Trekking from Tekek to Juara

Prior to the trek

Ensure that you have shoes with a good grip, hiking boots are not necessary. Also ensure you have at least a 1-litre water bottle with you for the trek as there are no resting stops that can provide you with more water.

Don't worry too much about sunblock as the foliage provides ample shade although you should slap some on for the walk from where you are up until the start of the trail, which does not have shade.

During the monsoon season, it might be prudent to postpone the trek unless you are highly experienced and not attempting the trek alone. The trail will be come slippery and getting stuck in the jungle in the middle of torrential rain can be quite unnerving.

Make sure you have a watch or some sort of time-keeping device to keep track of time. The trek will take about 2.5 to 3 hours. You should not attempt the trek after 4:30pm as it will get dark in the jungle despite being bright on the outside.

Starting Point: Tekek Jetty

From Tekek's jetty, head north, towards Air Batang. After you pass by the kampung huts, you will see a sign that tells you to turn right if you wish you go to Juara or the mosque. Turn right into that road.

From there, it is a straigh path that starts to ascend. You will reach what looks like a water plant. Look towards the right where there is a sign on a wall that says "Juara" along with a hand-drawn snake under the word. Veer right and walk along the vegetation trail.

How to survive the trek

Navigation

Don't worry about getting lost. While the trail is fairly visible, it gets rather confusing in some places if you rely on the ground alone. An electric cable runs through the forest to Juara and you should always keep it in sight to know if you are going the right way.

Moving along

The initial part of the trek involves going up, up and up, which can get pretty tiring especially if you have your backpack and a full bottle of water to carry.

Keep going for as long as you can then stop for a short break. Do not tire yourself out too much and risk injury. This writer, who regularly trains for two sports, also had to stop for breaks several times. Thankfully the forest provides ample shade from the sun.

There are points in the trail where you have to cross over fallen trees, boulders and streams and that is why the shoes with good grip are important. Don't worry, you wont have to get your shoes wet.

Distance and Time

There are no markers along the trail to tell you how far along you are, which can be quite a concern; just how far have you gone and how much more is there to go before the sun sets?

As long as you keep going at a regular walking pace and even including stopping for numerous breaks, you should not take more than 3 hours to complete the trek. About 40 minutes in, this writer was taking breaks every 10 minutes during the ascend and she managed to complete the trek in 2.5 hours.

Mid-point: Waterfall

During the trek, you will see a small waterfall. This is a rough halfway mark to the trek. It won't be long before you start descending and can heave a sigh of relief.

Three-quarter mark: Concrete road

At the rough three-quarter mark, you would have reached a concrete road that continues to decend, as well as see a sign that points you the way to Juara. Here, you can surrender to 4WDs or motorcycles that pass by if you are too tired to continue, although it does get much easier from this point and is about another hour before you reach Juara.

Destination: Juara

You will see signs of civilisation in the form of three eateries, Hamdan Beach Cafe, Ali Putra Mini Cafe and Kak Long Cafe, right in front of you.

Welcome to Kampung Juara.

Give yourself a pat on the back for completing the trek and may begin sinking in to the relaxed vibe of Juara.