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Penang Hills and Trails - Mount Pleasure |
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This is part of a series of pages on walking the hills of Penang. Click here for the index. This is a Grade 3 walk with occasional elements of Grade 4. There is a sketch map at the bottom showing the route followed. Click here for a list of the known PBA rain gauges. Please visit my Penang buses page for information on accessing the starting point. I revisited this route in December 2017 with Yuehong. I have left this account untouched, but the map has been revised. Note in particular that the final section to Taman leader has been badly affected by the 2017 storms and the original path is effectively lost such are the numbers of trees down. Also, the question of access from Shamrock Bay has been settled. An updated report is now available which effectively replaces what is written below. Our Penang second home in Seaview Garden is in an area known as Mount Pleasure off Jalan Low Yat between Tanjung Bunga and Batu Ferringhi. Behind us is a hill which is separated from the main range by a col under which runs the pipeline described in the tale of the Batu Ferringhi aqueducts. I had also tapped into this area by following what I called the Pipeline Trail between the pump house at the corner of the Vale of Tempe and Jalan Lembah Permai and Batu Ferringhi. Yuehong's body had requested another rest day so while she went off to do the chores and check out her favourite Chinese book shop, I took the opportunity to have a closer look at our local hill. The result is a walk which will appeal to those who want to see something of Penang's near natural jungle without the risk of getting lost - this is one area which has retained its traditional paths thanks to its accessibility and the numerous franchises of the 'Hash House Harriers'. Take the 101 bus and get off at Jalan Low Yat which is the first stop after Shamrock Beach. Go straight ahead and turn right at the first T junction. Follow the road round to the small Indian shrine. The first time I went up this hill, I went more or less straight up through the scrub until I reached the first summit, there is no point in trying to describe a route, just good old common sense and experience got me up. This time, I tried something a little different and traversed left to the ridge which runs up from behind Sea Range / Seaview Garden. It was, I confess, a little rough at times although not totally unmarked and once I got to it, the rest was straightforward as it was well marked - there must also be a way in from Shamrock Bay which I need to confirm when I can summon the energy. Compare the traverse with the ridge path, albeit each has a marker!
This was not a trail taken with the intention of producing view points, but when a fallen tree offered a gap in the canopy, I needed no invitation to remind myself of the mess that is Tanjung Bunga today:
Onwards and upwards I went until I reached the first summit which was covered in ferns. I knew from painful experience that going right or straight ahead would take me into an area which was best avoided. So I went left - as did the hash paper and ignored two opportunities to descend. This took me along a good ridge path which, after a short while, took me to the main summit. I immediately recognised it by what I assume is the remains of the rain gauge, which I fully exposed by removing a few ferns. There is a similar larger structure at the top of one of the group of mini peaks at 800m, along the ridge from the Tiger Hill Reservoir which services the Penang Hill summit area.
There was no point to go right / ahead, I had been that way when exploring the Pipeline Trail. So I followed the paper and the main path left and down until I came to the four way junction in a small clearing. Yes, it is a significant cross roads! To the right I would be steeply retracing my steps, to the left was a no doubt steep descent to somewhere on the coast road and ahead down the ridge was probably the most pleasant option. It was indeed easy and 'well papered', the blue string was a totally unnecessary artifact.
Once upon a time, a feature of hash trails was the 'check' whereby a false trail would lead the front runners astray while the 'pack' and the back runners caught up. Today, it seems like it is a lost art, the paper was continuous all the way down.
Only when the trail reaches the edge of 'civilisation' is there a problem because the rapacious coastal developers have cut across the original paths. So the paper cut left and brought me to a wide contour path. I took a few minutes out to explore it to the left as it skirted the top of a former quarry. At first sight, the view out was splendid:
As always, the camera lies, below left is the view from a slightly different angle, but at least the path took me to a small dam which seems to be contemporary with larger ones further along the coast.
The final short descent was anything but memorable, I knew it was 'job done' when I would see a small Chinese shrine below me. In front, I could see a boundary fence for some development and fortunately not only was there a gate in it, but it was free of a padlock. For those following the trail in the opposite direction this is the view looking back.
After which I walked down to the main road, pausing only to pick up some refreshment at a sundry shop before I took the 101 bus back home. Excellent exercise which brought back fine memories of a misspent youth. If you want to follow this route in reverse (or use it to connect with the
Pipeline Trail to Batu Ferringhi), then follow these instructions.
It's an ideal walking area for burning off the calories for those who feel trapped in the north coast hotels...
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