Why I Think Gunung Nuang Is Harder Than Mount Kinabalu 😂

Why I Think Gunung Nuang Is Harder Than Mount Kinabalu 😂

For me personally — I honestly think Gunung Nuang is harder than Mount Kinabalu. There, I said it hahaha.

Even though Mount Kinabalu is 4,095m high and is the highest mountain in Malaysia, while Gunung Nuang is only around 1,493m.

Gunung Nuang is not even the highest mountain in Peninsular Malaysia. That title belongs to Gunung Tahan at 2,187m. It's also only the 3rd highest mountain in Selangor and doesn't even make the famous Malaysia G7 mountains list.

But somehow…

This mountain still feels harder for me. 😂

And after hiking it 3 times already, I think I finally understand why.

Gunung Nuang summit, Hulu Langat — Mountain #5 of the 60 Mountains Challenge Malaysia

Gunung Nuang Has Two Main Routes

Gunung Nuang actually has two hiking routes — and they feel like two completely different mountains lah.

1. Janda Baik Route

The Janda Baik route is considered slightly hard to hard. Normally people take around 5–6 hours to complete up and down, depending on pace and weather conditions. Still tiring, but manageable for experienced hikers.

2. Pangsun Route — The Famous One 💀

Then there's the Pangsun route from Hulu Langat, Selangor. This is the most popular route. And also the hardest one 😂

For normal hikers, it usually takes around 12–15 hours to complete the whole hike up and down.

Honestly if you've never hiked a mountain before — or have no experience with at least 4–6 hour hikes — better don't simply try first lah. This mountain really can destroy your stamina badly hahaha.

This one is really not "play play" mountain 💀

The First 5KM Is Fake Hope 😂

The beginning actually still okay lah. You walk on a forest road first. Quite chill, can still talk and joke around.

Then after around 5KM…

The real suffering starts hahaha.

Suddenly everything becomes:

• Steep jungle trekking 😭
• Muddy trails everywhere
• Endless uphill climbing
• Slippery sections
• Roots and rocks everywhere you step

Compared to Mount Kinabalu where the trail is more organized with proper stairs and designated resting huts, Gunung Nuang feels much more raw. More wild. And honestly much more mentally tiring.

Cross Rivers, Climb Hills, Repeat 🔥

Another thing that makes this mountain genuinely hard is the terrain itself. It's not just one type of challenge — it keeps changing and testing you.

You need to:

• Cross around 5 rivers along the route
• Climb steep jungle trails with no rope
• Manage slippery terrain especially after rain
• Survive 12+ hours of continuous hiking

During rainy season, this mountain can become dangerous quite fast. The rivers rise, the trails get muddy, and everything gets twice as hard. So weather here is really important — don't underestimate it just because the elevation is lower than Kinabalu.

Not Much View… But Crazy Good Training 🥲

Okay one of the funny things about Gunung Nuang — there's actually not much view. 😂

Most of the hike is just jungle. Green trees, more green trees, and then some more green trees. Even the summit itself sometimes has no view depending on the weather.

But despite that, many people still love this mountain. Because Gunung Nuang is honestly one of the best endurance training mountains in Selangor. A lot of trail runners use it for training. Sometimes got organized trail run events here also.

If you're training for an ultra marathon or preparing for more difficult mountains — Gunung Nuang is a very solid training ground lah.

Saraca thaipingensis (Pokok Gapis) — one of the beautiful surprises hiding along the Gunung Nuang trail 🌸

The Cute Squirrels at the Peak 🐿️

Okay but one thing I genuinely love about Gunung Nuang — the squirrels at the summit. 😂

When you reach the peak, there's usually a few squirrels waiting there. They're already quite famous among Malaysian hikers. Completely not scared of humans, some of them will literally approach you.

After suffering through hours of jungle, steep terrain, and river crossings — suddenly see cute squirrel running towards you really can heal your soul a bit. I'm not even joking hahaha.

The famous Gunung Nuang squirrels — very tame, very cute, 100% the highlight of reaching the summit 🐿️

The "Never Ending Route" 😭

For me, the hardest part is actually coming down. Especially the final 5KM.

People call it the "never ending route" — and honestly after experiencing it myself, I understand why lah. When you're going down, everything starts looking exactly the same.

Same bamboo. Same trail. Same jungle. Same suffering. 😂

The first time I hiked it, I seriously thought I was lost for a moment. Mentally so exhausting. I think this section is what genuinely breaks most people — not the ascent, but the descent.

Your legs can survive the climb. Your mind struggles with the "are we there yet" on the way down.

My Experience Hiking Gunung Nuang (3 Times Already) 🏔

I've completed Gunung Nuang 3 times now. The most recent one was around 2 and a half months ago, as part of my 60 Mountains Challenge Malaysia content project.

During that last trip, we also placed our So Hikers Malaysia signboard at the summit 🌿 — which was a meaningful moment for us.

So Hikers Malaysia signboard at the Gunung Nuang summit 🌿 — Mountain #5 done!

Honestly after 3 times… I think enough first lah. 😂 I don't think I'll be going back anytime soon hahaha.

But at the same time, I completely understand why Gunung Nuang is considered one of the toughest mountains in Selangor. Not because of the elevation. But because this mountain slowly destroys your:

• Legs 🦵
• Stamina 💨
• Mental strength 🧠
• Patience 😂

Over a very, very long period of time. 💀