Ulu Gombak Traverse
"For its distance, this is the best trail that I've ridden in Malaysia"
Pat "Pigpen" Brunsdon
"Magical"
James Yap
"Best Gila"
Joe Adnan
Home >> Trailguide >> Ulu Gombak Traverse
Related pages:
Kemensah - Chongkak | Other Pusu Trails | Bukit Batu Tabur photos
It doesn't get much better than this, folks.
This trail is a 18km-plus off-road trail that traverses the Ulu Gombak Reserve, from Kampung Kemensah in Ulu Klang, to Kampung Sungai Pusu in Gombak. The trail may be ridden in both directions; more of the trail is rideable if ridden from Pusu, but if starting from Kemensah, you’ll be rewarded with a fast, 4km off-road downhill at the end. Either way, you’ll have to cycle about 14km on the road between Pusu and the end of the off-road section near Kemensah, unless you’ve arranged a shuttle beforehand.
The trail was in good condition when it was ridden in the dry season of 2002 (May to September), and was in excellent condition when ridden on 4 February 2003. Expect more overgrowth when riding in the rainy season or outside of the durian-fruiting season. In particular, the trail can be obscured and obstructed in places by fallen bamboo, which can greatly impede forward progress. The trails are very steep in places and rutted in others, requiring some pushing and portaging. At Kuala Sleh, about 11 kilometres into the trail, you’ll have to do a little jungle bashing and river trekking for about 1km, at the end of which you’ll have to cross the (waist-deep) Klang river. It’s not tremendously difficult, but be prepared. The excellent thing about this trail is that you’re not hundreds of miles away from civilisation, so in the event of an irreparable mechanical failure you’ll be faced with, at worst, a 10-15km walk to get back to either Pusu or Kemensah. The trail comprises singletrack and old 4wd trails, mostly under cover. There are quite a few bits that are “technical”, and there are some long climbs too. Riders who love to punish themselves will be sufficiently entertained. Total cumulative (not net) altitude gain is about [600m]. Total distance is 18.3km, with a further 14km on the road at the end to complete the loop. If the trail conditions are good, and if rest stops are kept to a minimum, the off-road section can be completed by reasonably fit riders in under 4.5 hours. However, if the trails are partially obstructed by fallen bamboo, expect to spend much longer to hack your way through. Because of the good campsites located within the reserve, the trail is also well-suited for an unsupported overnight trip.
The first 1.9 km of the trail passes through smallholdings of orchards and rubber. The rest of the trail goes through primary or rejuvenated hill and lowland forests, a swampy bit in the middle notable for its tall monocotyledons, Saraca and other hydrophilic trees lining the banks of the Seleh river, and the occasional stand of durian, seemingly in the middle of nowhere but really a vestige of the old kampong that used to exist in the valley before the damming of the Klang river at the Klang Gates in 1959. Several parts of the trail passes through bamboo forest; the one near camp Ketanga in particular is very beautiful, but I believe most of the other bamboo is the result of re-colonisation of areas previously felled or clear-cut. In all, the trail is a true “jungle” ride, and one that’s certain to enrapture nature buffs.
The area is a water catchment area for the Klang Gates dam, so readers will need no further reminder to keep the impact of their passage to a minimum.
Be careful when relying on the information posted here, or anywhere else on the web for that matter. They can be inaccurate or incomplete, so use with caution.
Trailhead
This page will describe the trail beginning from Pusu, which is the way that I’d recommend it be ridden. But you won’t go much wrong from other the way either.To get to Kg Sungai Pusu: join the circular "ring" road from either Ampang or Batu Caves and head towards the Karak highway. Take the left exit signposted "UIA" and "Orang Asli museum", near the Shell station (from Batu Caves). Alternatively, if from Ampang, follows signs for Kuantan and then signposts for "UIA". You will (or should) bypass the Karak highway toll. At T-junction, turn right ("UIA"). Continue over the Karak highway and past the UIA entrance and drive some several kilometers until you reach the village. Park across the road from the warong kopi (waypoint P1: see the table below for coordinates), it should be on your left. You may continue on this road to find suitable parking, bear in mind these are little village roads. After the warong you should pass a small primary school on your left (just look out for the outdoor badminton court) and the road eventually deadends at the Puncak Niaga pumphouse. There is a small carpark here, but only really fits about 1-2 cars at most.
