Ong Siew Choo, better known as Kazumi, on a section of the trail she created on Bukit Dinding. - Photo: Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR: It is hard to believe that part of the Kazumi trail in Bukit Dinding, a popular hiking destination near Wangsa Maju, has been created single-handedly by a woman who is a cancer survivor.
Hikers brave enough to tackle this path often refer to it as the "trail of regret" or "roller coaster trail”, a testament to its challenging and demanding nature.
Climbing the 291m-high Bukit Dinding via the Kazumi trail tests one’s endurance as it is slippery and requires strong arms to grip the ropes firmly throughout the climb. This is why the trail is not as popular as the tarred route leading to the peak.
However, the challenging nature of the Kazumi trail symbolises its creator Ong Siew Choo's fighting spirit in battling the disease that many fear.
Ong, 47, whose nickname is Kazumi, was diagnosed with Stage 2 lymphoma (a type of blood cancer) about eight years ago.
"I was distraught and even lost the will to live,” the mother-of-two said, adding she underwent chemotherapy eight times and radiotherapy 25 times.
Ong eventually snapped out of her negativity and told herself she was not going to give up easily. She decided to challenge herself by engaging in physical activities, something she rarely did before. By then, it was already 2020 and the Covid-19 pandemic had set in.
"I chose to go hiking in the forest in Bukit Dinding as I stayed nearby in Wangsa Maju and could walk there,” she said, adding that although the movement control order was in force then, recreational activities were allowed.
Determined to fight cancer by getting closer to nature, alongside taking her medication, Ong said she tried to enter the forested area in Bukit Dinding through what looked like a trail located close to her home.
But, as she found out soon, there was no trail there.
"That part of the forest had obviously not been explored by any hiker,” she said.
Determined to carve out a trail, Ong brought along a hoe, knife and small saw as well as ropes to forge a path up the hill.
"At that time, I would enter the forest as early as 7am by myself to create the trail. Slowly, I cleared the small trees and created the path to make a trail.
"In some places, I installed ropes because of the steep slopes, and gradually, it turned into a 1m-wide trail that was safe for hikers to use,” she said.
It took Ong about three months to complete the Kazumi trail.
"Throughout the process, I didn’t push myself too hard. There were times I would sit and rest, enjoying the birds chirping and the sound of the waterfall, and watching the antics of monkeys... these moments allowed me to clear my mind and find a sense of peace,” she said.
Her approach of connecting closely with nature unexpectedly brought joyful news when she was declared cancer-free in December 2021 and no longer needed to take medication.
"I am grateful I made a full recovery, perhaps because I often entered the Bukit Dinding forest... I owe a lot to nature and now, I am focusing on helping other hikers to connect with the Bukit Dinding forest," she said.
Meanwhile, Friends of Bukit Dinding Association president Adrihazim Rashid said his team supports Kazumi’s efforts in creating the trail, adding they also helped improve the route, including installing signboards.
"Previously, there was another trail specifically for hikers and runners that took them to the peak of Bukit Dinding. So, we extended the trail Kazumi (Ong) created, making the entire trail about 6km long.
"Now that there is a safe and complete trail, the number of visitors hiking Bukit Dinding has increased, with up to 100 to 200 people on weekends," he added. - Bernama
