The day I chose to give up Gunung Pengrago:

For one I felt that my legs will beginning to ache, and I felt like one of those people who didn't train for a marathon and yet is trying to complete one - in the process killing the joints of the legs

Next, somehow maybe too, I am tired of pretty views - with that being said, pangrago didnt promise a view since it was so near to Gunung Gede.

What happened to " I climb the mountain because it is there?"

I suspect that I got into trekking and hiking because I wanted to use nature to inspire people to save the environment. However, it must be said that other that Taman Negara, I haven't actually seen much wild animals in my nature hike.

Trekking isn't particularly a very Techinical sport except for being a gear slut and I see that I have plateaued in what I can learn further more in hiking.

It is not to say that hiking does not have its value- somehow, driving through Yosemite and going back to a place with TV at the end of the day just isn't as restorative. It is that boredom for hours in a day in hiking that seems to distill thoughts out. In fact, most of the commentary of this post comes from the hike of Gede.

That said, there are still things I want to learn in hiking: cooking, getting a good fire burning.

Moving forward, I can see where my next interest of juxtaposition lies: it will be great to kind of combine hiking skills together with some trail building volunteering or almost even better- some wildlife monitoring project.

I am going to miss my hiking friends of which have taken the path less travelled. However,just like how I spent this Vesak Day Long weekend hiking, I could have spent it learning free running or fixing up that stupid swimming skills.

You only have one life to do limited things


Sent from IPhone, please excuse brevity.


Marcus tay

Why Trek? Why not Farm?

This post is again dedicated to my trekking friends…

I think I started getting into trekking because 1) I kind of like exercise and the outdoors, 2) a very selfish reason - I thought that I can get people to be interested in saving the planet if I can do guided nature tours to show them the beauty of nature. 

That was one of the reasons why I joined the Singapore Adventure’s Club Basic Adventure Course from which I got to meet many of my trekking friends. 

Subsequently, there was another reason to trek.  It was that isolation in the middle of the forest whereby no one had any cellular signal.  Everybody really sat around the fire and talk.  Now, I am afraid that will be lost too since cellular signal and mobile data can reach everywhere now.  Even that isolation needed to be paired with something else, special.  

2017 September, I had the chance to live in isolation from the rest of the world through the Lake Baikal Volunteer project.  Absolutely no cellular signal in the middle of Olkhon island, not to mention mobile data.  However, maybe there are no years of friendship behind the participants and myself, maybe due to the language barrier, that was just no feeling of that good conversation that night at Rinjani.  Now, there is another reason why we may never do those multi days trek anymore - we are getting old and now do more day treks.  Too old for overnight treks…

There is another part of my trekking habits that I cannot get as well.  I do not feel a strong need to climb the highest peak or the famous peaks - No Mount Kinabalu, No Mount Kilmanjaro, No Everest Base Camp.  Especially no to “ I conquered XXX mountain T shirts”! You simply enjoy the moments where no one talk to you and you talk to yourself inside the head, the moments where you do some little adventurous stuff with a small elements of danger such as running and down a volcano or using ropes to climb and finally, perhaps, the satisfaction of good scenery after a tough climb.   That is the reason why I hate Gunung Nuang. 

It does seem that reward of a good scenery after a tough trek is the reason why I enjoyed trekking.  Now, it seems that farming seems to be a “more productive” alternative to that.

At my recent Korean WWOOF,  I had the chance to do weeding at the farm, which was backbreaking.  

However, you could stop and take a break and see this all around:

It was awesome when you stood up straight to take a break and when the wind is blowing with all the mountains around you  - it reminded me of this scene in 霍元甲.

It seems that farming is a “productive” way to suffer and then to enjoy the good scenery.  Of course,  it has very much to do with the good weather around May, and the fact in Korea, there are plenty of mountains. 

Still,  I think I will be keen to work on a farm again.

Some other random thoughts about WWOOF experience:

• There is a PA system like North Korea.
• Even for organic farming folks, and Crane Research Centre, still use disposable cups.
• Only seniors left in a farming village. 
• So much BACKBreaking Work in a farm:

Getting down to your feet to put these protective layers so that there is no need to use weedicides.

Something about Trekking:

Among my group of friends to count blessings for will be my trekking friends.   They have been an inspiration to me in that ½ of them would have done one of the following:

• Taken a career break of at least 6 months
• Mid career switch to the social sector

Perhaps it is that most of them are a couple of years older – so perhaps they have all worked enough that most of my peers would not have to do a rethink on life and career.  It helps that most of us are single too with less obligations.

Yet just maybe, it has got something to do with trekking.  Trekking for days in the wild often strips you down to the most basic comfort – you may realize that one may not need that many things in life or that you appreciate the basics like food and warmth in life better.

Perhaps too, that the sheer danger element in some treks means that we trekkers are already more predisposed to taking risks or it may mean that we condition ourselves to be more deeply engaged with life.

However the best part of all is the conversations: You walk for hours before seeing some scenery and so you may have long conversations with one or two individuals.  The best part though is the dinner around the campfire:

For about 3 hours, everyone is gathered around. With no mobile phones, no one is disconnected.  With just darkness around you, no one will wander off.   With no music or TV screens, no one is distracted and you only see the face of those in front of you, hear those who are truly around you.

The corpse

When I was on the summit push on Mount Rinjani, I was so sleepy that I wanted to sit , sleep and die in the cold. 

I think it could be a combination of altitude sickness, terrible sleep the night before and headache from the contact lens. 

The view is gorgeous, but I can tell you that I am in zero mood to admire it. I was murdered by the entire attempt.  

That was when the thought came to my head, that ya, I think as in my interests in many things. Maybe my interest in trekking should stop here. Time to move on to spas and other enjoyment like a typical Singaporean.  Somehow challenges does not excite me anymore. Perhaps, we should go for those easy treks with good view like gunung stong.

Well, until I got a chance to be alone at the waterfall near the crater lake.  Hear the water and write all these stuff.   I like the sound of the running water and being alone for a while, with no modern electronic distractions. 

There are a couple of interesting things about trekking:

1.u don't see your face for a few da

2.You get Real conversations / present in a large group of people because there is no handphone or any modern distraction and everyone has to pay attention.