Flicking through past week’s photographs in the trail, I realised that I longed for the muddy ground, ascending among the trees, the clear air, and the rush of the river. What I missed was spending time in the trails again. Taking advantage of the long weekend, I gathered a few friends who were familiar with a route in the Kemensah, Ulu Klang area for a leisurely trail “run” (it was hardly a run, more like walking with occasional spurts of running).

We weren’t aiming for anything ambitious for that day. We set off at a very leisurely pace, excited for what is ahead since most of us are not very familiar with this route. We walked non-stop, and ran once in a while. It was not a very challenging trail, with elevation gain for about 400m. Sometimes there were puddles and small stream crossing, but nothing too technical. We could hear some animals along the way, but we did not manage to spot anything. Frankly speaking, I think everyone just needed a quick escape from the hustle and bustle of the city which is always a good thing!

The highlight of any trail “run” is taking a dip in the river. After about 6km of walking, finally we heard the sound of water rushing. We finally made it! The river was knee deep, and the lush surrounding trees makes a good spot for a photo op. Some of us brought some snacks drinks, so we took our time by the river to soak in the nature.

The highlight of any trail run!

Heading back

Despite its ease of accessibility and close proximity to the city, Kemensah is not a very popular site for camping unlike Gunung Nuang. Probably because it was not very challenging and not very big, so most people can explore other trails within a few hours. I heard that there is also a waterfall among these trails too, which gives me the perfect excuse to come back again! 

Until next week,

The Weekend Runner.