Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Broga Hill

Background: Widely known as Bukit Broga (Broga Hill) in the recent years, Bukit Lalang is situated in the area of Broga, Semenyih, Selangor Darul Ehsan. 

Standing at 400 metres above sea level, Broga Hill offers an alternative scenery to the normal forest hikes. True to its name, the fields are filled with lallangs all over up till the third hilltop. The sceneries are beautiful regardless of the weather conditions and it's no wonder that 'Broga' entices many professional as well as aspiring photographers.

How to get there: The best map to Broga that I could find was the one below showing the directions to the University of Nottingham. You would pass the university on your left before reaching a rabbit farm opposite the hike entrance. Parking is at either along the shoulders of the road or the clearing within the palm oil plantation, with the latter having a charge of RM2 to it. 

This map is intended for sharing purpose

The Journey
I've been to Broga at least five times before I penned down this post. 

My first attempt at Broga was set on catching the early glimpse of sunrise at the hill. Too bad the day was cloudy, and the sunrise shied away from us. The second attempt a couple of months later proved to be rewarding as we got some pretty sunrise shots despite starting the hike at a much later time. The subsequent third, fourth and fifth visits many months then were just as fascinating. Over these several visits, my friends and I have had the chance to experience the clear weather, the windy condition and even the black clouds signaling the oncoming rain at the same exact location.

The elusive sunrise on a cloudy day


Hiking Broga was relatively easy. It only took 20-30 minutes from the ascending point to the third or even the fourth peak of the hills. The beginning part of the hike called for a short trekking through the forest. It was quite steep at certain places and there were several narrow cliffs to cross over so do bring along torchlights/headlights if you're starting your hike pre-dawn. 

Soon after, we reached upon a flight of man-made pits, truly for hikers' convenience. The almost vertical climb could be a challenge so I made a point to look above and bask in the amazing clear blue sky while I was at it. It's also during this time that having a good pair of sneakers with soles made one feel grateful. Oh well, with the kind of crowds coming to Broga these days 'traffic jam' was due to happen so you probably could take your time climbing up and not feeling so tired ;-) 


It's the climb! 

The hike towards the subsequent peaks after that was a breeze. It's photography session time! It would be such a shame if you forgot your precious lil' camera! Oh, and avoid being dehydrated at any chance so don't forget to bring your water pack. Light snacks for a small picnic afterwards is okay too.   
Flagging Jalur Gemilang on a windy day


Lovely blue sky


As we're nearing the fourth peak, the path got rocky and the tracks were somewhat barren. Everybody must be careful when stepping upwards here since one could slip down if he suddenly trips on loosen earth. 

The view that awaited us was amazing! Up here I felt closer to the blue skies, and the groups of big boulders there formed such a beautiful backdrop for photoshoots :D  




Really, but that was not the end to this, yet. Further up would be our last peak, which required climbing up using a rope. Be extra cautious here as it is easy to slip down if one is not careful.  





The climb towards the last peak

Alas, there we were at the peak of Broga Hill! Yeay! 



And that was the summary of my adventures to Broga Hill. On a special note, a lot has happened since the first time we stepped our foot on the hill. Broga has been getting many coverage in the news lately ranging from scary (some people seeing paranormal activities?!), romantic (wedding photoshoots of Angkasawan Negara) to shocking accident (rolled over by the big rock? hhmm...). Well, all I can say is that we should practice caution at all times. Safety first ya!     

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