Gunung Tahan Expedition


Water buffalos along banks of Sungei TahanThe expedition to Gunung Tahan was one of my earlier expeditions. This expedition took place in July of 1981, a long time ago; well before I started going to Nepal. This was my first major adventure trip. I spent months planning this expedition. I planned the food to great detail and even sewed special tents to reduce weight. It is a very memorable experience and even now I can vividly recall may happy moments from that trip, although many years have gone by. Tahan is highly recommended for those who are just starting out in adventure and want to increase their knowledge of campcraft and of the great outdoors.

Fording the Sungei Tahan

One of the interesting feature of this expedition is the fording of the Sungei Tahan on day 3 of the trip. You need to cross the river up to 7 times in all. If the river level is low, the crossing is relatively easy and all you need is a stick to balance yourself.




Sharing a meal

To save weight, we even carried plastic plates. However, by the fourth day, all the plates have broken, and we were forced to eat out of the pot. This is quite fun, with everyone competing for the food; it definitely increases your appetite and you also learn to eat real fast!!!



At the topA obligatory pose for a photo at the summit. We also took a summit picture with very little clothes on; sorry I cannot show you that picture. The last campsite on Tahan is called Padang. It is a beautiful campsite, located on a vast plateau, with panoramic views of Malaysia's virgin forests.

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