Mind Over Miles: Where Resilience Meets Instinct

The cool air of Cameron Highlands carries more than just the scent of tea leaves this July — it breathes life into a new generation of endurance athletes as they tackle the Cameron Ultra 2025. Wrapped in mist and silence, the trail becomes a canvas for perseverance, painted with every stride and heartbeat. 

Among the participants this year is Syarifah Balqis, a rising name in Malaysia’s trail running scene. From completing her first ultra-marathon in 2022 to conquering a solo 100 km race at Trans Jeju, Balqis has steadily built a reputation for grit and quiet determination. 

Trail Titans Kiara Hill 2024 - 16km course record smashed by Min Xiang Lee

Road running is a challenge of its own but trail running is a different ball game entirely in the cardio game. To be able to smash a 16km course record on trail is an incredible feat and something that Min Xiang Lee achieved at the second Trail Titans Kiara Hill recently.

Xiang Lee finished in 2:07:20, shaving an incredible 10 minutes off the record once held by Ben Hails whose time was 2:17:58 at the inaugural Trail Titans Kiara Hill last year. 32-year-old Xiang Lee, while being an experienced road racer, is relatively new to trail running and made his competitive debut in this event. 

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? 

3 Jeju Olle Trails to Hike in Autumn [including checkpoints, elevations and tips]

If you're looking for a different way to see and explore Jeju Island that isn't hopping on and off a bus or a self-drive around the island, I've got you covered in this blog post

A little known aspect of Jeju Island is its 425km worth of walking trails otherwise known as Jeju Olle Trails. That's right. You can actually explore Korea's most southern island by foot. Circling its coastline and cutting inland, you can take your pick of 26 different walking and hiking courses all across the the island, courtesy of Jeju Olle Foundation. 

Mirror Lake Shah Alam: Nusa Rhu Entrance

After killing my knees on my previous hike, my lazy ass was determined to find the easier route to the Shah Alam Mirror Lake via the Nusa Rhu entrance. When I checked Google, there were a couple of confusing reviews left by visitors claiming that the entrance was closed to public and that the security guard would chase away anyone trying to enter the gated community of Nusa Rhu where the entrance was located. 

Mirror Lake Shah Alam: Setia Alam Community Trail

This place has been going viral over social media, sending doves of people to the furthest parts of Selangor to see this beautiful serene lake hidden inside Setia Alam Community Park. 

With a surface to still and calm, the teal waters reflect the skies in a whimsical mirror image hence earning its name. The water is so blue that it might looked like an auntie had tried washing her blue freshly dyed sarong in its water. But don't worry about chemicals contaminating the lake because its blue comes from the algae that has flourished at the lake bed. 

Isn't nature wonderful? 

9D8N Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Itinerary

After exploring many of the main metropolitan of Japan, what else is there to do that spirals outside of the beaten path? I would say embarking on a pilgrimage route. There is just something so sacred about following the trails of religious and spiritual individuals while immersing one’s self in the beauty of Japan’s nature. But of course, times have change and no longer do those wishing to embark on a pilgrimage route have to traverse city to city when we now have trains and buses. Nor is a pilgrimage route exclusively for the religious anymore. 

Climbing Mount Fuji: DIY or Guided Hiking Tour?

So you've decided to climb Mount Fuji. Congratulations! That's the first step to certain death on an active volcano in Japan.

Sunrise on Mount Fuji

Okay, I am joking. Not certain death. But not the active volcano part though because that part is true. In case you didn't know, Mount Fuji is an active volcano. But anyway, so you have decided to climb it anyway and are now wondering if you should join a guided hiking tour or just DIY the entire climb.

The Many Views of Mount Fuji part 2 - From a Chuo Highway Bus

PART TWO - This was the first time I actually saw Mount Fuji in all her naked glory from a highway bus passing by Fuji Q Highland and it had been at the most frustrating of times.

Taken on 2 September 2015 - I ascended Japan's highest mountain in the worst possible weather ever; heavy rain, directionless winds, sub-zero temps and no sunrise. I'll be back, Fujisan. Please be kind to me then. 

I had actually just descended from Mount Fuji that morning after a cold and miserable hike up the previous day in torrent rain. A typhoon was just passing off the coast of Japan and we got to experience its rain and winds throughout our hike right into the morning when we summited. We never saw the famed Fuji sunrise. Oh well, at least we climbed Japan's tallest mountain.

