Penang Hills and Trails - Bukit Papan from the West Again
Our Second Ascent... 

This is one of a series of pages on walking the hills of Penang, click here for the index. This is a Grade 4 walk with a very significant less straightforward section. There is a sketch map at the bottom showing the route followed. 

Please visit my Penang buses page for information on accessing the starting point.

I wrote the following paragraph nearly a year ago but it's still true:

Standing in the orchard on the cleared ridge which is the summit of Bukit Papan and looking down towards Teluk Kumbar, you might think that only a madman would attempt to penetrate what looks like extremely steep 'jungle'. On the other hand looking from the hill to the north of the Indian temple, known as Vellaipala Arulmigu Sri Muneeswarar Devasthanam on the Teluk Kumbar to Bukit Genting road we had realised that much of that hillside was actually durian orchards (as normal) and that from the top of the right one, it would not be too far to the ridge. Today's walk was all about identifying the orchard and then confirming the climb was feasible.

By 2023 access between the two orchards on Bukit Papan was blocked, it's a shame as it has been a very useful transit in the past. 

We had been on our regular mid-visit break to North Sumatra and Yuehong had been a very bad girl again. 'We' had demolished 20 durians in Berastagi and she had personally despatched 7 Tip Top ice creams in Medan for a start. The bathroom scales did not lie and when I asked what she wanted on our return, she replied 'something hard and long'. So it was time to repeat last year's hike, only this time I wanted to aim for the birds' nest factory visible on the sky line which would mean going up through the 'jungle' some way to the left of last time.   

As before, we parked up below the temple which is on a section of the old road now bypassed by a new viaduct - it would be shady on our return. Again, we took the path immediately opposite and then the first path on the left.

We now knew to go straight ahead at the next junction and this part was a steady climb in a decidedly mature durian orchard.

Look at the size of those trees, most must be tens of years old, while there is residual rubber on either side, it must have been taken out from here a long time back.

Up and up we went until we reached the small shelter.

Above it, last time we found some concrete newly laid and as the hill is steeper the path uses zig-zags.

It was a sunny day with not much in the way of a breeze and it was WARM. Just before we got to where the path had finished last time we had a good view north to Bukit Genting.

The concrete didn't go much further but there was a dirt trail which no doubt will be sealed should cheap labour again become available. This was good news as it cut left towards the point where we had to 'do the business'. 

That's the ridge climbing gently from the Indian temple area in the background on the left which ideally I would have liked to use. However, I elected to use the nearer minor ridge in the hope (wrong as it happened) the two would combine. After the open orchard, what lay ahead was quite a contrast.

Yuehong traversed from the end of the path to join me and close up, the terrain looked far from impossible. There were quite a lot of small boulders to provide some footing and mostly trees with few vines of the non-prickly variety.

Of course it soon got a lot steeper, we were very careful to look ahead and skirt the prickly stuff and where trees had come down. It was mildly challenging and quite slow.

We knew we were approaching the orchard when we started to meet gingers and tall grass matted together with vines. It was time for the secateurs. At such times, I cut and Yuehong does the back seat steering. Finally she advised me to stop going up and to cut to the left as she could see 'fruit trees'.  Very good advice it was because we could not have done much better.

We were right at the end of a newish terrace and clambered up. Yuehong immediately asked the usual question "Do you know where we are?". I was half way through saying words to the effect of 'not exactly' when I glanced upwards and modified my response to 'exactly' because we were immediately below my target for the climb. 

Yuehong had her App running but we had never felt the need to consult it. There was no need to climb right up, we went left past this ruined hut and joined the road down through the coconut plantation. 

For a change we took the parallel path on the right which was a bit more shady. We joined the road again just before the 'Burmese hut' and there was an immediate racket when the dogs suddenly realised they had been invaded. They're a cowardly bunch and we hardly needed their owners to shepherd them away to clear our path.

We skipped round the gate and as usual turned left at the oil palm junction. 

The first part of the road has been concreted so there's no chance to take a wrong turning any longer. We went up through the rubber and down into the durians which is still quite pleasant.

The next half hour or so was ghastly, the 'road' is wide and exposed to the sun, we got baked. We took water at '541' which these days looks abandoned. Despite it being a Sunday, there were no signs of recent visitors and there were leaves all over the place. The tree trunk next to Yuehong supporting the roof has been half eaten away by the termites and if not dealt with soon the building will collapse. We went down and left past the old Chinese house which had been built of a more appropriate kind of timber.  

Going straight ahead, we knew to turn right on the lesser path rather than left which goes back up towards Bukit Papan. When we emerged into the sunlight again, I suggested that Yuehong go straight down the road. I had an old house to check for rubber rollers on the path to the right. I knew it wasn't much used any more but wasn't quite prepared for the number of trees down and the general green rubbish covering it. Worse still, the house was no longer directly accessible and I had to plough through the undergrowth. It had been completely stripped save the walls and roof and it had all been wasted effort on my part. 

I don't think Yuehong was at all worried by the time I had taken but by now I was feeling a little tired. We went up the road and took the path to the left which would lead us to the col.

Knowing where the path went was a distinct advantage but in fact as long as we stayed on it then progress was good, that's the start of the final short climb on the right.

We just about finished our water while taking a break at the top among the clove trees. We'd been up and down this next path a couple of months ago and it was probably a good job that it hadn't rained much since. It was originally built of small boulders / large rocks and as long as you take your time and use your eyes properly, it's perfectly passable.

We knew exactly where we were, we had plenty of time to get home before dark and we just took it gently but I did lend my stick to Yuehong for increased balance. I don't need it for that and with no dogs in the area it was one less thing to carry.

Where the 'cleared' area finishes, there is a recognisable path down. Yuehong celebrated by slipping and landing gently on her backside.

In the orchard below, some of the older trees are being felled and the path is not always obvious but the concrete is clearly visible below. We needed to go the long way around as one tree had been brought down right across a zig-zag. Never mind, we were back at the car after some 5½ hours and Yuehong declared herself totally satisfied.

The road to hell being paved with good intentions, we skipped the Balik Pulau pit stop and went straight to dinner at Sungai Pinang. I think both of use felt severe withdrawal symptoms afterwards...