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| Mindy's sweet corn is as sweet as her! |
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| The Fabulous Five |
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| View of Boh's Visitor Center in the background |
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| Boh's Tea Plantation |
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| Boh's Tea Plantation |
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| The descent to the forked road |
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| The forked road |
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Mr Lim singing the "The Hills are Alive"
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| Concrete route |
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| Spot VT at the giant boulder, 3 km from the start of Route 432 |
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| Never ending breathtaking sceneries |
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| At the Mossy Forest signboard, a right turn leads to a farm with a strange looking farmhouse |
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| Signboard on Hutan Simpan Batu Gangan. Mossy Forest is within this forest reserve with Mount Brinchang as the second highest peak in Cameron Highlands, after Gunung Irau |
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| At Mossy Forest visitor center. |
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| TM Tower is located within the vicinity of Mossy Forest |
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| One km more to go!!! |
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| The mists shrouding the road ahead |
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| This moss choked forest is rated the 5th most instagrammable forest in the world by Lonely Planet |
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| Moss are not parasites |
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| The end point |
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| Wonder Woman made it with a Brompton |
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| Thanks to the men at work, we made it to the peak |
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| Constantly covered in mists |
After last night's merriment which went on till almost 11 pm, Claudine decided a slow and easy day is most appropriate for today's Gunung Brinchang challenge. She had to molly coddle her team mates as nobody seemed very committed to her proposal despite all the hard lobbying. Everyone including VT seemed to have made up their mind to "smell the roses" of Cameron Highlands as it is truly at this mild temperate that all the beautiful roses in Malaysia comes from!
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| There are many such vintage 4WD in Pahang. Cameron Highlands hosts a majority of them |
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| . Wet market in Brinchang. Even though vegetables are grown everywhere, locals still go to the market for fresh produce |
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| The stairs leading from the car park located next to the medan selera, all the way to Jalan Pecah Batu |
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| The view from the stairs. Sam Jade Guesthouse is the building in yellow |
Thus despite waking up early, she kept to her 8 am breakfast meet up. A restless VT had gone off to Brinchang town early, returning with a few packets of nasi lemak and hot tea for the early risers. When the official breakkie time arrives, the duo had a second breakfast picking up vadae and curry puff at the Brinchang's morning market whilst the rest of the gang dined over noodles at Hong Kong Hotel and Restaurant.
Returning to our Guesthouse, Claudine was thrilled everyone had decided to have a go at The Challenge including John. He had decided very early on to visit an old uncle but sadly his good intentions came too late. Uncle had passed on, only a few months back.
We were all set to roll out at 9 am but were delayed by a whole hour! Mindy discovered a flat and needed a tube change!
In a quest to speed up the process, the 3 gentlemen of Mr Liew, Mr Lim and John got down dirty to help! The tyre change was swift but we soon despair when we noticed the directional tread patterns on the tyres were not aligned with the wheel movements!! This called for a rework and soon Mr Liew was left with the job alone as everyone tires out!!!
When the tyre was finally ready to be mounted, another whammy awaits. It could not fit into the fork properly. That was when VT finally decided to step in and voila, we were all ready to ROLL.
Riding out of our Guesthouse on Jalan Pecah Batu, everyone were all smiles enjoying the crisp morning air and sunshine. At the intersection with Route 59, we wheeled our bikes across the road and started on the one way street, UPHILL! 700 m later, we were all panting heavily outside Cameron Centrum Mall !!!
Soon we were circumventing the roundabout with the clocktower in the middle. Taking the second exit, we continued our labour on Route 59.
Passing the Farmer's Arcade, Mindy's obsession for steamed corn began and continued on until Copthorne Hotel. So while everyone were looking up at the hairpin bend ahead in despair, she was chatting away on her determination to eat.
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| View from the top of the hairpin bend |
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| Mindy and Joyce approaching the top of the bend |
Up ahead, VT and Mr.Liew were already at the top of the hill looking down at the rest of us who have yet reached the hairpin bend. By the time most of us reached the foot of the hill, the duo had long disappeared up another bend.
At Singgah Corner, we regrouped with sweat dripping down our foreheads. Everyone started disrobing. Off came our jackets and wind breakers.
While we had started at 19 C and temperatures remained somewhat unchanged, the cardio exercise was making us feel hot. John cheekily reminded everyone we are coming up the same way tomorrow and with fully loaded bikes!!!!
Passing by Kea Farm, Mindy insisted on dropping by the morning market. The traders only had raw corn for sale but pointed her to the shops across the road. She pursued and even bought everyone a stick each despite the weight and logistics. Thank goodness the gang had somehow sensed a treat for they were all waiting at Copthorne Hotel, a few hundred meters away!