Read about it here and here:

My travel companions were dozing off when our bus back to Tokyo hit the highway and I happened to glance out the window and saw this seemingly taunting view of clear blue skies and a bare top Fuji looking down at me. I learnt (via Instagram-stalking) that the sunrise the following morning was stunning. It was there and then I promised to come back and conquer Mount Fuji again.

And I did - two years later. Read about it here.

2017 Climbing Mount Fuji with Willer Express Tour

You know that famous saying about Mount Fuji...something something, only a fool would climb it twice? Well, say hello to aforementioned fool *waves*

On my 30th birthday, I summitted Mount Fuji for the second time in my short life on earth. The first time I DIY-ed the entire trip. But having dealt with the hassle of it, I wanted a stress free adventure on my second time and so and this time, I did it with the Willer Express Mount Fuji Tour. This meant everything from the bus to the accommodation to the timing of the climb was managed and overseen by the experienced guide and mountain guides under the Willer Express group.

Climbing Mount Kinabalu - My Checklist and Climbing Tips

Planning for a climb can be a headache. First you need to ensure that your check-in weight for your flight has enough space and weight allowance for you to bring along your stuff. I flew Malindo for my Mount Kinabalu climb and that came with a 30kg check-in.

But first things' first. What to bring and how to pack. Here is a rough checklist that I put together. I've sectioned everything to when I would need them during the hike and kept them in plastic bags for easy retrieval and to keep them dry should it rain.

Climbing Mount Kinabalu Part 3 - Reaching the Summit

Continuation from Climbing Mount Kinabalu Part 2

The alarm went off at 1am and one by one, we reluctantly rolled out of bed to get ready for the hike to the summit of Mount Kinabalu. By the time we went downstairs to the common area to grab a bite from the supper buffet served, it was 2am and other groups of hikers were already chewing at their breakfast/supper of fried rice, meehoon, eggs and sausages. You would think we might overeat but the anxiety of the summit hike curbed our appetites. For that extra kick later, I also took a power gel.

At 2:30am, we were rounded up by our guides Jasili and John and were briefed on the ascent. We were told to stick to the white rope, basically our visual guide to keep us from straying off the path in the dark and if there was mist. Sayat-Sayat hut was our checkpoint and we needed to reach it before 5am or else we were not allowed to go on.

Climbing Mount Kinabalu Part 2 - Chilling at Laban Rata

Continuation from Climbing Mount Kinabalu Part 1.

After 4 hours 30 minutes of crawling climbing, my sister and I were eager for rest and a hot drink at Laban Rata. As we had booked our climb six months in advance, we were able to secure a room for our group of eight in Laban Rata. At 3,272.7 meters above sea level, even to step a 100 meters outside the rest house took effort so we counted our blessings.

Towels were provided at the reception upon check-in but as our change of clothes were with the porters and guides who stayed with the rest of our friends still making their way up the trail, we opted to freshen up quickly in the surprisingly clean showers first. There wasn't any hot water though as the showers were solar heated and reliant on the sun. As we had anticipated the delay of our clothes, we pulled on our outer jackets from our day bags to fend off the cold while waiting.

Laban Rata was much much much so much more equipped than the mountain huts on Mount Fuji. The dining area had magazines, games and free hot coffee, tea and water available for hikers. The walls honoured the guides and porters who has gone above and beyond their call of duty even before the earthquake to help hikers. One picture showed a porter carrying a huge water catchment basin up the mountain.

Climbing Mount Kinabalu Part 1 - Timpohon Trail

I was nervous. My heart was racing with anxiety and also excitement as I stared ahead at the majestic sight that was Aki Nabalu or more famously known as Mount Kinabalu from the platform of Kinabalu Park HQ.

After over a year of planning, I was finally going to climb Mount Kinabalu. It was supposed to be a trip made last year but due to the earthquake that shook the region on 5 June, killing 18 people, the climb was postponed. It had been a sad day for Sabah and my group decided to pay tribute to the lives lost by summiting the mountain on the 1st anniversary of the earthquake. Fast forward to a year later and there I was.

It was the morning of 4th June 2016. My group of seven and I had just grabbed a bite from the generous breakfast buffet at the park's Balsam restaurant and were waiting for our bags for the porter to be weighted. Just for the knowledge of those planning to climb Mount Kinabalu soon, it was RM13 per kilogram as of June 2016.

Training for Mount Kinabalu

Okay, so when I say training for Mount Kinabalu, it isn't really so much of training but rather just waiting for the date of the hike to come.

