Gunung Santubong is a sharp peak approximately 810 m tall is located on a peninsula 35 km North of Kuching, Sarawak. Although it is not really that tall, it rises directly from the ocean and has a prominence nearly equal to that of its elevation. The area around the peak is a national park (Santubong National Park) which protects a small patch of primary forest.
Legend
According to legend, there were once two beautiful princesses from heaven, Puteri Santubong who was famed for weaving beautiful clothes and Puteri Sejinjang who was famous for pounding rice to make it delicious. When Putra Serapi had met both the princessess, he decided that it would be great to marry both of them. However, the two princesses each wanted to be his sole wife and waged a bitter fight, battering each other with their tools they are famous for, i.e. for weaving and pounding rice. When their father learned what was happening, he turned the princesses into the two mountains, Gunung Santubong and Gunung Serjinjang. In addition, since Puteri Serkinjang’s head had been broken into many pieces, these broken pieces were scattered around and became the many islands that lying around the peninsula.
The Summit Trail
There are two trails leaving the Santubong National Park office. The one to the summit has red marks, while a second one with blue marks makes a short loop near the National Park Office and goes to a popular waterfall and swimming hole. Many of these marks are fairly obtrusive and are splashed liberally across rocks as the trail wends its way up and across a stream bed. Keep to the red trail when you come to a junction of the blue trail and red trail. The trail crosses the stream and enters primary forest Keep on the red trail to climb the mountain. You go down a steep descend and then come to a waterfall with a gazebo. The gradient of the trail becomes more gradual until it arrives at an older trail (the Putri Trail) that heads directly up the western ridge of the mountain to the summit.
Once on this more established trail, the going gets rockier and much steeper for the remainder of the climb. Along the way, a couple of false summits are passed and one ascends a steadily increasing number of ladders. The final portion below the summit even has a place with two consecutive ladders working up a steep rock face. This is not an easy trail and many people take hours getting to the summit despite the rather short horizontal distance involved (3.2 km from entry station to summit). There is a shelter at the summit of the mountain as well as nice views along the coast and back in the direction of Kuching.
Eventhough Gunung Santubong is only about 810 m high, it is quite a tough mountain to conquer because of the steep terrain where one had to climb 18 ladders ranging in length from 2 m to 9 m tall. The ladders are almost vertical especially from Check Point F 10 and F 11.
OPENING HOURS
Santubong National Park is open daily from 8:00 AM until 5:00 PM. There is no fee for the climb but registration is required at the park entry station. Unlike a number of other mountains in Malaysia, It is not necessary to hire a guide for the walk. There is, however, a stipulation that you turn around at 3:00 PM if you have not reached the summit so as not to be benighted. Since there is also a reasonable chance for rain in the afternoon, a morning hike is probably better anyway.
The Geocache
The geocache is a small glass bottle located below the concrete seat.
APPRECIATION
Thanks to glyphen for the Favourite Points given. Much Appreciated.
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