#lenggeng

by twodogsroberts » Mon Nov 28, 2011 9:11 pm

Date: Sunday, 27 Nov 2011 Hares: Chee, Geoff, Johnny, Simon, Chiang, Sylvia, Mohan, Julian and Bernard Venue: Ulu Beranang/ Lenggeng Think the words of Lloyd just prior to the start of this bash is a good place to begin: "How on Earth did the Hares find this parking venue?!" My answer was "I'm sure they've cycled by this location in the past, well before starting recce's for this ride!" Only as we descended the last single track and across the bridge did I actually realized that how right that was! The football field was "the" perfect venue; river beside us, a field with hard-packed dirt rather than grass which we could have ruined, and plenty of parking for most. We were lucky, though, there wasn't a large turn-out of bashers, and it may have been due to the warnings by our illustrious hares about how tough the ride would be. While the trails were as beautiful as mentioned in their preambles, the toughness was a little over-rated! During the briefing, we were cautioned once more about Magic Link, told about the paper (all square for long and short), that there were falsies and that the long was somewhere more than 25-km but maybe closer to 30-km. Love that vagueness! The only delineation between the two rides was that the long would be on the south side of the river/ parking while the short would be on the north side! That description along enabled us to know that the ride would be a big counterclockwise loop. Off we went down the small tarmac road for around 1.5 km, with Simon in tow to make sure we made the correct left turn to enter the long trail. He obviously thought that we didn't know which way to go, but if people paid attention on the way into the bash site, you'd have seen the signs posted on the trees. The first check was within the rubber estate a short time later beside a little shack. I checked back and up, and finding nothing but boor spoors came back to hear calls off "on-on" being called down where we came from. Obviously some of my fellow FROPs didn't know which way was the in-trail ... they had discovered that paper! In parallel, Simon and Johnny, who were standing near the intersection of paths, went "it's not a back-check" and looked longingly towards the only other path possible; a narrow single track leading down at an angle from the shack. Leigh and Daniel were playing Billy Goat up on some terraces in that direction, still not realizing that they were on the right trail ... despite the hordes of bashers coming their way with Simon, Johnny and myself laying paper! Note: Sorry, Daniel, I heard you weren't wearing your pink underwear today and don't get claim to this check. At the top of this climb we went onto a beautiful double track meandering at altitude with a view of to the right for a short bit until we entered palm. Herein lay what would be a problem for most of the rest of the ride; scarcity of paper. It was either laid sparsely, blown away, picked up, or had been dealt with by a voodoo spell by the Orang Asli that didn't want us mountain biking on their trails! It was quite difficult to follow and led us to questioning each intersection we came across. When we reached a valley with power pylons, we knew where we were ... the same swampy area as last year! This time we came down and turned right across the stream, went through the swampy bit ... and kept on pedaling. Soon we ran out of paper yet again. After experiencing this more than three times in the palm, we thought "same old sh** different area!!!" At this time I was with Damien, Patrick, Leigh, Joel and a couple of other guys when one of them discovered paper. I went back to start laying paper and hadn't seen where they shot off to. I thought they had gone in the forward direction, but after 200-meters of not seeing them, I turned around. They must have turned right onto an offshoot that was nearby Together with one other, I picked up my paper until we came across Simon shaking his head saying "I guess you missed the check!!!" Yup, we did!!! And we left it in his good hands to close it while we headed down an offshoot on paper ! From here it was a fast ride out into a kampung road where we were able to crank along for 3-km. Just entering rubber on a slick climb, I caught up with Leigh and one other rider, and then caught up with Damien and Patrick at the pixie-stick log crossing. Like Olivier, Patrick took the high road, I took the logs as well crossing them, but at a lower section, and Damien was the smart one going in the river and up the correct and fast path! After climbing the short steep rutted section (again of last year's fame where riders were cautioned on the descent), we came across check#3. Patrick was high, Damien thought that it was through the lalang, but yours truly saw a fallen tree across an obvious double track. Too easy! Went around it, and down the hill, and thereby saw a lovely single track going to the right. Too good to be true ... but sure enough, there was paper! On on!

