mt ophir



i have climbed mt ophir only once, and that was done some thirty years ago, but the wonderful memories of the trip linger. i can well understand why some people go back again and again, climbing the mountain 30 times.

our group that made the climb comprised eight teachers and some 32 students from four schools. we brought along six-man tents, cooking stoves and provisions. it was not physically tiring for us as we were well prepared for it. the only part that presented some problem was the steep rock face near the summit.

from the top, on a clear day, you can see the straits of malacca. in the night, you can see the simmering lights of the coastal towns. we stayed long enough to see all these and the sunrise in the morning.

the johor parks which now takes charge of the climbing at mt ophir has made the trip much safer and less stressful (you certainly won't get lost any more!) by making it compulsory to have guides. they charge rm$150 for a group of up to 10 people. the johor parks authority has also cleaned up the trial and the campsite from the decades of trash thrown by inconsiderate campers, so it is a much more pleasant experience these days.

it is best that you book the guide first by calling them or e-mailing them. this is because sometimes the mountain is crowded and there may be no place to camp at the campsite of your choice, especially on the popular air panas/sagil route from johor.

more people have climbed mt ophir than any other mountain in west malaysia. located at the border of johor and melaka states, it can be climbed from either side of these two states. from melaka, the trail starts at the asahan village near a waterworks and is more straight forward and easier than from johor side. the trail from johor starts near the sagil village beside a cascade of waterfalls within the grounds of the gunong ledang resort.