Facts
- Elevation: 1,223 m (4,012 ft)
- Prominence: 903 m
- Peak category: Spesial
- Region: Peninsular Malaysia
- Malaysian state: Perak
- Range: Banjaran Bintang
- Google Earth: kml
- Rating:
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Loading... - Other names: Also spelt ‘Kenderung’.
Photos
Bagging It!
Anyone who has driven along the main road near Gerik in decent weather will have noticed the excellent twin peaks of Gunung Kenderong and Gunung Kerunai not far to the north of the road. Local hikers sometimes refer to them as K2 as their names both begin with the letter ‘K’. Gunung Kenderong is the higher of the two but has been closed to hikers for at least a couple of years apparently because the trail was not sufficiently safe and had caused accidents.
The lower Gunung Kerunai (970 metres high with a prominence of approximately 257 metres) is open and increasingly popular, though if you hike during the week you will avoid the weekend crowds. It is customary to hike in the early hours of the morning prior to sunrise. Not only does this increase your chances of a great view from the summit but it also prevents you from the intense heat during daylight hours. There is no thick forest on Gunung Kerunai, but rather shrubs and sparse trees. It is also unusually rocky, with the early stages of the hike feeling more like you are approaching the summit of a much taller mountain. Indeed, Gunung Kenderong and Gunung Kerunai are fairly unusual by Malaysian standards and that variety is one key reason they are popular.
The two peaks are barely part of any range, with the main bulk of the Bintang Range to the south and west, and the Titiwangsa Range further east. They can just about be regarded as outliers of the Bintang Range, but it could equally well be argued that they are distinct from it.
Although there is an asphalt road leading to the trailhead from Kampung Kerunai, a 4WD is used by almost all groups wishing to complete the hike, primarily because the surface is incredibly uneven in places to the extent that ordinary vehicles would be damaged. The trailhead (267m), which consists of a small parking area and toilet block opposite the path, is around 20 minutes by 4WD from the main road. Note that the southernmost point of Thailand – at the peak of obscure Bukit Kobeh (896m) – is only a little over 10 kilometres to the north of here.
The trail up Gunung Kerunai is steep in parts, and even steeper in others. It’s not a long trail, and the fit and motivated can be at the top in around 2 hours. There are ropes most of the way and four checkpoints (at 442m, 624m, 722m and 851m). The summit area is a lovely spot. There are views on one side towards the border with Thailand, but if you wander through the trees you will reach the true summit which offers excellent views to Gunung Kenderong and higher peaks in the Bintang Range.
Along with the many summit signs left behind by various hiking clubs is a protective plastic case which houses a handprint and footprint of Tengku Amir Shah ibni Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj, a member of the Selangor royal family who visited in August 2023. Sadly the writing is already so faint that it is hard to read the details. This is very similar to the cement block on top of Gunung Tahan. It might be thought of as the Malaysian interpretation of the popular responsible hiking phrase ‘take nothing but photographs and leave nothing but footprints’.
In the daylight, it will be apparent just how many beautiful orange-red barked trees there are here. The bark is not just a beautiful colour but also very flaky, with bits peeling off. This tree is known locally as Kelat Gelam (apparently Syzygium zeylanicum) and in Pahang has given rise to the hill name Bukit Merah (‘red hill’) for a 371 metre high peak near Jerantut. There are also dense clusters of pitcher plants, small as individual specimens but forming uniquely impressive thickets.
Fast hikers can be back at the trailhead in 90 minutes, but given the amount of loose stones on the steep path others might need a similar amount of time to descend as to ascend.
Gunung Alai
Whilst in the area, it is worth doing another short hike up Gunung Alai (791m), a mountain that is also home to the red-barked trees. This peak is even further north, lying on the other side of the Sungai Rui, and therefore really being the western edge of the Titiwangsa Range. Gunung Alai lies just 3 kilometres away from the southernmost point of the Malaysia-Thailand border at Bukit Kobeh (896m) to which there is currently no trail. The Alai trailhead is in Kampung Alai (224m) and leads past a rubber plantation before entering forest, passing three checkpoints (at 433m, 550m and 652m) and then onto the open viewpoint at the top with several places to sit and rest and admire the view back over to Gunung Kenderong and Gunung Kerunai. It’s only 90 minutes up and 1 hour back down, so could even be done the same day at Gunung Kerunai.
Do note, however, that the best time to be up here is the same time as it is best to be at the top of Gunung Kerunai, namely first light. Gunung Alai promises a carpet of cloud below, with Kenderong and Kerunai appearing like islands rising from the cloud layer. A daytime hike is rarely undertaken as it is hotter and the view is likely to be rather more hazy and bleached out. Most guides from this area have their own cooking equipment at the shelter so coffee is almost a given once you make it to the top.
Gunung Alai is not very prominent as it is really just a good viewpoint rather than an important peak in itself. The local peak around here is Bukit Kobeh on the border about which there is little information.
Bagging information by Dan Quinn (August 2024)
Local Accommodation
Practicalities
- Getting there: For Malaysian domestic flights and flights within Southeast Asia, for example to Kuala Lumpur, we recommend Baolau. Gerik is the closest town with several hotels, though it is perfectly possible to do this as a daytrip from Ipoh if you are willing to start out incredibly early.
- Guides and GPS Tracks: Want a PDF version for your phone? Looking for a guide? Need GPS tracks and waypoints? Gunung Kenderong-Kerunai information pack can be downloaded here.
- Permits: Required via Perak Forestry, along with a Perak guide.
- Water sources: The trail up Kerunai is dry and very hot, so be sure to take plenty of water with you from the start. Similar for Alai, though many guides make coffee for their group at the top.
- We recommend Safety Wing as travel insurance for overseas travellers and tourists hiking up to elevations not exceeding 4500 metres.
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