Telapak Buruk

Facts

• Elevation: 1,193 m (3,914 ft)
• Prominence: 790 m
• Ribu category: Spesial
• Province: Peninsular Malaysia
• Malaysian state: Negeri Sembilan
• Range: Banjaran Titiwangsa / Main Range
• Google Earth: kml
• Rating: (Bagged it? Be the first to rate it)
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• Other names: Also spelt ‘Telapak Burok’.

The curiously-named Gunung Telapak Buruk, meaning Rotten Palms or Bad Palms Mountain (either hand palms or the soles of one’s feet!) is the highest point in a fairly large range that is known for being the site of a World War 2 plane crash. As the trailhead leads up via Gunung Berembun, most visitors to this area call it Gunung Berembun (Dewy Mountain). Some only trek as far as the top of Gunung Berembun (1,014m – also known as Berembun Jelebu to avoid confusion with other mountains of the same name), but many then drop down to visit the crash site on the trail towards Telapak Buruk. Few continue to the peak of Telapak Buruk itself.

There are actually two possible routes. The main one is from the Gunung Berembun ticket office in Kampung Pantai. The other is from the Telapak Buruk telecommunications tower which is near the summit of Telapak Buruk but requires a 4WD to make the rough journey along the access road. A traverse would be the most interesting, but most folk hike in and out via Gunung Berembun.

From Gunung Berembun trailhead in Kampung Pantai, the route goes via Lata Berembun and lots of rivers to Gua Kambing (after 90 minutes) and then on to Gunung Berembun peak (after a total of 2.5 hours). From there it is about 45 minutes on to the crash site. A return hike to the crash site only is likely to require 7-8 hours including breaks, but if you want to continue on to the peak of Telapak Buruk, allow 12 hours for the return trip (unless you can prearrange a pick-up at the other end!)

The RAF B-24 Liberator plane apparently crashed on August 23rd, 1945 shortly after the end of World War II when dropping supplies. Some sources state the exact spot was discovered in 1996 by Orang Asli but others say it was in 2009. The site was officially commemorated in 2012 and the crew were formally laid to rest.

Note on the many ‘Berembuns’! The reason we have listed Telapak Buruk rather than Berembun is two-fold. Firstly, because Telapak Buruk is the highest peak and can be reached in a long day-hike from the Berembun trailhead. Secondly, because there are so many Berembuns in Malaysia that it gets totally confusing. There’s a Gunung Berembun (1,840m) near Tanah Rata in the Cameron Highlands which can be hiked easily in 3 hours or so. There’s another Berembun south of the main Cameron Highlands road from Ringlet which is the highest of all the Berembuns at 2,076m and is not very popular, requiring more time to get to the top of, usually along with neighbouring Gunung Hantu (1,930m). It is also known as Wray’s Berembun or Berembun Wray, presumably after the British botanist who spent much of his time in Perak. There is also a ‘Lata Berembun’ near Raub, Pahang, which is the usual starting point for a trek to Gunung Benum.   

Featured Guides

If you are a reliable local guide and would like to be featured on this page to increase your bookings, or a tourist who would like to support the development of a local guide business, please email danpquinn@gmail.com with the following information: Mountain name, guide name, guide location, guide contact details, and at least one English language review from a previous hiker who was pleased with the guiding services. An example is given below for reference. We have a maximum quota of 3 featured guides for each mountain page on the site. The fee for this is £20 (British pounds sterling, typically via the Wise app or PayPal) for a period of 1 year and helps to pay towards the ongoing development of the Gunung Bagging project.

• Name and location: Pak Budi, Surabaya, East Java.
• Contact details: +62812xxxxxxxx, budi@gmail.com, https://www.instagram.com/budi_mountain_guide/ 
• Review from previous client: “Budi was a brilliant guide for our September 2023 trek up Gunung X and I would definitely recommend him to other tourists“, John, USA.

Practicalities

• Getting there: coming soon.
• Permits: RM5 per person at the Gunung Berembun trailhead.
• Water sources: Several stream crossings near the Berembun trailhead.

Local Average Monthly Rainfall

Location