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Gunung Ledang (1,276m), also known asMount Ophir,is the highest
mountain in Southern PeninsularMalaysia. It has a formidable presence and
for centuries, it has had a reputation of being a profoundly spiritual place. All
manner of travelers fromprincesses towarriors, naturalists, shamans, artists
and practitioners of the occult have been drawn to it fromthe time of the
Majapahit Empire.
Shrouded In Folklore
T
o
this day, mystics still
make the i r way up
Gunung Ledang as a
retreat and to meditate
in search of a higher
s e l f . The endu r i ng
appeal is partly due to its
celebrated association with the legend
of the Princess of Gunung Ledang, who
famously turned down a royal proposal
so as to preserve her independence. Tales
of mysterious happenings abound, as the
locals firmly believe the mountain to be
the enchanted abode of fairies and forest
spirits, whose mischief is credited with
leading the occasional climber astray.
The vegetation here can be broadly
classified into four categories-lowland
dipterocarp, hill dipterocarp, lower mon-
tane and montane ericaceous forest. The
luxuriant foliage is likely to keep residents
such as the barking deer, wild boar, white-
handed gibbon and leaf monkeys well
hidden, but bird-watchers will have a
field day. No less than 163 species of birds
from 36 families have been recorded here.
Climbers will certainly find themountain a
refreshing challenge and a test of stamina.
There is plenty to explore on the way to
the summit, shaped like the bow of a ship
and almost every bend of the trail reveals
something new.
There are only one route to the moun-
tain from Sagil, which is a small town in
the Muar region of Johor. It traverses a
variety of terrain-pine forest, open spaces,
up steep rocky faces, across sparkling
streams and gushing waterfalls and they
all come to rest at pit-stops bearing such
colourful names as Lembah Majapahit
(Majapahit Valley), Gua Kambing (Goat
Cave) and Bukit Botak (Bald Hill). Do not
be surprised if you lose all track of time
here. Bask in the sublime feeling of being
one with nature, in all its raw splendor.
The Climb
Gunung Ledang has been rated the sixth
most difficult mountain to climb in the
country, and all who have tried it will
attest to how physically and mentally
demanding it can be.
The best time to visit is betweenMarch
to September and is less favourable from
mid November to mid January. Rainfall
tends to be higher between October and