Bukit Pagon - an exclusive jungle peak (21.02.2013)
Written by lyngve (Lyngve Skrede)
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| Ascents | Bukit Pagon (1,850m) | 21.02.2013 |
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Guided tour package, costing 450 Brunei dollar per person (minimum of 3-4 clients). Long 4WD drive (4 hours each way) to basecamp. The day hike was fairly long too, almost 10 hours (incl return) in moderate pace with lots of up and downs, accumulating to more than 1800m gain of elevation (click to see my GPS track). Much of the hike was along an abandoned logging road, then a steep ridge with a surprisingly straightforward trail, which had fixed rope in the steepest sections. According to the guide (Haddy), only 50 people or so have been to this summit. I also returned fairly bloody, because of 3 leeches that had been eating on my two legs for a long time. Almost impossible to stop the bleeding, without a medical kit. Instead they put tobacco into my bites, and that was quite useful.
I need help to find the prominence, 1000m is just a roughly guess looking into google topo maps. The biggest question is if the middle summit (entirely within Malaysia) is higher than the summit on the border between Brunei and Malaysia. Nobody knows because nobody been to this middle peak, even though it is only 200 horizontal meters away on what seems to be an easy ridge with minimal loss of elevation (see photo above). The major problem is the jungle in between, so need to cut a trail first. This is going to be guide Haddy's next project, he told to me....
User comments
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Written by Ratsy 11.10.2013 08:08A friend is planning a trip there this December. It seems a lot of effort for a 1850m peak. Can you comment on the views and whether there was streams and waterfalls.
Re:
Written by lyngve 12.10.2013 16:13The views are nice, but not outstanding. There are no waterfalls enroute, but maybe possible to see with sidetrips. It's depressing to see how thousands of logging roads penetrate the jungle, I wonder if there will be any forest left on the Malaysian side in future. On the Brunei side of the border, however, the jungle is untouched, wild and remote.
I would never do this hike if it didn't involve a country highpoint. So if you're not into highpoints, then the effort and cost is not worth it, in my opinion...