Thursday, April 27, 2023

Hiking Bukit Guling Ayam

Easy hike with massive payoffs was how one of the blogs described Bukit Guling Ayam. And I agreed! 

With Bukit Tabur closed off to the public due to the danger it poses, Bukit Guling Ayam is perhaps the next best site for a hike along the quartz ridgeline. To even call it a hike seems like an overstatement but what else can I call it? 

The start to Bukit Guling Ayam is unassuming yet one of the busiest rest stops along the Karak Highway - the Petronas station just before the turn off to the MRR2. We parked our car there and headed up the small slip road before the main road exit from the station.


From here, we tracked up to the right pathway towards the white huts. 


When in doubt of the path, just head up the cement slope road. It was a mighty steep walk up but short. Trust me, if anything - this was the hardest part of the entire hike. 


After 5 -10 minutes of walking, we reached the temporary flat land of Urban Ecolife Agrofarm. If you're lucky, you will be greeted by the resident cat, demanding toll payment in the form of pats. 


After a 5 minutes delay by the cat, we powered past the farm. 



And past the enclosure of rabbits on the right, heading straight up. 


Until we reached a makeshift rest area with benches. There was also a great view from here but the true payoff awaits just 5 minutes away. 


This part was a little tricky as instinct seems to dictate we headed into the clearer looking trail path. But no. The actual pathway was to directly to the right behind the shrubbery. It was easy to miss, we did but from there, it was a fast climb to the peak. 


There was a few peaks for a view of Bukit Tabur across and if you're lucky for a clear day, you will be greeted with a sunrise. We weren't so lucky that day but the peeps of sun across the clouds was pretty too. 


Flying the drone here was fun as the airspace above was clear and the crowd under was few. Landing it however was challenging due to the rocky surface. 



Come early to beat the crowd but for now, Bukit Guling Ayam remains under radar to many. Hopefully, it will be for a while to prevent this peak from suffering the same fate as its sibling, Bukit Tabur. 

Bukit Guling Ayam is marked wrongly on Google Maps. The most accurate landmark to waze/google to is 'Petronas - Lingkaran Karak (Karak Highway)'. 

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