Facts
- Elevation: 620 m (2,034 ft)
- Prominence: 519 m
- Ribu category: Spesial
- Province: Peninsular Malaysia
- Malaysian state: Kedah
- Google Earth: kml
- Rating:
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Bagging It!
Not to be confused with Gunung Pulai in southern Johor near Singapore, this mountain in Northern Malaysia near the town of Baling has two separate trails to two different peaks – Gunung Pulai (620m) at the western end of the rocky little limestone range and Gunung Baling (546m) at the eastern end.
Both are brilliant places from which to watch the sunrise.
Gunung Pulai is both the higher and the harder of the two, requiring 2 hours to the summit up near vertical rock and a bit less back down. Allow around 4 hours for a round trip. A local guide is recommended. As there is barely any space to pitch a tent, it makes sense to get started early in the morning before the midday heat. The summit is a boulder on the ridge.
In 2022, the bridge over the river at the Pulai trailhead is washed out and unusable, so access is via the minor roads from the west on the north side of the river.
At 546 metres, Gunung Baling is a bit shorter, requiring 2 hours up and apparently no need for a guide (but do check at the trailhead first).
Practicalities
- Getting there: Both easily accessible from Penang, with Penang being the closest major airport.
- Guides and GPS Tracks: Want a PDF version for your phone? Looking for a guide? Need GPS tracks and waypoints? Gunung Pulai-Baling information pack can be downloaded here.
- Permits: It is recommended that you register or take a local guide with you.
- Water sources: Not available – be sure to take sufficient bottled water with you.
Local Average Monthly Rainfall
After our Chamah trip was cancelled, we decided to head over to the west to visit a couple of peaks in Kedah. I should have done this one but i ended up waiting in the car, fed up after getting no sleep preparing for the ill-fated Chamah trek. My friends managed it in 3 hours return. Finding the right starting point is key as the bridge over the river has been washed away. There are a few plastic bottles at the starting point (sadly) but no official sign. They saw some unusual monkeys near the top and had no issues hiking during the day (locals apparently tend to do this trek in time for sunrise). I’ll be back to do it myself next year along with the lower Gunung Baling at the eastern end of the ridge.