Bukit Tabur West - Taman Melawati
I went to Tabur West last semester right after my final paper with Kak Rara, Kak As and some of her friends. I was very excited since I'd never been to Tabur before. Bukit Tabur is part of the Klang Gates Quartz Ridge located within the area of Taman Melawati. It can be seen clearly from MRR2, UIA and areas nearby. If you are not frequent hiker (like me), you may not know that there is hidden gem in city of KL which is real good for climbing and hiking.
The trail(s)
Bukit Tabur has 4 main trails - East, West, Far East and Extreme. Most of non-frequent hiker (like me) usually will hike for the west trail as it offers better scenery and less challenging trail (meh?) compared to east. If you go to West during weekend, it is much crowded. East trail is slightly shorter (275 meters) than West (446 meters). Far East and Extreme? You will not want to go there unless with experienced guide. Kak Rara went to Extreme once and according to her, it is indeed extreme because the trail is pretty new and no familiar marks/direction left by previous previous visitor/hikers, unlike the west and east. FYI, western and eastern side of Tabur is separated by the Klang Gate dam.
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| 446 meters |
Tabur (specifically West side) consists of several peaks and troughs. The area is covered by predominantly big, layered rocks and jagged surfaces. It is advisable to wear gloves to avoid scratching your hands on the surfaces. There are steep cliffs and trails that require you to hold on to the ropes. Really tested your rock climbing skills. I still can remember there was one descent part of the climb where I couldn't found any surface to grab on and I was really panicked that time. Luckily, one Chinese uncle grabbed my hand so that I could hold on to the rock and land my feet on the ground. Haha drama.
The first 30 minutes of the climb is pretty easy (yakah easy?) even from the start lagi sebenarnya pun sudah mencanak. Wait until you reach the endless and never-ending rock peaks and rope part. Phewww. Most of the time, the treks are quite tricky. Not much clear indications (signage?) are provided.
The descent trail is not as challenging as the ascent part. While descending, you have to follow the local orchards until you got to the starting point. However, you gotta be careful lah lagi-lagi if it's rainy season 'cause the trek is tanah merah - wet and very slippery. Alternately, if you don't want to follow the orchard trail, you can opt following the stone-y & rocky trail, vertical climb downwards, the trail you were following before - nah don't even bother lah. Sanggup?
Susah kah Tabur West?
Honestly, bagi aku agak susah, mencabar dan bahaya. First 15 minutes sahaja the hiking part, the rest is rock climbing and combination of both. So, you know what to expect. ;)
Direction
Frankly, I couldn't remember the exact direction to get there since this is my very first time to Tabur. And I was kind of blur that time 'cause we got there like...before subuh? Hehe sorry my poor memory. Fret not, if you familiar with MRR2, Taman Melawati, SK Taman Melawati, National Zoo, Klang Gate Dam - you almost there. He he.
Duration
It took around 3 hrs including stop untuk minum air, rehat, ambik gambar. No need to rush lah just enjoy the views. Unless if you wanna broke your personal record, bolehlah. hehe..
The view(s)
The views are indeed very mesmerizing and beautiful. You can see the UIA Gombak campus, Klang gate and KL city from Western Tabur. However, the city view is depends on the haze level, cloud thickness and the weather that day.
Right before the descent, there is area covered with moss. The scenery is very green and carpet-like and you will be feeling like in The Shire. Choii...
Safety
Always safety first. Regardless the trails, I pretty sure that you all know that Tabur is actually familiar with few tragedies happened here before. Recently on 2013/2014, tragic fatal accidents had happened. So...safety measures and cautions should be practiced at ALL TIMES.
Idk about others, but me personally will not opt for before sunrise hike. Broga may be okay. But, Tabur? So far, No.
Ambik gambar, ambik gambar jugak. Tapi kalau semata bergadai nyawa untuk gambar lawa and for #hikerskental later on Instagram, buat apa? Huhu.
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| 1st 15 min trek |
Never come alone. Tabur may seem tame for some hikers. But there are some steep cliffs and tricky part where you need teamwork. So...always bring your friends along and experienced guide.
As I mentioned before, the place is much crowded during weekend. So, kalau mau rasa secure, selamat dan tidak loner, then come during weekend. Lagipun kalau datang during ramai orang, boleh cerita-cerita lah. Kak Rara and I once met a hiker from Mainland of China and one Chinese from Tawau. Maka, be-reunion lah si Kak Rara dengan brader chinese tu.
As I mentioned before, the place is much crowded during weekend. So, kalau mau rasa secure, selamat dan tidak loner, then come during weekend. Lagipun kalau datang during ramai orang, boleh cerita-cerita lah. Kak Rara and I once met a hiker from Mainland of China and one Chinese from Tawau. Maka, be-reunion lah si Kak Rara dengan brader chinese tu.
To-bring/wear
- enough water
- light snacks
- gloves
- long pants ? (personal taste)
- towel
- medication/mosquito repellent
- torchlight ?
- shoes with good grip
- camera/GoPro (?)
Alhamdulillah...
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