For this week I decided to try something different and hit some elevation instead. This will hopefully make me a stronger runner to hit the hills and add variety to my training plan.
Day 1: Bukit Sapu Tangan, Taman Botani Shah Alam
Total elevation: 230m
Total distance: 6km (Entrance – peak – entrance)
Difficulty level: 2/5 (Very easy)
In a bid to encourage my colleagues to adopt a healthier lifestyle and support my employer’s outdoor event, I found myself back in Taman Botani Shah Alam again for a “hike” at Bukit Sapu Tangan. Disclaimer: “Hike” is a relative term here – If you have been running or a fairly fit person this small hill is very easy.
Riada pants are perfect for leisurely walks like this
Riada pants are perfect for leisurely walks like this
After some quick warm up we proceeded to walk towards Bukit Sapu Tangan. It was still drizzling, and since the route was paved most people walked with their umbrellas too. Some of my colleagues brought their children along too, as the route was kid-friendly.
What I love most about Taman Botani Shah Alam is that you tend to forget that you are still in the city.
After about 1.8km of walking, we reached the peak. It was easy. Unfortunately, there used to be a lookout post at the peak where you can see the whole city of Shah Alam but that facility has fallen into a sad state of disrepair.
No entry to the look out post
Day 2: Gunung Nuang
Total elevation: 1072m (Entrance – Pacat – Entrance), 301m (Entrance – 3km – Entrance)
Total distance: 16.65km + 6km
Difficulty level: 4/5 (Challenging)
Gunung Nuang has always been my favourite place to train for trail runs. Trail runs are never flat and straight, and some routes are technical, and Gunung Nuang provides the perfect terrain and distance to train for trail runs.
Gunung Nuang was challenging, as always. Despite conquering the peak for 3 times, it never gets easier. Mother Nature always throws unexpected challenges along the way, such as rain, fog, and temperature. I have learnt that this is a part of trail runs, which is one of the main reasons why there are loads of mandatory items when entering a trail run event.
Unfortunately, we didn’t make it to the peak as it was slippery and muddy from the rain. After lunch, we descended from Kem Pacat and make our way back to the entrance point. After a quick change of clothes and prayer break, we continued another small 6km loop from the entrance point. So total mileage for that day was around 23km.
A friend we made on our way down
We spotted a bamboo collector. He will sell these to ‘lemang’ stalls for less than RM1 per bamboo