Route Directions
From the warong at Kg Sg Pusu, turn into the second left tarmac road after the school, it should be right after house no. 60. This road goes steeply uphill before going downhill again. The road turns into a 4wd track at the bottom. It is possible to park your car here, but there is limited space. The trail appears to be an ex-logging road and runs through small-holdings of fruit trees and rubber. Most of this section of trail is fairly open. At waypoint P2 (km 1.0), near two huts at the end of the orchard, the track veers left and climbs uphill onto a ridge with the young rubber trees. Eventually, you'll enter the coolness of the jungle (km 1.9). Not far along this jungle trail you'll come to a Y-junction, waypoint P3 (km 2.2). Turn left, heading more or less north, steadily climbing along the contours of the hill. At the junction at waypoint P8 (km4.0), take the acute right turn, heading downhill and eastwards. (Had you turned left (more like straight on, really) you’ll come out at the 13th mile of the old Gombak road, or so I’m told.) The trail goes downhill for about 2 kilometres through bamboo and hill forest. You’ll pass a small stream (waypoint P9, km 6.1) and then a larger one (waypoint P10, km 6.4), perhaps you may call this one a river. (This river, though marked on the 1:50,000 topographic map, is not named on the map. The locals, however, call it Sungai Ketanga.) Waypoint P10 (“camp Ketanga”) is a good place to rest, as it is used as a campsite. There is a log bridge over the river.After the bridge, the trail climbs again, at first quite steeply over a short rocky section and then gradually getting less steep as you approach the crest of the ridge. Once past the ridge top, you’ll come to a relatively open area covered in a tangle of bamboo. A parang will be helpful here. As you continue downhill, the trail will start veering south from its easterly heading. At the bottom of the descent, you’ll reach the banks of Sungai Seleh (Waypoint P11, km 9.0 “camp Seleh”). This is another good campsite.
From the Seleh camp, you’ll see a marshy trail heading south on the west bank of the river (the same side that you’re on). Continue on this trail. You have to take extra care here, because the trail become considerably more faint at this point. You’ll be going slightly downhill, as you’re following the course of the river. At Waypoint P12 you’ll have to cross the Seleh river to the opposite bank, and then you’ll need to push/ride your bike across the rocky river bed. The trail will eventually take you to the east bank of the river and will get even more faint, turning into walking path. At Waypoint P13 (km 10.5) you’ll see the remains of an old dam. This, I suspect, is the Kuala Sleh Headworks, constructed in 1928 at about the same time as the one in Bukit Belachan.
Alex and wife, with the old dam on Sg Seleh in the background.
From here, the trail disappears. However, it should be relatively easy to navigate: just follow the river downstream along the path of least resistance, which ought to force you to walk in the river at various points. If you have a GPS receiver with you, you might have poor reception under the tree cover at this point.
When Amir and I were trekking in the river sometime in September 2002, we were greeted with the amazing sight of fish (mostly cyprinids, as far as I could make out, including the unmistakeable lampam jawa) teeming in masses at the edge of the river, in the sand and over the roots of trees, often in just one inch of water but sometimes even less. Viewed from afar, the water appeared to be boiling with fish, their silver sides coruscating in the dim light of the forest understorey. As we walked close, the fish would scatter, but often almost beaching themselves in and amongst the roots of the trees. Alas, I only carried my wife’s Olympus mju-II with me at the time, which though possessed of a sharp 35mm lens, did not have the right focal length to capture this remarkable sight. What were the fish up to? I can only guess that they were spawning.
