If you’re an avid hiker or path runner, the Unicorn Trail in Penang should be in your bucket listing.
The distinctive draw of this path is that finishing it with a GPS-enabled smartwatch or smartphone rewards you with the road artwork of a prancing unicorn marking your route alongside Penang’s hill vary, changing into a badge of honour and incomes bragging rights for hikers and runners.
The path is 26km, with 1,400m in elevation achieve. A match path runner could take underneath 4 hours to finish it, whereas the typical hiker could take as many as seven hours.
Being in a position to attract the define of a unicorn on the GPS tracker of your good watch or telephone when you hike is a badge of honour that earns you bragging rights.The Unicorn Trail was mapped out in 2018, and initially, it was known as the Horse Trail. Some even known as it the Ferrari Trail, for the reason that prancing horse define resembles that venerable sports activities automotive’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 crew, together with UToP race director and Endurance Nature co-founder Ng Seow Kong, technical crew chief Fisol Khalib, and security supervisor Roger Choo, have been amused to search out that a part of the GPS define of the route clearly confirmed the entrance half and head of a horse.
Adha then discovered trails so as to add on and kind the entire horse.
An unknown runner or hiker later plotted a path so as to add the horn, and the Unicorn Trail was born.
The path appears to be in a continuing state of evolution.
Some superior runners added the form of a wing to the horse, creating the road artwork of a horned Pegasus (mythic flying horse).
Other runners made minor changes to plot a unicorn with slimmer legs and a deeper torso.
Some runners gave the unicorn a big bushy tail, and others selected a brief, upstanding tail.
A few cheeky hikers make a pointy detour on the decrease stomach section to create a decidedly male unicorn by forming the form of a willy.
Anyone who creates a fats unicorn with brief legs could be suspected of getting momentarily misplaced right here and there.
From lengthy flights of staircases to runnable paths, the Unicorn Trail is an exhilarating one for match hikers and path runners.
Many hikers who “found” the unicorn will freely give recommendation and tricks to aspirants.
The route isn’t for newbie hikers, stated Penangite hiker Venix Lau, who offers the path an issue score 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 path runner from Semenyih, Selangor, agrees that it’s not a newbie’s path as a result of it’s a lengthy journey with reasonable issue, though these with well-honed endurance and cardio will get pleasure from 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 stated.
Steep trails and obstacles make the Unicorn Trail unsuitable for novice hikers.
Regular hiker Desmond Foo loves the Unicorn Trail as a result of it encompasses well-known checkpoints identified regionally as Mt Olivia, 46, 84 and Station 5.
The route even consists of the highest 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 stated.
Trail sneakers are a cross between working and climbing sneakers, made with gentle materials and but offering lugged outsoles for superior traction.
Trail runner Dr Bryan Yeoh, a surgical trainee practising in Penang Hospital, characterised the Unicorn Trail as a great coaching route for those that take the game as a ardour.
“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 path sneakers with lugged outsoles for most traction to barter Penang’s Unicorn Trail.
Local runner Sepol Nuar warns of thorny timber, particularly on the horn section.
As it is a steep ascent and descent, he reminds others to be alert and look first earlier than grabbing timber for help.
Trail explorer Kevin Lim, who has raced in lots of path races in Malaysia and elements of Asia, stated he beloved the Unicorn Trail for its number 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 stated.
Those who strike out on Penang’s Unicorn Trail earlier than daybreak can catch a wide ranging dawn over mainland Penang and Kedah from the highest of Penang Hill.
Krystal Khaw is an 18-time podium winner in ultra-trail races and is the present girls’s file holder for the quickest vertical kilometre on the Malaysian Mountain Trail Festival.
She trains by working alongside the Penang Hill vary weekly for distances of over 50km and has performed so for about 20 years. To get a GPS map file of the Unicorn Trail, contact her on Instagram @creamycrimson.
You can begin the path at any level, and though it’s significantly better to affix seasoned hikers, here’s a normal walk-through.
Front Leg
It is widespread to begin right here at Penang’s City Park (previously known as Youth Park), proper on the basketball courtroom. There is ample parking, and you get a great 3km warm-up run. To attain the highest of Penang Hill and behold the rising solar, runners begin on the ungodly hour of 4am, so have a great headlamp if you wish to try this.
The route will lead you in the direction of the principle street, creating the unicorn’s entrance hoof, and then straight up in the direction of Penang Botanic Gardens, shaping the entrance legs.
Head and Horn
A sharp U-turn proper after the Botanic Gardens’ entrance will take you thru a grassy path beside Sungai Air Terjun. You can miss the path and should rely closely on the GPS map to steer you to the horn.
The horn part is the steepest and most difficult. It shall be tough-going till you discover the tree with the signal “Anda Di Hujung Tanduk Unicorn”, which isn’t simple to search out.
Some hikers fail to search out it, so in case you do, strike a jubilant pose and snap an image.
Then proceed on a steep part up and round Mount Olivia in the direction of Penang Hill Station 46 by way of Mountain Bike Road to finish the unicorn head.
Unicorn’s Back
A simple route with a mixture of runnable tarmac and grime trails. From Station 46, it’s a methods up, passing Station 84. There are washrooms at Stations 46 and 84 to reply nature’s name. You will go all the best way to the Viaduct Train Station.
Tail
Turn proper in the direction of the marked Path G and then Path A to the highest of Penang Hill.
You will discover a cafeteria, however keep in mind to pause your GPS tracker if you wish to patronise it, or you’ll mess up your mapping.
(Anytime you need to make detours, pause your GPS tracker if creating the unicorn line artwork is the identify of your sport.)
This half takes you alongside one of many oldest trails in Penang Hill, the Moniot Trail, accomplished in 1825 and named after surveyor-general of the Straits Settlements, Jules M. Moniot.
Hind Legs
Trot down a seemingly infinite flight of stairs alongside the Heritage Trail, which follows the funicular railway (one of many steepest railways on the earth) to the Lower Train Station
This is a straight 700m descent of over 3km in the direction of sea degree.
It could make your knees scream in ache and flip your legs into jelly while you lastly attain the underside.
Do take it sluggish and preserve a gentle cadence to keep away from a tragedy.
Once you attain the Lower Train Station, proceed on alongside the street in the direction of Hye Keat Estate.
This would be the last climb, passing durian orchards.
Refer to your mapping for a pointy turning in the direction of a uncooked observe in the direction of Station 39. By uncooked, it means there aren’t any clear routes, and you actually have to beat across the bush.
Torso and the End
Once you attain Station 39, onwards is a runnable path in the direction of Station 5, popularly known as Moongate Five, then Station 3, and lastly the tip at your start line of the City Park basketball courtroom.
Check your mapping to see in case you’ve efficiently linked the torso to the entrance legs.
If sure, you’ve accomplished the Unicorn Trail and can share your map on social media and brag all you need.
