Gunung Nuang Run

One of the places I have set my mind to run when i returned home from Australia is Gunung Nuang. Early in the morning, I filled my bottles, prepared some snacks, gulped some protein drinks into my empty stomach, and set off for Gunung Nuang.

I arrived to see the familiar sight of Nuang entrance. On  a weekday like this, i didn't expect to see any one on the trail. True enough, I was alone in this beautiful trail. At the gate, I met three uncles who were the care-takers of Nuang. They suggested that i take a new route up to the first checkpoint, saying the the view is scenic and I'd come across a waterfall along the way. The drawback though, is the the route is longer, more challenging and harder to navigate. They assured me that there are sufficient markings along the route to guide me on the right path, but due to heavy rain in recent weeks, a lot of trees or plants have fallen, substantially obliterating the route. I thought this is a good chance to try something different, given that i had already done the old route multiple times. The only thing I had to take note of was to get out of Nuang by 12pm, because I had promised my gf to have lunch at 1pm.

Gunung Nuang entrance

Three uncles that i met before the run (note: the middle one with afro hairstyle)

The new route veered off to the right from the old route at about 300m from the start. I was running as carefully as possible so i won't miss any marking. Finding the correct route was not easy, especially with fallen branches and bamboos everywhere. I relied very much on my instinct (which isn't reliable anyway), and the final words that the caretaker told me before i set off  ('Go follow the river all the way till you see a path on the left side going up') to navigate my way. On a few occasions, i had to crawl or wiggle my way through the mess, which reminds me of some action movies where the good guys have to negotiate slowly and skilfully through red lasered lines to get to the golds.

The correct route is actually on the right side

Fallen bamboos everywhere

How to cross this obstacle?

Spotting the marking tape in a thick forest like Nuang can sometimes be difficult. I discovered that when the path is straightforward, there would be markings in longer intervals (coz the risk of getting lost is low). If the path is windy or obscure, there would be markings in much shorter intervals. Should you ever get lost in a less straighforward path, always retreat to the last marking that you saw. Stand next to the marking tape and spot the next one from there. You are likely to find the direction to the next stop.  I think this is the way the marking tapes are placed - they are designed to help the hiker find the route from the previous one. After about an hour plus of hiking and multiple river crossing, I finally reached the waterfall which the caretakers told me about. On normal occasion, I would have plunged into the pool and enjoyed the dip for a while. But i decided to give it a miss this time, coz i could not afford to lose time, since i did not know how long more i had to go and i had to get out of Nuang by 12pm.

The river

River crossing

The waterfall

A marking tape

 The rest of hike was smooth and unremarkable. I was running most of the way till i exited the mountain. I spent a total of 2hr22mins in the mountain. Hiking alone in the moutain, I realised, can be a scary experience. When you are out there facing the elements by yourself, there are no phones, no aids, no extra food, no people who can respond to you. There are times when you need to make a decision with regards to which route to take, whether to carry on or turn back etc. A slip, a sprain in the ankle, a wrong turn or a snake bite can easily ruin the entire journey. You need to have faith. Life is sometimes like that. Many times God left just enough markings in my life to make me see His guidance,  I must have the eyes of faith and courage to follow His guidance.

Before i left Nuang, i made sure i spent some time washing up and dipping in the nearby river. As i slowly washed away the dirt and blood from my legs, taking my time to be as thorough as possible, there was a momentary peace and joy which welled up in my heart. I became quietly introspective as i watched the river flowing along my feet. I long for my sins to be washed away daily by the showers of Grace from God. Like how the dirt and scales slowly but eventually fell off my feet, so are our sins, blemishes, and infirmities cleansed by the blood of Christ. I felt refreshed after the time spent in the river.

Post run

Leech bite

Nature's bath

Butterfly likes sweat!