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May 12, 2013 Posted by Ramon Fadli in Broadleaf Rainforests, Camping, Class 4, Day Hike, Forests, Hiking, IUCN Protected Category 6, Malaysia, Mountains, Pahang, Tropical Rainforest

Mount Irau

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Mount Irau - Part 1 : Mount Irau
Mount Irau - Part 2 : False Peak
Mount Irau - Part 3 : Irau Peak

Cameron Highlands Index
Mount Irau
PROTECTED STATUS :

The renowned Mount Irau is the highest mountain in Cameron Highlands, and with an elevation of 2110 m makes it just slightly higher than Mount Brinchang. It is the 15th highest mountain in Malaysia and lies on the border between the states of Perak and Pahang.

Before we go on, please jot down the numbers that are listed below. If you do see any suspicious behaviour when out hiking, encounter things like traps and snares, or even see protected animals or their parts that are sold as either collectibles, pets, or for (so-called) medicine, then please do not hesitate to contact the wildlife crime hotline. Be sure to try and document it as best you can with photos or video without putting yourself in danger, and take note of the details: descriptions of those who are involved, as well as when and where it took place.

"The Wildlife Crime Hotline, managed by the Malaysian Conservation Alliance for Tigers (MYCAT), provides YOU an avenue to report offences involving endangered wildlife in Malaysia. We protect the identity of all informants, only key info of the reports are forwarded to the authorities."

Wildlife Crime Hotline019 356 4194


Emergency Numbers
Wildlife Crime Hotline 019-356 4194

Wildlife Department 1800 885 151

Cameron Highlands Forestry Department 09–3551 060

Cameron Highlands Hospital 05-4911 966

Cameron Highlands Bomba 09-4911 003

Tanah Rata Police Station 05-4915 443

Ringlet Police Station 05-4956 222

Kg. Raja Police Station 05-4981 222

JKR Cameron Highlands 05-4911 105

Difficulty Rating : 3.4 / 10.0 (Class 4 - Fairly Straightforward)

*Click here to learn more about the difficulty rating.

The group set off in the morning from the Pauh Campsite after breakfast and after purchasing some food for lunch since the trek was expected to take about 6 hours. To get to the start of the trail, we had to make our way up the road that lead up to the peak of Mount Brinchang. The road is fairly long at approximately five kiometres in length, and the fact that the road is also very narrow (there is barely enough space for two cars to pass abreast), filled with pot-holes and is is made up of a large number of sharp turns as it winds its way up the mountain, can render the journey somewhat precarious if you aren't paying attention to the road and other vehicles that may be coming around the bends. The scenery is gorgeous however as you will end up passing the lush rows of the bright green flushes of tea plants (Camellia sinensis) that cover the rolling hills. After being harvested, these tea leaves will then undergo different types of processing to make the various types of true teas that are made commercially available. Other so-called teas that are not derived from the tea plant (such as mint tea for instance) aren't actually considered 'true teas'. Anyway I digress (and for good reason).

The road itself begins at a left turning as you make your way north from Brinchang and can be found by following the signs that show the way to the Sungai Palas Boh Tea Plantation. The maps below shows the road from the junction of the C7 road till the clearing that marks the beginning of the trail that leads up to Mount Irau.

Getting There

Road that leads to the start of the trail (4.524369, 101.381840)


Mount Irau Trail

The trail begins just behind a gazebo with a raised wooden walkway that immediately ascends up the mountain. The ascent is brief however as the trail undulates up and down for roughly 38 minutes after only covering a distance of 0.64 km. The trail begins to descend from this point as it makes its way down Mount Brinchang and towards the point (just less than a kilometre away) where you start to climb up Mount Irau. You should get to this point after about an hour and a half of trekking.

The wooden walkway only covers a distance of two hundred metres or so and gives way fairly quickly to a soft, pulpous terrain that is heavily moisture-laden. We learnt fairly early on to watch where we were stepping as the slightest misstep could leave you floundering to free your feet from the clutches of the unyielding mud. The tree roots that criss-crossed the path proved a boon however as their presence would not only ensure a certain firmness to the immediate terrain, but would also act as both handholds and steps of sorts which helped significantly on sections that had steep inclines.

The epiphytic moss proved to be ubiquitous (as was expected) and seemed to coat the trees almost like a softer second skin. I always seem to find cloud forests to be somewhat intriguing as the combination of the soft, pleasant textures and the low temperatures are unlike the tropical forests that one would expect to find at lower elevations. They are also much more pleasant to trek as the usual stifling heat and humidity is absent. I also noticed an abundance of pitcher plants (Nepenthes spp.) along the trail as we made our way on the saddle between the two mountains.

Next : Mount Irau (Part 2)


Malaysia Overview

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Tags: Cameron