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Mount Irau


Mount Irau False Peak

We reached the false peak, often referred to as 'Mini Irau' or 'Anak Irau' after a solid 2 hours of trekking. Just before reaching the peak however, there was an inclination of roughly 400 metres or so (took about 30 minutes) as we made our way up Mount Irau after having left the saddle between the two mountains. Mini Irau itself was a clearing that was wide enough to accommodate a fairly large group of campers, although not necessarily a group with hammocks as there was a conspicuous solitary tree in the middle of the clearing with a demarcation consisting almost entirely of non-hammock friendly shrubbery. There was a yellow sign that marked an elevation of 6666 feet which was shamefully absent of a metric equivalent, the imperial system of units being another nonsensical and archaic remnant of the British colonial empire.

The path that lead onwards to the peak of Mount Irau lay just to the left of the path that lead to Mini Irau and could easily have been missed had it not been for the trail markers that were visible. From that point there was a slight descent, followed by an immediate ascent of 128m that stretched just over a kilometre. The trail had a few gaps in the foliage on the left where one could glimpse the rolling hills that lay to the south with the dark shadows cast by the clouds above moving almost lethargically across them.


The Mossy Forest

Approximately 5 minutes before reaching the peak of Mount Irau, we found ourselves in a grove of sorts that was encompassed by long, spindly branches that stretched towards the sky. The most remarkable thing about these branches was the sheer thickness and abundance of the epiphytic moss that ended up casting an eerie yet somehow tranquil vibe to the area. I found it somewhat bizarre and a little hard to describe so hopefully the 360 panorama that I have embedded below will do it more justice.

Next : Mount Irau (Part 3)