I was supposed to climb up Mount Kinabalu last year on top of also climbing Mount Fuji but as luck would have it, white people decided to get naked atop the mountain and an earthquake happened, stranding about a 100 hikers atop the summit that day and taking the lives of a great many others. It was....shocking seeing as my hike was to happen three weeks after that.

The routes were deemed unsafe and the trip was postponed to the following year (this year). To make it more special and memorable, I decided I will attempt my hike on the anniversary of that fateful weekend and made arrangements for 3-6 June 2016 and will be climbing to the peak on the 5th of June to commemorate the anniversary of the earthquake.

Well, since I mentioned training, here's how I've been training for the climb. 5-6 sessions of bootcamp with Original Bootcamp a week and Sunday hikes at Gasing Hill.

How's that for training? Sufficient? Insufficient?

2015 Kautim. What Next?

Words cannot describe what 2015 was to me. Exhausting - physically, mentally, financially. Liberating - physically, mentally, financially not quite. Once again, I got to travel, I got to race and I got fitter. Much fitter but no less fatter.... T_T 

In spite of its many ups and downs, I find myself mostly looking back fondly on the ups. Despite having two trips cancelled, it was good year in terms of personal achievements. Even though I didn't conquer Mount Kinabalu, I did scaled Japan's highest mountain. I may not have gone to Korea, but I did get to enjoy two separate short weekends in Australia with my friends and a long week there with my sister in two cities for three race events. Madness I tell ya!

If I were to list down my 2015 achievements and memorable moments, this is it:

Viper 2Four Challenge 2015

Taking part in a 24+ hours obstacle race was perhaps one of the craziest things I've done for 2015 and that included hiking up Mount Fuji in a typhoon. Joining Viper 2Four with my team C2T2 (Cherrie, Choon, Terence and myself), was also the most fun and rewarding experience I had.

My team checked into the race site at Sepang International Circuit on 5 December at 6am and met up with the other teams from Original Bootcamp. We picked our allocated 10 x 10 feet space near the finish line and the medic tent and quickly made ourselves at home alongside fellow bootcampers Team Spam-Tastic 4 and the group of super individual participants, Dugong Elites. 

Spartan Race Kuala Lumpur Kicks Off

One of my favourite obstacle course races, the Reebok Spartan Race has officially landed on home turf and I AM NOT AROUND TO JOIN IT!

In all due fairness, I had already waaaay beforehand, booked and paid the super expensive registration fee for Spartan Race Sydney Super and Sprint in pursuit of completing the Trifecta this year. So on the very same day, I was in Australia killing myself in their crazy new innovative 300 obstacle (which you can read about in the links at the bottom of the post), Malaysia got its first taste of a Spartan Race.

24 Hours on Mount Fuji in a Typhoon Part 2

[Read Part 1 here]

As soon we arrived at Goraikoukan, we were given two big plastic bags for our wet backpacks and shoes. We were shown to our allocated sleeping space in a tight room filled with four rows of bunk beds that fitted about 25 people per row per bunk. You do the maths. Needless to say it was quite a tight squeeze.

If the term mountain hut wasn't clear earlier, it was now and it occurred to me why some would choose to bullet climb through the night. The mountain hut wasn't exactly the ideal place for a night's rest before a summit attempt.

Our backpacks and shoes were hung above the foot of our sleeping space and I opted to quickly change out of my drenched clothes into my dry spares which thankfully escaped the rain. There weren't any showers though and the toilets were outside, about a 25 meter dash from the main entrance in the freezing cold.

24 Hours on Mount Fuji in a Typhoon Part 1

I shall not start off my account of climbing Mount Fuji with that famous Mount Fuji-related quote that seems to be in every website and blogs I encountered when researching the climb. But I'll start off by saying DO NOT CLIMB MOUNT FUJI IN A TYPHOON.

In all fairness, when I booked my flight to Tokyo, Mount Fuji wasn't even on my mind. It only grew on me later and when climbing season was announced, it coincided with my trip. Usually official climbing season for Mount Fuji is from July to August but for the official dates, you would need to check the Mount Fuji site here as it changes each year.

It also so happened that my hike which took place on 1 September, coincided with an approaching typhoon. That meant rain and rain and oh, god, so much rain. In the weeks prior to my trip, I monitored the weather and boy, it did not look good. Oddly enough, cancelling the entire hike never occurred to me and even when my hike mate suggested it the day before the hike, I shot it down. Fuck you, dumbass. I invested too much in this! (I really didn't, just loads of time on research and booking arrangements)