After our sweet corn treat, we enjoyed a short downhill glide before another uphill challenge began on Route 432. This single carriageway on Route 432's Jalan Gunung Brinchang runs through Boh's Tea Plantation in Sungai Palas.
John was one of the first to drop out from the Gunung Brinchang challenge. Leaving him by the sheltered post to Boh's Tea Centre, we continued on Route 432, taking the left fork when a small signage on Mossy Forest's closure caught our attention.
Having confirmed with friends who had just returned from a hike in Gunung Irau 2 weeks ago, we decided to push on. After all, the signage could be outdated.
On the next left turn, we stopped a car coming down the slope, hoping to check if the forest is indeed closed. The 2 ladies were unsure on the closure as they did not venture all the way up but noted a landslide along the road. Having said that, they thought bicycles should be able to get through.
Close to the worker's quarters, the tarmac was badly lined with deep ruts, ravelling, potholes, map cracking...you name it, they have it! We had to choose which holes to roll in whilst tackling the steep gradient. In the end, it was easier just to push our bikes on foot!
Rolling down the slope in the opposite direction, a few 4WD carrying tourists were on their last descents. The first truck driver that stopped , informed us Mossy Forest is off limits. When Claudine pursued, he insisted only tourists have access! Thankfully, the second truck driver only cautioned us over the distance but gave us the thumbs up as encouragement.
At this juncture, Mr Liew decided to drop off from the challenge and so did Mindy and Chooi, a few hundred meters later. They all rolled down to meet John and proceeded together to Boh's Tea Centre to savour English teas and scones. Andrew and Angel who had set off by car, met them there.
The remaining team rallied on, sometimes within sights of each other but sometimes all alone. Even husband and wife with different abilities were often separated not to mention close friends!
We met a family from KL on a rented 4WD at the Google point labelled as "Mossy Forest 4WD Ride Stop". They were on their way down but did not venture all the way to Mossy Forest.
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| Vegetable farm. |
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| Chinese Cabbage |
At another Google point labelled as "Best Landscape Spot", we met a couple in their SUV. We bumped into them later as they made a U-turn at the vegetable farm having been denied further access to Mossy Forest.
At the edge of the road, a banner hung across the trees, informing on road closures. 2 boys guarding their post tried to stop Claudine and VT from going further but Claudine pushed on, repeating the words of the 2 ladies that bicycles should have no issue passing through the landslide.
As she brazenly rode away, she overheard the boys talking over the phone that they were leaving their post for lunch. Meanwhile, we, cyclists were given the green light to carry on!
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| At the Mossy Forest signboard, a right turn leads to a farm with a strange looking farmhouse |
We finally regrouped at the Mossy Forest sign post. At this juncture, there was another 2 km to the peak.
The flora changed as we approached Mossy Forest. The edge of the road surface, utility lines, ground, rocks, tree barks and vines were heavily overgrown with moss! These epiphytes are capable of their own photosynthesis; taking in the sun, carbon dioxide and moisture from the air.
Not long after arriving at Mossy Forest's visitor center, 2 cars drove into the carpark. These tourists must have escaped the boys who had gone off on their lunch break!
The Rakyat Post reportedly states that no visitors are allowed to self drive to Mossy Forest with effect from March 7, a new regulation by Pahang State Forestry Department. Visitors must now engage tour operators with organised 4WD transportation at a cost of RM25, not inclusive of entrance fees.
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| Note this image captured on Google Maps from February 2020. The street view beyond are images from 2013. No access are allowed beyond the gates ever since. |
Thankfully, the gates leading to the TM Tower were opened for workmen's access. They were there to install new sensors for the meteorological department. These men were the friendlier lot when compared to the TM staffs behind the gates who scowled and questioned our presence in a high security area.
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| Mount Brinchang at 2032 m is the second highest peak in Cameron Highlands |
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| Strangely, the mountain was only 2031m when our friends visited 7 years ago |
We arrived at Gunung Brinchang's TM Tower at around 1.30 pm. At 2032 m, this is also the highest road in Peninsula Malaysia and rightfully, the most unaccessible road of current.
The return journey was not a matter of gliding downhill all the way. Taking safety precautions, we chose to push our bikes at very steep areas as nobody wanted to go off the cliff!
We had a late lunch at the food court next to Cameron Square at ArandanNova. The mamak fried mee at RM6.50 was a good deal and all we needed after a great challenge.
It started to drizzle after lunch which sent us scurrying back as most of us had left our laundry outside to sun. We took the rest of the afternoon easy, meeting again in the evening for dinner before another get together session in the open deck of Sam Jade Guesthouse.
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