For hiking enthusiasts, a hill which is only 250m high may not seem much of a challenge. But for those who regularly walk, jog or cycle up Bukit Kiara, next to Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur, the rewards are immense. The workout here is indeed a challenging and satisfying one.
There are several trails up Bukit Kiara (or BK), which was formerly a rubber estate. There are the easy trails with gentle inclines, the not-so easy ones and finally, the really steep and challenging trails.
I am 66 and immensely enjoy walking up BK every other day. In fact, I look forward to these outdoor breaks come rain or shine. If I do happen to miss hiking for a week, my body will start “talking” to me, telling me that I need a workout.
I must confess that after hiking up BK for the past 30 years, I have become addicted to it. And I still find great satisfaction each time I complete one of the trails. Judging from the many bits of paper markers strewn on the various trails, BK is popular among many chapters of the Hash House Harrier runners.
What is the magic in BK that attracts me to hike there ever so often?
For starters, I live nearby and hence parking is not an issue as I start my hike from my house. The hike gives me a fantastic workout and an adrenaline rush. After hiking for about 5-10km (which can take me 1½ to two hours), an indescribable “feel good” sensation emerges that money just cannot buy. Those who have had good workouts will know exactly what I mean.
Riders have come to love the trails of Bukit Kiara.
As you huff and puff up the hills, your stamina starts to improve and you breathe more easily. If you do it regularly, over time, you will experience the benefits to your health and overall well-being. Your bones become stronger and your mind sharper; the backaches that you had been suffering for so long soon disappear!
Personally, this hiking activity has toughened and strengthened me significantly in body, mind and soul. In fact, when I saw my doctor the other day, he congratulated me and said I looked good. He also informed me that my last visit to his clinic was 22 months ago.
Even tortoises can be found at Bukit Kiara
What I like about hiking trip on the jungle trails here (compared to walking on the tarmac road) is that one has to fully concentrate on where one is walking – there are several obstacles on the trails, such as uneven surfaces, fallen trees, rocky and muddy patches and even tortoises, wild fowls and snakes, to contend with! In the process, all parts of your body get a good workout.
Most of the time, I hike on a solo basis. Once I start, I am in a world of my own – I love the peace and quiet as well as the flora and fauna of the trails.
This is also the time when my brain gets hyper active – wild and creative ideas just pop out. It also gives me an opportunity to dissect issues and come up with ways to resolve them or see them in new perspectives. It’s incredible how I much inspiration I get.
As BK has several hills, it is not a case of simply going to the highest point and then hiking down. I venture up by using different trails, each of which has its own pluses and minuses.
There are relatively easy trails with slight inclines but these take longer; first-timers and beginners as well as those who jog all the way up prefer this trail.
Bukit Kiara has a rich variety of wild flowers.
And there are challenging and punishing trails with steep inclines which take you up to the top in the shortest time possible – provided one is really fit. It is not uncommon to cling on to tree trunks or roots to help one go up on such trails.
Recently my son bought me a sports watch and since then my hikes have taken a new dimension. Now all the details of my runs are recorded, such as distance covered, time taken, speed, calories burnt, to name a few. So I now try to challenge myself to do better in my next hike.
On average, I’ve found that I walk 7km per hike. Since I usually go five times a week, that works out to 35km. As for the distance covered in a month, that’s 35 x 4 = 140km or approximately the distance between KL and Malacca!
The interesting thing about hiking is that it is not only an easy sport but a relatively cheap one. Yet it has enormous health benefits. I would strongly recommend that you do not stinge on shoes; be prepared to pay for a good pair of walking or running shoes. It is important that you take tender and loving care of your feet.
An amazing array of fungi can be found in Bukit Kiara.
You can hike anytime during daylight hours and you can do it at your own pace. You decide what your comfort level is. Once you get into the trail proper, the tree canopy will shield you from the sun. Yes, you will be walking under the shade with fresh air blowing in your face, especially when you are about to reach the top.
You can hike up BK from several points, including the Lake Park of Taman Tun Dr Ismail, KL. However, a note of caution. It was reported that a family of five hiked up BK from the Kiaramas condos at Sri Hartamas lost their way and had to be rescued by the Fire and Rescue Department personnel. One word of advice – hike up BK from the usual popular base points and never start a hike after 6pm.
On the social side, I have made many friends along the trails. Somehow I’ve found that we hikers tend to be more open with each other as we pass each other on the trail. In fact, I have a WhatsApp group with a group of hikers, the majority of whom are in their 40s, 50s and 60s.
A word of thanks and appreciation should go to members of the Trails Association of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor (TRAKS) who have not only been instrumental in “opening up” the jungle trails but continue to maintain them, especially after a thunderstorm when trees get uprooted and block the trail.
So for those who would want to take up this sport, hiking up BK would be an excellent place to start. In my mind, it’s a hiker’s paradise.
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