BLESSED with beautiful mountains, hills and forests, Malaysia’s hiking spots and trails are not comparable to those in other countries, due to differing factors such as being a tropical country, rain density and frequency among others.
“(Malaysia’s hiking spots) are not as accessible as other countries. If you go to Indonesia, the gunung (mountains) and all, the trail is very clear. Compared to some of these gunungs in Malaysia, you definitely need a hiking group or someone to maintain the trail. We’re a tropical rainforest, so everything drops, there are landslides and a lot of rain,” explained Mowgli Venture managing director Kovin Sivanasvaran.
The young but seasoned nature adventurer spoke at length with theSun on his thoughts about the impact on local tourism due to Covid-19 and preparedness for new hikers attempting to enter the world of hiking.
“The idea of Mowgli Venture is to bring people out of their comfort zones and show them the beauty of nature,” said Kovin, who runs the three-person company with partners Celine Tau and Hemasha Ramnai.
“The company organises tour trips to places people wouldn’t expect is in Malaysia. So even if there is a place in Malaysia, they wouldn’t know certain activities are carried out there”.
Where to start
For new adventurers seeking to tip their toes into the great expanse of Malaysian hills and mountains, Kovin’s advice is to start with smaller hills and easier trails before progressing to larger ones.
“If you’re completely new, definitely go with someone more experienced, or with a hiking group. There’s a lot right now. If you’re not someone who doesn’t like big group, maybe join the first one and get experience, and then do it on your own or with your group of friends,” he said.
Also a geologist, Kovin advises against hubris.
“A lot of people, they tend to think they’re super fit because they run 10km a day and can do a huge mountain. I feel like it’s a very different, when you talk about hiking. I do a lot of road running myself, but they’re two different things”.
Hiking, Kovin explains, is more technical than simply trudging along in the jungle.
“It’s not like a road, where it’s flat. If it rains, it becomes a bit more technical, where you need to know how to descend without getting injured. Sometimes you might have all these old logs, where you might think they’re sturdy but they’re not,” he said.
“Knowing these comes with experience, even with other obstacles like insects, leeches and so on.”
Importance of preparedness
In terms of training and building both stamina and endurance, Kovin recommends starting with trails that are easy to go in and get out of, such as Bukit Kiara and Bukit Gasing.
“The reason for this is also because even if you get lost in the jungle, you’ll somehow still come out in the city. Once you’re familiarised with these, then you should start thinking about going bigger,” he said.
Painting an example, Kovin says someone that is only adept at the 5km of Bukit Gasing will not be ready for a place like Gunung Nuang, which is 18km two-ways and has a huge elevation gain.
Beyond training, Kovin said even the details that might seem insignificant when preparing are actually important, such as the shoes and clothes worn.
“I would recommend are hiking shoes. If you don’t want to spend too much, you can always buy something called ‘Adidas kampong’. These shoes are only RM10, and they are rubber shoes worn by rubber tappers.”
“I’ve been using them until now. You normally find them in Mr DIY or old Chinese shoe shops. As for clothing, definitely proper clothing. I’ve seen people going into the jungle with jeans and sweaters.”
Kovin also recommends apps that have offline map data, along with carrying individual first aid kits.
“I stress everyone has to hold onto one for their own, because you need to know the medication in the kit,” he said.
Kovin feels that hiking is something everyone should try.
“You get to see a lot of amazing things, because nature teaches us more than anything else can teach us. Being out there humbles you,” Kovin concluded.
