A Guide to Hiking Mount Irau Mossy Forest Cameron Highlands

I arrived in Cameron Highlands a day before the hike and stayed at a budget hotel in Tanah Rata. The meeting point was at Cameron Square, not too far away from where I was staying.

We gathered at 7 a.m. As usual, I was the only one who had come alone; the others were in twos and threes. But at least I was not crashing any big group’s party this time, like I did at Slim River, when I had to join some random office team-building program because I had no partner.

Once everybody was there at the square, we were handed our packed lunch and drinking water. Then, we squeezed in together at the back of the truck as it made its way past the green rolling hills and vast tea plantations.

By 8 a.m., we had arrived at the starting point, where we did some warming up before the hike.

There are three peaks along the trek: Mount Brinchang, Mini Irau, and Mount Irau. We were to start our hike from the peak of Mount Brinchang, heading toward Mini Irau.

As we stepped into the Mossy Forest, I instantly noticed how mystifying the terrain was — it was nothing like I had ever experienced before. For one thing, the ground that we stepped on wasn’t solid. It felt hollow and rather spongy, thanks to all the moss, mud, fungi, and layers of dead leaves that hadn’t had time to decompose.

The epiphytic moss did not only cover the ground, it also coated the trees — from their roots all the way to their branches. This, coupled with the ever-present fog, made the forest look like something out of a fairy tale — the spooky kind. It was also eerily quiet.

The trail continued to alternate from soft moss to large muddy puddles that would swallow your feet whole. Intertwined tree roots crisscrossed all over our path. We had learned quite early on to watch where we were stepping. Twice, I had had to fish out my shoes from the mud.

Along the way, you’ll get to feast your eyes on a vast array of flora and fauna, including ferns, orchids, pitcher plants, and — if you’re lucky — the rare Rafflesia. But I, for the most part, was too busy watching my step to look around much.

As we progressed through the forest, the trail gradually became more challenging with more vertical climbs, more mud, and bigger tree roots. At some of the steep inclines, someone had helpfully affixed ropes and ladders.

While in the beginning, we had dismissed the tree roots as mere obstacles, soon we began to realize that they could come in handy. To get us through the muddy spots, the tree roots had acted as strong footholds and handholds that we could step on and hang on to.

I was glad that the other group members weren’t the kind of super-athletes who like to treat everything as a race. We hiked at a reasonable pace and waited on each other if any one of us needed a break.

After about two and a half hours of trekking plus plenty of breaks and photo stops, we reached our destination: a large clearing called Mini Irau (also known as Irau False Peak), which stands at 2,030 metres above sea level.

To the left was a path that led onward to the real peak of Mount Irau, which would take another 1 hour or so. Unfortunately, the trail to Irau Peak was closed during our visit due to a landslide. The Pahang Forestry Department had declared it safe to climb only up to Mini Irau.

We stopped at the clearing to have our lunch and take more pictures.

At 1.30 p.m., we began our descent, which was not that much easier than the climb. But the weather had been kind to us throughout the day.

Although not sunny, it didn’t rain, and the temperatures had been pleasantly cooling.

Before leaving, don’t forget to climb up the 50-metre-tall observation tower at the end of the trail.

Apparently on a clear day, you’d be able to enjoy spectacular views of the surrounding valleys and tea plantations, but it was all fog for me.

At 3.30 p.m., we arrived at the starting point, where our transport was waiting for us. On the way back to Cameron Square, we stopped for some photos at the edge of the tea plantation.