This was another one of the beautiful sections of today's bash. A single track that gradually climbed up. It was all rideable and extremely lovely. i can't tell if it was secondary growth jungle or primary, but I think it was the former due to the thick undergrowth on the sides of the trail. Reaching what we thought was the apex, we dropped around a corner and came across a crap load of paper. This was odd. It was torn paper (not whole squares) in a big spread out area (not in a typically check-type pile) going around the corner just before a small log bridge. Thinking this was a heads-up/ warning about the bridge, Patrick and I kept on going across it and continued another slow climb for about 300-meters. No paper. Okay, now that "must" have been a check (#4). We turned around, picked up the paper I had dropped, came across a few more riders coming down towards us, and then I immediately went to the next path that I had seen just before the check (a climb through lalang). Up and at 'em ... ON ON ... paper was about 75-meters further along this track. And now we began what was supposed to be "the" climb. Don't know what everyone was whining about in the pre-amble to the ride and during the directions. It was merely a total of 300-meters of climbing to an altitude of 380-m. Psffchhhh. All of the FROPs were able to ride it with ease, slowly and steadily climbing in granny gear. Joel and Leigh, for starters, had power in their legs and a little extra capacity in their lungs! Great job! Somewhere along here we hit our first red emergency tape and had to navigate around a banana tree before continuing our uphill trek. At the top of this we hit the 5th check. Steve went in one direction, Leigh another, Damien another, and yours truly decided to hold off a bit! When no one else found it, I went off in the forward direction and similarly didn't find it. Hmmmm. And along came Simon ... pushing the bike up the hill. Sad to see a Hare pushing when all of us FROPs didn't! After threatening to tie him to a tree and leave him for the wild boars, he told us it was down where Leigh was. Okay. What gives my son? Why haven't you found it yet? As we went down to him we could see why he hadn't found it yet ... there was a trail immediately to the left going down ... a single track, while Leigh was sitting on a fallen tree further down the more obvious path! Bugger! On-On! Here's where Magic Link started, and it was highlighted by a sign saying as much. Hanging our backsides off the saddle we went on for around 300-meters and ... no paper. Argh. Not sure if we missed yet another off shooting single track, we all turned around and went back up until we came across Simon who corrected us. Just a side note: this is what happens when there is very sparse paper and precedence is established throughout earlier parts of the ride! From here onwards, however, the ride was well marked and it was utterly beautiful. The descent wasn't as dangerous as previously mentioned, but it could have made for a fun time crawling back up if you went off track a wee bit! Simon can attest to this! He apparently endo'd, went into a ravine head first, bike still attached to his cleats, face planted in the side of the dirt embankment so he couldn't shout for help! Took him a while to extricate himself but with no damage to body or self, except maybe a wounded pride! Meanwhile on down the rest of us went. Somewhere herein, with Joel, Kim Foo and Steve to keep me company, I discovered I only had granny gear in the back and the use of my two chain rings in the front. Lovely! But I lucked out. There wasn't much flat riding herein. It was either fast and exhilarating downhills, or short and steep climbs up for the next 9-km. Somewhere herein Magic Link connected to what used to be a single track that Phil Bee first introduced us to years ago (now a double track), and then we turned left to eventually come out at the bridge at the end of the kampung (near the waterfall). And here's how the lads knew where to park! My assumptions with Llloyd was correct from the beginning of the bash! From here back to the car park was a riot ... pedal as fast as possible in granny gear, coast, pedal fast, coast again ... all the way back. First rider in at 1 pm (3-1/2 hours), total distance 29.1-km, total climbing 1,146-meters. There was no "main pack"; riders came back in ones, twos and threes for the next two hours, regardless of whether they rode the entire long or took the chicken loop! Okay, before signing off, the FROPs also walked ... small little exaggeration earlier ... sorry! To put it politely, someone asked "Is this a Hash or a Bash?!" The conditions of the uphill portion after the banana tree was atrocious. I'd love to come back when it's dry, but yesterday was Mission Impossible on riding the entire uphill after the banana trees/ red tape. Conclusion? A well recce'd and planned ride, beautiful terrain, quite easier than we had been led to believe, lots of excellent choices for future rides, with lessons learned for future Hares! Good job to all who made this happen.

by Evanna » Wed Nov 30, 2011 4:27 p

Date: 27 November, 2011 Venue: Ulu Beranang/Lenggeng. Hares: YT Chee, Geoff Foote The night before the actual bash, we read the write up for some mental preparation. Well, the description on the LONG trail reaffirms my decision to choose “SHORT” ride while my husband, after reading the description “This ride will suck the life blood out of you.” Immediately say that “LONG” ride is his choice. At 930am, most riders are slowing getting in and preparing their bikes, water, power bar, power gel. After a short briefing from Chee & Geoff Foote, Bash # 206 started at 945am. As we cycling together with the Long riders, we can still see some cars driving in. They were obviously very very late.

Trying to Break the First Check

There were total less than 30 riders for the short, we rode happily for about 1km and arrive at our first check. The front riders spent about 10 mins to figure the actual path. Geoff & his cute black dog, Obama also joined us for a while. We arrived at the first river crossing just shortly after breaking the first check. Riders need to get off the bike and push their bikes across the river. Above the river banks, there where handsome bunch of potato leaves and daun manis(the leaves used for putting into the chinese Pan Mee, this leaves blends well with Ikan Bilis). They were planted by the locals.

