Kedah is a small village high on the western flank of Gunung Leuser and the usual starting point for serious climbs of Mount Leuser itself. The village sits at around 1,300 metres altitude in cool, damp country very different from the lowland forest at Bukit Lawang. There are a few simple losmen and a handful of registered guides who organise the multi-day climb.
The summit expedition takes between 10 and 14 days return, with most of that time spent on or near the long approach ridge. The route is difficult, the weather unpredictable, and the costs significant — guides, porters, food and permits for a small group typically run to several million rupiah a head. For travellers without that much time, a two- or three-day trek out of Kedah to the foothill forest and back is a manageable alternative and still gives a sense of the wilder, less-visited side of the park.