This trail’s special attraction is that, for hikers and runners, finishing it with a GPS-enabled smartwatch or smartphone earns you bragging rights and a line art of a prancing unicorn marking your route along Penang’s hill range.
If you are an avid hiker or trail runner, the Unicorn Trail in Penang must be on your bucket list.
The unique draw of this trail is that completing it with a GPS-enabled smartwatch or smartphone rewards you with the line art of a prancing unicorn marking your route along Penang’s hill range, becoming a badge of honour and earning bragging rights for hikers and runners.
The trail is 26km, with 1,400m in elevation gain. A fit trail runner may take under four hours to complete it, while the average hiker may take as many as seven hours.
Being able to draw the outline of a unicorn on the GPS tracker of your smart watch or phone while you hike is a badge of honour that earns you bragging rights.The Unicorn Trail was mapped out in 2018, and originally, it was called the Horse Trail. Some even called it the Ferrari Trail, since the prancing horse outline resembles that venerable sports car’s emblem.
A technical crew member of a cross-country race, Adha Salleh, was plotting a 60km race route for the Ultimate Trails of Penang (UToP) race.
The team, including UToP race director and Endurance Nature co-founder Ng Seow Kong, technical team leader Fisol Khalib, and safety manager Roger Choo, were amused to find that part of the GPS outline of the route clearly showed the front half and head of a horse.
Adha then found trails to add on and form the whole horse.
An unknown runner or hiker later plotted a path to add the horn, and the Unicorn Trail was born.
The trail seems to be in a constant state of evolution.
Some advanced runners added the shape of a wing to the horse, creating the line art of a horned Pegasus (mythic flying horse).
Other runners made minor adjustments to plot a unicorn with slimmer legs and a deeper torso.
Some runners gave the unicorn a large bushy tail, and others chose a short, upstanding tail.
A few cheeky hikers make a sharp detour at the lower abdomen segment to create a decidedly male unicorn by forming the shape of a willy.
Anyone who creates a fat unicorn with short legs might be suspected of getting momentarily lost here and there.
From long flights of staircases to runnable paths, the Unicorn Trail is an exhilarating one for fit hikers and trail runners.
Many hikers who “found” the unicorn will freely give advice and tips to aspirants.
The route is not for beginner hikers, said Penangite hiker Venix Lau, who gives the trail a difficulty rating of seven out of 10.
“The steep inclines at the horn are slippery when it rains.
“You may get lost. It is better to attempt the trail with an experienced hiker,” she added.
R. Umadewi, a trail runner from Semenyih, Selangor, agrees that it is not a beginner’s trail because it is a long journey with moderate difficulty, although those with well-honed endurance and cardio will enjoy it.
“We started our journey at 8am and completed it at 3pm. Our journey started at the unicorn’s foreleg, and the interesting part was locating the horn. It felt amazing when we saw the signboard ‘Anda di Hujung Tanduk Unicorn (You are at the tip of the unicorn’s horn)’,” she said.
Steep trails and obstacles make the Unicorn Trail unsuitable for novice hikers.
Regular hiker Desmond Foo loves the Unicorn Trail because it encompasses well-known checkpoints known locally as Mt Olivia, 46, 84 and Station 5.
The route even includes the top of Penang Hill.
“But have about three litres of water and a decent amount of food to keep your energy levels up. And trail shoes are highly recommended,” he said.
Trail shoes are a cross between running and hiking shoes, made with light material and yet providing lugged outsoles for superior traction.
Trail runner Dr Bryan Yeoh, a surgical trainee practising in Penang Hospital, characterised the Unicorn Trail as a good training route for those who take the sport as a passion.
“Keep an eye out for wild animals along the trail, especially snakes. The hardest part of the trail is the hunt for the horn,” he added.
Use trail shoes with lugged outsoles for maximum traction to negotiate Penang’s Unicorn Trail.
Local runner Sepol Nuar warns of thorny trees, especially at the horn segment.
As this is a steep ascent and descent, he reminds others to be alert and look first before grabbing trees for support.
Trail explorer Kevin Lim, who has raced in many trail races in Malaysia and parts of Asia, said he loved the Unicorn Trail for its variety of terrain.
“Some of the classic trails have existed since the 1800s. I enjoy running on the rolling tracks and climbing the steepest staircase along the Heritage Trail,” he said.
Those who strike out on Penang’s Unicorn Trail before dawn can catch a breathtaking sunrise over mainland Penang and Kedah from the top of Penang Hill.
Krystal Khaw is an 18-time podium winner in ultra-trail races and is the current women’s record holder for the fastest vertical kilometre at the Malaysian Mountain Trail Festival.
She trains by running along the Penang Hill range weekly for distances of over 50km and has done so for about 20 years. To get a GPS map file of the Unicorn Trail, contact her on Instagram @creamycrimson.
You can start the trail at any point, and although it is much better to join seasoned hikers, here is a general walk-through.
It is common to start here at Penang’s City Park (formerly called Youth Park), right at the basketball court. There is ample parking, and you get a good 3km warm-up run. To reach the top of Penang Hill and behold the rising sun, runners start at the ungodly hour of 4am, so have a good headlamp if you want to do that.
The route will lead you towards the main road, creating the unicorn’s front hoof, and then straight up towards Penang Botanic Gardens, shaping the front legs.
A sharp U-turn right after the Botanic Gardens’ entrance will take you through a grassy trail beside Sungai Air Terjun. You can miss the trail and must rely heavily on the GPS map to lead you to the horn.
The horn section is the steepest and most challenging. It will be tough-going until you find the tree with the sign “Anda Di Hujung Tanduk Unicorn”, which is not easy to find.
Some hikers fail to find it, so if you do, strike a jubilant pose and snap a picture.
Then continue on a steep section up and around Mount Olivia towards Penang Hill Station 46 via Mountain Bike Road to complete the unicorn head.
A straightforward route with a mix of runnable tarmac and dirt trails. From Station 46, it’s a ways up, passing Station 84. There are washrooms at Stations 46 and 84 to answer nature’s call. You will go all the way to the Viaduct Train Station.
Turn right towards the marked Path G and then Path A to the top of Penang Hill.
You will find a cafeteria, but remember to pause your GPS tracker if you want to patronise it, or you will mess up your mapping.
(Anytime you want to make detours, pause your GPS tracker if creating the unicorn line art is the name of your game.)
This part takes you along one of the oldest trails in Penang Hill, the Moniot Trail, completed in 1825 and named after surveyor-general of the Straits Settlements, Jules M. Moniot.
Trot down a seemingly endless flight of stairs along the Heritage Trail, which follows the funicular railway (one of the steepest railways in the world) to the Lower Train Station
This is a straight 700m descent of over 3km towards sea level.
It can make your knees scream in pain and turn your legs into jelly when you finally reach the bottom.
Do take it slow and keep a steady cadence to avoid a tragedy.
Once you reach the Lower Train Station, continue on along the road towards Hye Keat Estate.
This will be the final climb, passing durian orchards.
Refer to your mapping for a sharp turning towards a raw track towards Station 39. By raw, it means there are no clear routes, and you literally need to beat around the bush.
Once you reach Station 39, onwards is a runnable trail towards Station 5, popularly called Moongate Five, then Station 3, and finally the end at your starting point of the City Park basketball court.
Check your mapping to see if you’ve successfully connected the torso to the front legs.
If yes, you’ve completed the Unicorn Trail and can share your map on social media and brag all you want.
