Mount What?

July 15, 2018

You’re going where? After repeatedly getting this response after telling people we were going to hike Mount Ophir, we changed our answer to, “we’re planning on hiking a mountain in Johor.” Mount Ophir is located in the Gunung Ledang National Park in Johor, Malaysia—about a three hour drive from our hotel in Singapore. The price for a driver, navigator, and park entry fee was fairly steep, but I would say the hike was well worth the cost.

At 0400 we sluggishly left the warmth of our covers and clambered into the spacious van destined for Mount Ophir. We passed through customs with ease because, surprise! nobody is driving into Malaysia at 0430. Upon arriving, we met our guide and began the hike at approximately 0810. We hadn’t made it more than 100 stairs from the base when our guide, coughing and wheezing, paused at a nearby tree to draw in a few deep breaths. This occurred about three more times while climbing the stairs toward checkpoint one (of seven), and all I could think was, man this is going to be a long hike.

Thankfully, the continuous stopping only occurred on the stairs; other than that, we simply paused at each checkpoint. At around the two hour mark in the hike, we reached checkpoint five where our guide, without fail, pulled out his fifth cigarette of the hike. Cue the source of the wheezing. At this point we finally passed the large group of Chinese hikers ahead of us, and none too soon because the remainder of the hike was all uphill. And I mean all uphill. We climbed the rickety ladders propped up and tied to the vegetation alongside the mountain one by one, unsure of how much weight they could actually bear. If you thought the ladders were bad, then you’re in for a treat. We continued through the trees and underbrush until we came face to face with a very large, sheer cliff and a series of knotted ropes to pull yourself to the top—just don’t let go. We clambered up the first cliff, only to be presented with another, steeper cliff 50m later. But we all made it.

After another two hours and at an altitude of 1276m, we reached the summit. Cirrus clouds obscured most of the ground below, but the fast-moving winds made for little breaks in the clouds, revealing a spectacular view of Johor and even the ocean beyond. We spent some time at the top basking in the sunlight and reveling in the feeling of accomplishment.

Eventually we started our descent down the mountain, albeit on a different path. Our guide was like a completely different person, bouncing between the trees with quick, nimble feet—we were practically sprinting downhill to keep up with the man. After what seemed like an eternity (aka three hours), we made it to the bottom intact, save for a few rolled ankles and aching limbs. After spending two hours going through both Malaysia’s and Singapore’s Customs—there are a lot more people at 1900—we finally arrived back at our hotel; but that’s not where our day ended.

We cleaned up and headed out to Clarke Quay to watch the World Cup championship game at 2300 between Croatia and France, where France pulled out the win in a very exciting game. We decided 26,000 steps in one day wasn’t enough, so we decided to walk the mile back to the hotel as well. Actually, there just weren’t any Grab drivers available, but that’s a minor detail. Our exhausting, fun, exertion-filled 23 hour day was definitely one for the books.

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As our trip to Southeast Asia comes to a close, I would like to take some time to reflect on my experiences. One thing that we repeatedly reflected on in our daily debriefs was the diversity not only between each of the three countries, but within the countries as well (most noticeably throughout Indonesia).

As a country comprised of 17,000 islands, Indonesia has everything from over-populated urban to agricultural countryside; high-rises to mountains; Jakarta to Banyuangi. Malaysia presented more diversity of culture, in particular the Chinese, Malay, and Indians. Kuala Lumpur—especially the downtown district—was further developed and more polished than Jakarta in Indonesia. Singapore stood in stark contrast to both countries, however, with its sleek and futuristic buildings and perfectly manicured landscaping.

The degree to which Islam was practiced within each country decreased with each country we visited. Indonesia had a predominantly Muslim population, while Islam in Singapore was considerably more difficult to identify. Malaysia was somewhat of an intermediary, with Islam still in the majority but with religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism, and Christianity prevalent as well. Nonetheless, one thing that remained constant throughout each of the countries was their delicious cuisine and openly friendly people. One of my favorite memories was participating in the celebration of Eid al-Fitr at CAPT Suhaimi’s home with his friends and family. His family eagerly welcomed us into their home, providing us with the traditional Muslim outfit (known as baju kurung) to wear and the customary Malaysian home-cooked meal served on this holiday.

The military officers, state department officials, and natives whom we encountered throughout our travels in Southeast Asia have made this an unforgettable adventure, and I will make it a priority to apply these experiences and lessons learned to both my everyday life and future career as a Naval Officer.