks The 3 rules of mountaineering The highs and lows DAY 8 - 21 September 2014 I woke up unrested. Today, I make the final push to Everest Base Camp (EBC). ‘Would I make it?’ passed through …
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