I had no idea what is Gunung Tok Nenek like, how tough or how easy it is when my friend Shirley told me she is organising a trip. What attracted me was the hike cum forest camping, something I have been wanting to try for the longest time! The area has 3 peaks, Gunung Tok Nenek (1916m), Gunung Bubu (1974m), and Gunung Yong Yap (2168m). We were to cover the first two.
We assembled in Marsiling at 10pm on the first night, crossing the borders and arriving in Lojing R&R at 8am next morning. From here, it’s breakfast and meeting the guides and porters, whom I really appreciate. Being wild camping trip, only meals are provided. Everything else, we need to bring everything else ourselves, including our tent, air mat, sleeping bed etc
Here’s the itinerary with estimated timing provided by the guide
3D Gunung Tok Nenek + Gunung Bubu Mountain Trekking Location : Lojing, Kelantan
Date : 18/04/2025 0702am – Friday
Altitude : 1916m / 6284ft – Tok Nenek
Altitude : 1974m / 6476ft – Gunung BuBu
EG : 2000m +/- – Gunung BuBu
Distance : 16km/way or 32km/return +-
Duration : 3Day 02Night (including Resting & Photo Shooting)
Level : 06/10
Starting & End Point : Pos Rengil
Day 1
0730 Meeting at Eco Lojing R&R & briefing.
0800 Ride a 4X4 to the starting point, Sungai Rengil, 40 minutes journey.
0840 Arrive Pos Rengil, Toilet & Briefing from Guide and start climbing Bukit Terbakar.
0900 – Arrive Pos Rengil, Toilet & Briefing from Guide and start climbing Bukit Terbakar.
1000 – Hidden Water Fall
1130 – YY & TN Junction (Y Junction) Cross Y River Camp, continue down the river & Water Point.
1330 – Arrive at Camp Lengkuas, have lunch Break
1340 – Start Hiking
1440 – Kem Kicap/ Botol (Beside River)
* – Kem Asadi
1530 – Expected to arrive at Camp Hari. (Water Point, Beside River)
2000 – Early Break
Day 2
0330 Breakfast & Pack lunch , prepare to climb. (dayhike)
0400 Short Brief and Start Trekking toward Tok Nenek Peak.
0500 Kem Belumut (LWP)
0630 Crossing the stone wall area.
0700 It is expected that all climbers will arrive at the top of Mount Tok Nenek, Milkyway + Sunrise, Breakfast & Group Photo
0800 Continue to Mount BuBu
0815 Peak Kambing
0830 Peak Kayung
1030 Mount Bubu
1130 Start descent. Joueney back to Campsite
1330 Peak Kayung
1345 Peak Kambing. Lunch.
1445 Move
1615 Expected to all arrive at camp Berlumut
1730 Kem Hari
**Dinner & rest
Day 3
0630 Wake up, breakfast & pack bag
0800 Continue descend
0900 Kem Kicap (Beside River)
0930 Arrive at Camp Lengkuas
1030 YY & TN Junction (Y Junction) Crossing Y River Camp, continue down the river & Water Point.
1200 Trailhead – End Point Kg Asli Pos Rengil Car Park, Boarded 4X4 out.
1230 Expected to all hikers arrive at the car park and transfer to Eco RNR Lojing with 4WD,
1330 Eco RNR Lojing, Clean yourself.
Activity Ended
This is what I recorded, with some lapse in between
Day 1
13.5km, EG 1400m with load. Mine is under 6kg including the food ration which was distributed to everyone. The others were carrying a much heavier load, I don’t think I can handle the load while hiking that long distance and terrain.
8am arrive at Eco Lojing R&R
Breakfast, weighing n packing
10.30am 4×4 to trailhead Pos Rengil
11am arrive trailhead
11.20am resume hike
12nn hidden waterfall
12.20pm continue hike
1.15pm first river crossing
1.20pm Kem Sungai Y, packed lunch 50min
2.10pm resume hike
4pm kem lengkuas snack
4.30 resume hike
Many many river crossings later, I lost count
6.20pm kem hari
Set tent, dinner
Day 1 a 7-hr hike, including meal breaks and photo moments. Generally gradual incline today, that isn’t too bad. We did cross many massive bamboo plantations though. The lead guide had to continuously chop off sections blocking the trail. Since the bamboo criss cross in all directions and all angles, there were alot of back breaking moments as we ducked under the shoots, then shifting left and right to avoid being hit by the jutting out poles. All these while carrying a heavy and bulky back pack for some of the us. It’s even harder for the porters, who look like walking ninja turtles with oversized backs! One of the toughest manoeuvre must be doing a leopard like crawl to avoid the bamboos overhead. To avoid the backpacks being caught, some of us lowering our bodies almost into a snake slither! Some real core body workout here!
The other highlight of today’s hike have to be the river crossings! I love them! It’s so cool, literally, to walk in the waters! I tried to count as we go along, but quickly lost it after a while. Was told there’s 19 of them! Various width, some up to waist deep, some with rather strong currents. Fortunately there were ropes across some of the rivers, and the most helpful guides and fellow hikers giving a hand. Hiking sticks were almost useless in some as the current will push the stick away before I had a chance to ground it.
