10 climbers hoist Jalur Gemilang at final point of Gunung Daik trail

DAIK: The 10 Malaysian mountain climbers including three media representatives hoisted the Jalur Gemilang at the final point of the trail to the peak of Gunung Daik, 1,080m above sea level, yesterday, in conjunction with the National Day and Malaysia Day celebrations.
Their climb had to end there due to safety reasons, on the advice of the local authorities.
The group, comprising members of the 2017 Gunung Daik Challenge, arrived at the final point of the trail at 11am local time on Sunday, and hoisted the Malaysian flag there.
Two of the climbers are members of Pekan division Umno Youth, three are from the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department, two are from Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Hospital in Temerloh, while the media representatives were Linda Khoo from Bernama, Norzasrudin Mohamed Nor from Kosmo and Mohd Mahathir Mohd Ali from Utusan Malaysia.
Head climber Mohd Fakhrul Munir Mohd Isa said the climb had to end there because the remainder of the journey would require them to climb rock walls, which required special equipment.
"Rock climbing to the peak would take more time or additional days to cover the 165m to the top,” he told reporters.
Mohd Fakhrul said the climb to the final point of the trail took two days, beginning on Saturday from the Gunung Daik gateway, before the group spent the night at the campsite, 450m above sea level.
He said the climb to the final point of the trail, which should have started at 7am on Sunday had to be delayed due to heavy rain, thick mist and low visibility of only 5m.
“We started the climb as soon as the rain stopped, at about 8am and arrived at the final point of the Gunung Daik trail at 11am.
“Our group had to endure the rain and a slippery trail for four-and-a-half hours before we returned to the Gunung Daik gateway,” he said.
Pekan division Umno Youth head, Datuk Shahruddin Ahmad who led the expedition, said the number of participants had to be limited to 10 instead of the original 40, upon the advice of the local authorities due to safety factors and the regulations for the climb.
He said while 10 participants climbed up Gunung Daik, the rest of the group went up Gunung Sepincan and Bukit Permata, 767m and 1,001m above sea level, respectively.
“The climbers also hoisted the Jalur Gemilang on the other peaks in conjunction with National Day and Malaysia Day to foster love for the nation,” he said.
He added that the climbs up Gunung Sepincan and Bukit Permata were almost as gruelling as that up Gunung Daik, taking 12 hours from 9am to 9pm through thick mist and strong winds.
The Gunung Daik Challenge was organised by Pekan division Umno Youth, with the collaboration of the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department, and Pahang Media Club.
Others in the group were Pahang Media Club president, Datuk Nik Naizi Husin and Pahang JBPM director, Datuk Abdul Wahab Mat Yasin. — Bernama