Continue along the river, which ought to make a sharp left turn at some point, before curving right in a wide arc. You’ll shortly come to the confluence of the Seleh and Klang rivers (“Kuala Sleh”). You’ll see an old railway bridge over the Klang river overhead. You’ll have to cross the larger Klang river to its far bank (on the south side). Be careful here if the river is high. Remember to unbuckle your Camelbak waiststrap, just in case you get caught by the current and need to jettison the backpack. It’ll also be a good idea to carry your bike on your downstream side as you cross the river. Continue upstream along the south bank of the Klang river. You’ll shortly pick up a trail, which will bring you to another campsite (Waypoint K5, km 11.4, “camp Kuala Sleh”). (Because we were portaging the bikes, the actual distance between Waypoints P13 and K5 will be slightly longer than 0.9km.) It took Pat and I about 40-45 minutes to cover the distance between Waypoint P13 (Old Dam) and Waypoint K5 (camp Kuala Sleh), portaging our bikes for most of the distance.
From here, the trail should be fairly obvious. Head east along the trail heading upstream and parallel to the Klang river; you’ll cross 3 small rivers near waypoint K4 (km 11.7). The middle river is more a stream; and all three rivers should flow from right to left. Shortly after, you'll pass a plot of durian and mangosteen trees with an unfinished hut located on the left side of the clearing. The trail will then start climbing again. At waypoint K3B (km 13.4), there will be a junction (“Lubok Tedung junction”): take right, heading downhill. (Turning left will take you along an exciting 1km-plus singletrack to Lubok Tedung.) At this junction, there’s a large tree with huge flange-like buttresses that reach up some 15 feet up its trunk, which is a good landmark to look out for.
From left, Izhar, Poktar, Mechman, Ice and Amir, taken in September 2002 at the Lubok Tedung junction. Note the tree with the impressive butresses. One of those large trees is a relative of the mango. |
|
At the bottom of this steep descent, you’ll cross 2 small rivers in quick succession (each flowing from left to right). From here on, it’s relatively straightforward, though you’ll be faced with several stiff climbs. The first climb is steep and unrelenting, lasting about half a kilometre before the trail becomes more undulating. At about km 15.0, at the crest of a hill, look south and you'll be able to see Bukit Batu Tabur West through the trees. You’ll eventually reach a severely rutted downhill section, after which you’ll come out to a pond (Waypoint K3, km 17.2). Turn left at the T-junction, which will take you to another T-junction at waypoint K2. Turn left again. You’ll eventually come out under a wooden arch ("Taman Rekreasi Belia Kampung Kemensah") close to some fishing ponds (waypoint K1A, km18.3). Continue straight ahead, along the metalled road that runs alongside a river, passing some stalls and chalets on your left. You’ll come to a T-junction near some ponds (waypoint K1), turn right here. Continue along this road, which will eventually take you to Kampung Kemensah and past the National Zoo. If you had parked your car at Pusu, you’ll have to cycle on the Ulu Klang ring road, and turning to Pusu, following signs for UIA. Total distance to Pusu on the road from the Zoo is about 10km, and from the arch at the end of the trail about 14km.
Waypoints and Routes
To use the waypoints and tracklogs listed below, please read the GPS Primer. Odometer readings was taken with a Cateye Enduro cyclometer and should be accurate to +/-2%, to account for calibration error.Download: waypoints and tracklog (contains all waypoints for Pusu and Kemensah). Be careful if relying on tracklog data, because the bits between the Old Dam (Waypoint P13) and camp Kuala Sleh (Waypoint K5) may be inaccurate due to weak GPS signal.
Maps: "Rawang" Sheet 127, "Ketari" L7030 Sheet 3858 (restricted), "Ulu Langat" Sheet 126. These maps are available from the Mapping and Survey Department. They're 1:50,000 scale topographical maps, with 100m contour intervals. The restricted maps have 20m contour intervals but require a security clearance from the Home Ministry.