There were lots of muddy paths, much more fun than Clementi Forest muddy areas for sure. At some points during the hike, it gets boring as I seemed to be just walking quite “aimlessly” and to infinity land. The trail is not difficult but extremely lengthy. I remembered looking forward to river crossings to cool off and recharge the brain! The last hour seemed the longest. It was almost 5pm, I had split from the rest of the group and was walking only with Sin Sin. The forests was turning dark and I started to worry if we can hit campsite before the sun disappeared. And I’m getting hungry too.
Finally arrived at Kem Hari, near a river. There are two sites here a short distance apart. One is right next to the river, but the ground is exremely uneven, roots, rocks and such. At that point of arrival, lots of branches and twigs everywhere. Since it’s already getting late, we decided to settle in the other side, slightly better grounds, but a short distance to the river.
Dinner was scrumptuous! We had some spicy fish and stir fried vegetables with rice. On top of that, our guide Sin Sin prepared another mushroom soup for us! That really warms us up! So yummy I had two bowls!
Day 2 – sunrise hike
13km, 1300EG, 11hr
4.30am start
Kem belumut (not sure what time, but it’s still dark)
8.40am rock wall
9am Mossy spotted
9.20am tnn summit (1.5hr) packed breakfast
10.40am start descend
1.10pm kem belumut packed lunch (40min)
1.50pm resume hike
3.10pm reach kem Hari
Day 2 didn’t start well for me. I had diarrhoea, also woke with a headache. I think it was similar when we were at Fansipan Day 2.
Also, we didn’t have breakfast today, I’m not sure why, even though I might not be able to stomach anything anyway. We collected our packed breakfast for the summit, and packed lunch for on way back to campsite.
The summit hike was up up up from the start! No pause, no breather segment. Since I was already feeling unwell in the morning, the upward climb didn’t help. My stomach got queasy, and started acting up shortly. The rest continued, while I’m caught again with the thought if I should proceed or turn back. I was right at the back with the sweeper, taking double time with every step. Thank goodness for her encouragement, “just go slowly. At least to Tok Nenek”. That reassures me, I made up my mind to tryfor the first summit and forego the second. Thank goodness I still had some bread which I got from Lavendar the day before. The chocolate bun gives me energy!
By 7am I was still trudging along, though the sky is already turning orange from afar, headlights ready to be dimmed. Catching sunrise at the summit is now out of my mind. I just want to reach it at whatever time. By 8.40am I saw the rock wall. It’s a giant, towering over the trees in the area. Shortly after, moss covered trees started coming into sight. I also caught up with some of the hikers as we continued up together.
Day 2’s hike is a very rough one, literally UP all the way. Ladders, ropes, soft mud, loose soil. Toughest after Kem Belumut. I think the guide said an hour? Or did I remember wrongly? I knew it seemed to take me forever. But the landscape did get prettier and prettier as we ascended. And then we came to an open view – I know I’m not far! The last few minutes before I finally reached the summit – I’m just so overwelmed. I remembered climbing this massive rock, while trying to take a video. In the video, I could hear my breathing, and extended seconds of no movement, before peeking over the rocks into the stunning view! It makes all the pain worthwhile! 360 degree view, standing over different rock formations. No other mountains offer this perspective!
I took 5 hours to summit Tok Nenek, stayed a good hour enjoying the moments there. The others had also decided to forego the hike to Gunung Bubu.
Descending wasn’t easy too, reversing the route we had taken in the early morning
Once descended, we headed to the river! A much needed bath and chill off! And my chance to use the self assembled soap n shampoo! Day 2 – 11 hours total hike
Once again, we had a scrumptous dinner. Tonight we had chicken, tempeh and fried vegetables. And again guide Sin Sin had something special for us – lotus root soup, cauliflower and sambal ladies fingers! And salt baked chicken! What a feast up in the mountain!
That night it rained n rained n rained. I don’t think it ever stopped raining. While I was fortunate to remain warm and dry, some of the campers had to sleep in water beds!
Day 3 – Descend
Almost 9am by the time rain subsided
Pack up, weigh again
10.15 start descend
3.40pm reach trailhead
Finally the rain stopped. I had been hungry since a while ago but didn’t want to leave the tent since it’s still raining heavily. Luckily I still had my Lavendar bread and cakes to snack on. Must bring snacks!
Breakfast is mee siam and doughnut, porridge and sweet soup. After breakfast, we break tent, weigh again and started to descend.
Knowing that I’m extremely slow and cautious in descending, I joined the first group down. Fortunately from Kem Hari to trailhead, the trail is gradual, hence I’m able to walk fast to keep pace. Descend is uneventful, except that my hiking stick went right below a bed of bamboos, lost my balance, and as a result bent. We retraced our steps, crossed the 19 rivers again, and through the numerous bamboo plantations. Such a triumphant moment when we spotted the bridge, the final stretch to trailhead!
I also spotted two bruished toe nails, must be the steep decline and impact pressing on my shoes. And lots of bite marks from sand flies and scratches from all the falls accumulated. Those will be my souvenirs from Tok Nenek!
More photos!
