[LIST] The Mountains I Have Conquered By Far

Before I became a long-distance runner, I had so many thrilling adventures in the mountains of Southeast Asia.

I have been in love with mountains since I was a Boy Scout in elementary and high school.

In fact, when I decided to move to Europe, being closer to the beautiful alpine mountains was one of my deciding factors.

Here’s a pic for your inspiration:

Relishing the sweeping views of Mont Blanc massif from a mountainside near Lac Blanc in Chamonix, France

As of this writing, I’ve conquered at least 10 big mountains.

Below is a list of mountains I have hiked and conquered in my life by far:

Mount Datuk, Malaysia – 885 metres a.s.l.

My hike to Mount Datuk in Rembau, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia holds a special place in my heart due to the fact that this was my first climb to a “named mountain.” Summiting this mountain gave me a boost of confidence to do more hikings.

Mount Datuk in Malaysia is a perfect mountain for first-time hikers.

Here’s a video of my first mountain adventure:

This hike to Mount Datuk in Malaysia became the first of many exciting mountain adventures I have done in my life. Through this mountain, I proved to myself that I can do so many exciting things despite all the hardships that came along my way. I realized that it was only my mind that was putting on the limits of what I could do.

Because this first climb was so dear to me, I returned to this mountain two years after with my Slovakian friend named Jakub, who was my adventure partner in Singapore. At this time, I have already conquered so many mountains in Southeast Asia and completed many marathon running events. I traced back all those remarkable achievements to this humble mountain.

A satisfying return to Mount Datuk in Malaysia. This day hike offers a sweeping, overlooking view of the state of Malacca at its summit boulder.

Mount Rinjani, Indonesia – 3,726 metres a.s.l.

Mount Rinjani is an active volcano on the island of Lombok which rises to 3,726 metres, making it the second-highest volcano in Indonesia. This mountain offers a tough but magnificent hiking experience with rewarding views from its crater rim. We could not help ourselves hiking down the crater lake and swimming in front of an active volcanic crater. Hardcore but I loved it!

Mount Fansipan, Vietnam – 3,143 metres a.s.l.

Mount Fansipan rises 3,143 meters above sea level and is the highest mountain in the Indochinese Peninsula (Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia).

Reaching the peak of Mount Fansipan in the middle of a storm.

The hike to Mount Fansipan was so memorable that I created a music video, inspired by The Hobbit film theme song.

Mount Rajah, Malaysia – 1,684 metres a.s.l.

Mount Rajah is 1,684 metres tall mountain located next to Chamang Waterfall at Bentong town, Pahang, Malaysia. It is considered one of the most challenging hikes in Malaysia which takes roughly at least 11 hours to complete.

Reaching the summit of Mount Rajah was so satisfying as the trail was very long and taxing with a lot of climbs.

This video shows how ecstatic I was with my hiking friends the moment we finally reached its summit.

A hiking trip to Mount Rajah in Malaysia.

Mount Apo, Philippines – 2,954 metres a.s.l.

Mount Apo is the highest peak in the Philippines standing at 2,954 metres above sea level. It’s located in Davao City, my home city of origin. I’ve climbed up this mountain already twice.

Mount Agung, Indonesia – 3,142 metres a.s.l.

Mount Agung is the highest peak and majestic volcano on the island of Bali, Indonesia. The hike was very challenging especially walking on the mountain’s ridge to react it’s true summit. I’ve conquered this mountain before its recent eruption.

Mount Irau, Malaysia – 2,110 metres a.s.l.

Mount Irau was a lovely hike in the mountains of Cameron Highlands m, Malaysia. It’s often wet and foggy giving a magical feel as you walk your way up the mountain through it’s mossy forest.

Reaching the summit of Mount Irau in Cameron Highlands, Malaysia after traversing through a mystical mossy forest.

Twin Mountains Korbu and Gayong, Malaysia – 2,183 metres a.s.l. and 2,173 metres a.s.l.

Mountains Korbu and Gayong were among the most challenging hikes I did in Peninsular Malaysia. The hike felt very long and there were plenty of bloodsucking leeches on its long trails. One of our hiking members also saw a sun bear so we hiked our way up with great caution.

Mount Ijen, Indonesia – 2,769 metres a.s.l.

Famed for it’s unique blue flames, Mount Ijen in Java Island, Indonesia offered a memorable experience walking down the volcano’s rocky crater lake. Aside from seeing blue flames, I also saw locals manually harvesting sulfur from the volcanic vent.

Mount Bromo Supervolcano, Indonesia – 2,329 metres a.s.l.

Mount Bromo is the easiest and most visually rewarding hike in Indonesia. This volcano is found in the middle of a huge supervolcano caldera which gives otherworldly feels.