Published on The Brunei Times
Rolling on an off-road trek
Liz Price
KUALA LUMPUR
Friday, July 6, 2007
LET'S ROLL! This was the familiar message given by our commander when it was time for the convoy to start moving. The convoy kept in contact via walkie talkie, each car having a call sign such as Alpha 1, Bravo 2. The commander could ensure that all cars were moving and the sweeper would inform him when all cars had cleared obstacles such as traffic lights and road junctions.
We were in a group of 11 vehicles on an introductory off-road adventure with MORE (Malaysia Off-Road Explorer), a group of dedicated and experienced 4WDrivers who organise light, medium and semi-hardcore off-road outings. For our group of German visitors it was a perfect way to experience Malaysia's off-road terrain and nature, namely plantations and jungle.
The journey from Kuala Lumpur to Slim River in Perak was smooth and we then headed for the first off-road section designed as a familiarisation stage. This took us through a rubber plantation and the drivers were able to explain the basics of driving off-road. After a while we stopped to see the process of rubber tapping. This is the natural source of the expensive tyres our cars were using. We were shown how the tree is cut so that the latex drips down into the cup. It's hard to imagine that this sticky white liquid is used to make the familiar hard black rubber used on vehicles worldwide.
Our next stop was the hot springs at Ulu Slim. With a water temperature of 104C, these springs are reputed to be the fifth hottest in the world. Steam was rising off the surface of the water, and the pond was a mix of colours with green algae and shades of brown from minerals, but there was only a very slight smell of sulphur. One of the drivers had brought along some eggs, and they soon cooked in the super-hot water. A concrete walkway gives access to the main source of the spring, where even the rocks are almost too hot to touch.
We went past a lake with wallowing buffaloes, and then the real fun began. We headed off-road onto a sandy track and began to drive on rough terrain, where the participants were given the chance to drive.
Unfortunately there had been no rain so the track was very dry, meaning that even the steep hills posed little problem. I can imagine they would be a real challenge when wet and muddy. There were three metre deep ruts on one side and a steep drop down the hillslope on the other. My car had one interesting moment when the driver tried to change gear going up a steep hill and stalled. It took a lot of revs to get us going again; luckily we didn't roll back too far!
We stopped at an oil palm plantation and as we passed a trailer laden with bunches of oil palm fruits, everyone was keen to take photos. I always think these clusters of fruits resemble porcupines. The plantation gave way to jungle and at one point we were driving close to a stream which had clear water and looked quite beautiful. The orange flowers of the Saraca trees provided a contrast to the jungle greens and the blue sky.
A river crossing was the next challenge. It was fun to watch each car go through, some drivers approaching quite gingerly whereas others rushed it, making a big splash. By now everyone was ready for lunch.
We turned into the MORE campsite and I was surprised to see men in chef's hats putting the final touches to a table laden with food. The campsite is ideally situated at the confluence of two streams. It has running water transported by bamboo pipes and even flushable toilets and a shower! No need to dig holes in the ground here. The food was delicious and there was plenty of it, and everyone was happy.
After lunch one driver was thrown into the river. He was on his maiden voyage with MORE, so this was his initiation dunking. He took it in good spirit and was soon joined by others. After the obligatory group photo, it was time to head back.
We had some fun on the second river crossing, when one car went into a deep section and then had to be winched out. At least this gave us a chance to see winching in action. Other drivers decided to chicken out and went over the bridge instead.
On the return we stopped at an Orang Asli settlement. The people are a mix of Semai and Sewang. They are used to seeing the 4WD convoys pass through, although some of the younger children still hid from the cameras. We gave some goodies to the children and it was a satisfying end to an excellent day.
MORE runs a variety of 4WD packages, from one day to about 10 days. These are adventure tours in the Malaysian jungle, but they also incorporate cultural and historical sites. The Brunei Times
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