GUNONG TAHAN AND GUNONG RIAM. 9 
GUNONG TAHAN. 
Gunong Tahan has been, and perhaps still is to a certain extent, 
wrapped in the mantle of romance. This is not peculiar to Gunong 
Tahan alone, however, of the features of northern Pahang, for there 
was once a strong belief in the existence of a mountain chain bet- 
ween Pahang and Kelantan that trended east and west, of which 
Gunong Tahan was a part; and as the belief in this range crumbled 
away, so did the supposed height of Gunong Tahan, originally, if I 
remember rightly, stated as about 20,000 feet, descend rapidly down 
the scale, until now it is known that itis only a little over 7,000 
feet. 
Nevertheless, Gunong Tahan has always been an attraction for 
travellers, probably because of the Malay stories of the difficulties 
caused by Jins to prevent anyone reaching the top, and in 1905 
certainly, perhaps earlier, the summit was reached. I say perhaps 
earlier than 1905, because in 1902 Mr. John Waterstradt claimed to 
have ascended the mountain (vide this Journal No. 37, 1902, pp. 3— 
27), and I, for one, am not prepared to say that his claim is unfound- 
ed; but unfortunately the record of his journey is hard to follow. 
Several men have attempted to ascend Gunong Tahan—one, H. M. 
Becher, lost his life in the Tahan River, while another suffered 
severe privations and was forced to turn back, narrowly escaping 
disaster. But the size of Gunong Tahan compared with the great 
mountains of the world, and the facilities given by the vegetation, 
are such that its ascent can hardly be accounted a feat of mountain- 
eering. The unavoidable difficulties met with are those of trans- 
port of baggage, and it is the writer’s opinion that the only display 
of pluck was shown by the leader of the 1905 expedition, who, al- 
though about to retire, and in none too good health, determined to 
attempt the ascent before leaving the country, an attempt that was 
defeated by serious illness on the journey from the Tahan River to 
the ridge of Gunong Tahan itself. 
If we consider Mr. Waterstradt’s claim as a separate question, 
the honour of first ascending Gunong Tahan belongs to certain 
Malays with the 1905 expedition, Che Nik, Mu’min, Mat Aris, and 
Bulang (for an account of this expedition see Journal F.M.S. Mu- 
seums, Vol. iii, 1908). I met these men in the following year and 
one of them, Bulang, guided me to the top. 
In 1906, thanks to the timing of the attempt, the lightness of 
the baggage, the willingness of the Malays with me, and the well- 
worn paths, the ladders and the huts of the 1905 -expedition and a 
still more recent party headed by Mr. J. C. Sugars, the! ascent of 
Gunong Tahan was made without any. serious difficulty being en- 
countered or any hitch occurring with the men. The ascent was, 
in fact, a picnic. 
Starting from Kuala Lipis, I soon reached Kuala Tembeling, 
where I interviewed the genial Penghulu, Penglima Kakap 
Hussein, and obtained through him the services of three Tem- 
R, A. Sec., No. 62, 1912. 
