Mount Bawang

Gunung Bawang (Mount Bawang)

Hi again, everyone!
At this time, I would like to invite you to surf into my memory about a special place in my regency (my favorite one also), Gunung Bawang (Mount Bawang). Hmm.. Are you interested in? If “yup” is your reason, please come on in.

Everybody, in the previous article I ever said that Bengkayang is familiar with the call name of “Bumi Sebalo”. Well, exactly, this is not the only familiar name for us but it still has the other that is “a village in the foot of Gunung Bawang”. Although we are on its foot but the elegance of this mount brings the fresh air and water to our home.

Just like the other mount as Mount Niut, Mount Bawang is protected by the government and the people surround the forest. This protection is due to keep the existence of natural flora and fauna inside it, the quality of its fresh air and water, and also the total amount of water volume power per second (debit) as the source of local power station. About flora and fauna in Mount Bawang, we still be able to find some protected one of them such as Rhinoplax Vigil sp. (Enggang Gading),Orang Utan, Monkey, Tengkawang, Ulin sp. (Kayu Besi or Belian), Orchid (Anggrek Bulan), etc.

On the other hand, do not really burden because you can not do anything with those beautiful animals and plants in state of the existence of deer, boar (wild pig), and other animal that can be hunted there (it is good for you to ask for permission from the native people around; chief). But as a note, please be careful with a little thing that is always waiting for your blood there known as “pacet”, the small animal alike leech but it lives on the land (around the mount, but not longer exist in top of the mounth).

Mount Bawang exactly is constructed by more than one major mount but it consists of 7 mounts to be a mountainous area. The tallest mount is about 1460 meters tall where the trackers likely to point their destination there. According to the hiker shared, from the foot of the mount we need to spend 8 to 9 hours hiking (with standard speed made by the mostly senior hiker of that mount). Instead of the challenging and dangerous track, we are suggested to bring the most important things only such as food (high fat, protein, and glucose), sweater, thick blanket or sleeping bed, lent, matches, knife, tend, and so forth. The equipment that should we prepare must support our journey because the temperature is a little surprising about 8o to 20o Celsius at night and 16o to 20o Celsius at noon.

Well guys, I ever went to Mount Bawang twice (Febuary 2004 and 2005) but I haven’t reached the top of the mount yet (just stayed at the exact foot of this mount). It was about the requirement to fulfill our degree in scout organization in senior high with camping and long march by foot for miles. The route that we should take is a little hard at that time because it was really small (mouse way) after the section from the main street of our regency. Because of this reason, it was better for us to track it by foot about 4 or 5 hours rather than motorcycle, especially when it is the rain season. Although I was only on its foot at that time, everything there makes me miss to meet again, especially about its falling dew on the early morning to the morning (until around 9.00 a.m.) and the afternoon (around 5.00 p.m. to the night), its wonderful waterfalls, its fresh air, its pure and transparent water, its traditional bridge, its land smell, and Rhinoplax Vigil sp. (Enggang Gading) voice in the evening (a little scary but really interesting).

Hmm.. I bet that you will agree with me if you are ever there too. I really hope that someday there will be a chance for me to get there. If it will be so, would you like to come with me? As a note, don’t worry that this journey will kill your foot then because you are able to use your motorcycle in at this time.


Written by Ratna Wulandari
Source:
• http://www.bengkayangkab.go.id/profile/view/17
• http://www.equator-news.com/lintas-utara/bengkayang/sungai-sansak-kaya-air-terjun
• http://www.berita2.com/lingkungan/masalah-lingkungan/572-habitat-anggrek-di-bengkayang-dikeluhkan.html
• http://jabanex.blogspot.com/2007/11/alam-gunung-bawang-yang-memacu.html