Route: Ulu Gombak Traverse |
|||
| Waypoint | Coordinates | km | Directions and Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | N3.15.491 E101.45.080 | 0.0 | Warung (coffee shop). Take left turn up steep road just after house no 60. |
| P2 | N3.15.892 E101.45.128 | 1.0 | Two huts at the end of the orchard. Turn left, going uphill into the young rubber. |
| P3 | N3.16.267 E101.45.322 | 2.2 | Y-junction. Turn left. |
| P8 | N3.16.677 E101.45.422 | 4.0 | Junction, turn right at an acute angle. This is close to the highest point on the ride. |
| P9 | N3.16.630 E101.46.219 | 6.1 | Stream, can be ridden across. |
| P10 | N3.16.699 E 101.46.264 | 6.4 | Camp Ketanga, at Ketanga river. Log bridge across the river, ridden across by Mechman! |
| P11 | N3.16.444 E101.47.324 | 9.0 | Camp Seleh, at the Seleh river. Continue south following the course of river. Sat on a snake here, on 31/08/02! |
| P12 | N3.16.198 E101.47.269 | NA | Cross Seleh river to opposite bank. Continue following course of river. Trail will get fainter. |
| P13 | N3.15.914 E101.46.990 | 10.5 | Old dam. Trail will likely almost disappear. Continue following course of river, along path of least resistance. You'll reach Kuala Sleh (the confluence of Klang and Seleh rivers). Cross the Klang river to opposite (south) bank. Look out for old railway bridge. Pick up trail again on the south bank. |
| K5 | N3.15.640 E101.47.232 | 11.4* | Camp Kuala Sleh. Continue heading east. Trail should be more distinct from here on. Trail forks just before Waypoint K4, take left fork, though I think right also leads to the same place. |
| K4 | N3.15.690 E101.47.421 | 11.7 | 3 small river-crossings (rivers flow from right to left). Look right when in the first river, there should be concrete bridge. Small orchard grove shortly after 3 rivers. |
| K3B | N3.15.131 E101.47.761 | 13.4 | Lubok Tedung junction. Turn right and downhill (steep). |
| K3A | N3.15.058 E101.47.701 | NA | Cross 2 small rivers in succession at the bottom of descent (rivers flow from left to right). Long climb ahead. |
| K3 | N3.13.986 E101.46.751 | 17.2 | Old pond junction. Old pond on your right, hut on your left. Turn left. |
| K2 | N3.13.823 E101.46.701 | NA | T-junction. (Might look like a cross junction, with faint trail straight ahead.) Turn left. |
| K1A | N3.13.508 E101.46.818 | 18.3 | Wooden arch across trail. Follow metalled road straight ahead. |
| K1 | N3.13.253 E101.46.688 | NA | Fish pond T-junction. Turn right. This road will take you out to Kg Kemensah, and then to the entrance of the National Zoo. |
* Real distance ought to be slightly longer, as the bicycle was being carried and as such the cyclometer was not recording for some parts of the portage.
More Photos
Click here to view more photos of the Ulu Gombak trails (10 photos).Trivia
- In our first attempt at this traverse (13 July 2002), we failed to make the connection at Kuala Sleh, and came up to the shore of the Klang Gates lake. We were aided by good fortune and the assistance of a Punchak Niaga boatman, who took us across the lake to “Kongo”. Read about this ride here, and in Basherama! 87.
- On 1 June 2002, while cycling alone, I came face to face with a King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) near camp Ketanga. Read about this encounter in Basherama! 85.
- Other animals we've seen: unidentified snake that I almost sat on at camp Seleh (Aug 02), woodpeckers (Sept 02), 2 green pigeons (punai) between Waypoints P8 and P9, a grey-coloured heron on Sungai Seleh, beautiful green birds between Waypoints P10 and P11 that flew too fast for me to positively identify, unidentified monkeys (dusky gray and long-tailed, silvered langur?) and a Malayan softshell turtle (Dogonia subplana) which 2 orang asli boys had killed (all Feb 03). Mighty good eatin', them turtles!