Riders crossing first river crossing

Look at the Potato Leaves at the River Banks ... Great Cooking Material ... I waited for Sylvia, the sweeper for short so that I have a “chit-chat” partner. We cycled passed oil palm estate and slowly bend towards the tar roads. From 2.5km to 4km, we were riding on the tar road, not very challenging here.

Victor and his son Finley, we cycled about 2-3km on tar road at the beginning of SHORT bash After the 4th km, then we turned into the rubber estate and oil palm estate where gradual ride-able hills greeted us. Sylvia stopped to wait for the late newcomers while I cycled with Victor & Finley, the youngest boy riding that day. We cycled up two long hills before catching up with some front riders at 7.5km. The climbs easily took about 500 metre and we guess that’s where it slows down a lot of riders. It was mostly covered, so cycling uphill wasn’t torturing.

First uphill after turning off from Tar Road At this point, I was happy to be able to catch up with Janet & Jo Chen (Chee’s family) and we cycled together. We crossed another small stream at the 8th km and from there on, the trails were quite open till the finishing.

Caught up with some riders and met up with my initial cycling partner Janet & Jo Chen ... haha ! Luckily on that day, the weather was cloudy and not too hot. Downhills were fun and gradual as well, nothing technical. At the 10th km, there was a very steep open uphill where most riders just push their bikes.

Weather just perfect for riding, not too hot wor ...

The final uphill, many riders just push their bikes up We continued cycling pass plantations of some small funny looking plants (maybe ubi kayu). Almost at the end of the trail(14th km), we stopped to give way to a long yellow snake who is crossing the road & we took a few pictures of it only of to know later that it was a King Cobra (after posting on facebook and some friends commenting on the species of the snake). Wo hoo, what an adventure !

Adventure, King Cobra crossing the road

Checked out after 3 hours of riding a short 15km A total of 15km took us 3 hours to complete, this SHORT ride is not a usual short ride, it is the toughest short ride of the year. When we came out, it was 1230 noon and the LONG riders were not out yet. The long riders only came out at 1pm. Overall, 3 river crossing, 4 hills to climb ... it’s a great workout !

Let my niner have a rest after a beautiful downhill ride

by YT Chee » Tue Nov 15, 2011 6:42 pm

Date: Sun 27th Nov 2011 Venue Estates and mountain jungle between Ulu Beranang and Lenggeng, a little ways south of Broga town. Parking Village football pitch. Please avoid churning up the place with your car or mountain bike. The Asli here are a fierce bunch. Parking is contingent on us getting permission from the village chief. Otherwise we will be parking in Ulu Beranang itself (see directions below). I will post confirmation by next Tuesday. Trail Description This ride will suck the life blood out of you. That’s the objective of our Bash this year. Whether through the tendrils and proboscis of the local flora and fauna or just trail conditions, you will bleed and suffer in one form or another. Do not attempt Long if: a) You faint at the sight of blood. (Goes without saying doesn’t it.) b) You have no cow-sense, don’t know your limits, and have something to prove on a downhill. c) You are endo-prone. d) You have not at least ridden more than 1 Bash where you didn’t cramp or want to throw up. e) You have no upper body strength. f) You don’t like riding Kiara. g) You’re a roadie who thinks this is going to be easy. (How hard can it be, it’s only xxkm!) h) You got a busted hip and waddle like a duck. Quack! Seriously, Long, is not suitable for non-technical riders. There are downhills (I have called it Magic Link) where if an accident does occur it will be major – possibly FATAL. Commit to your line. Or get off and walk. . There will be NO room for mistakes. Extraction will be almost impossible. We will stand over you and chuck a parang so you can put yourself out of your misery. All Long riders are advised to bring along their first aid medical kits and make sure brakes are in top condition. You will need at least painkillers, antihistamines, splints and something to draw attention (like a whistle) in your medical kits. Keeping with our theme, we’ve not forgotten Short riders need to suffer too. Terrain is rolling through kampong roads, rubber/palm estates and vegetable farms with a few gnarly bits thrown in. (My wife freaked out when we did a trial run on Short. Luckily I was saved when my 12 year old started laughing at her.) Distance is about 14km. Blood sucking creepy crawlies in the Short vicinity should be absent – they’ve gone to haunt Long riders. Suitable for the stronger kids who can carry their bikes short distances as well as push on steeper sections. You will suffer even more if your kids make you carry their bikes! A few open sections – bring sunblock. It has taken us 1 Year to find the Magic Link to join up the trails. Ride safely and you will be guaranteed to enjoy it.