Gertak Sanggul Ride

Date: 10/10/2009
Route : BJI > Sungai Ara > Gertak Sanggul Trail > Pulau Betong > Bukit Genting > Bayan Lepas > BJI
Distance : 44km
Time taken : 5 hrs !!!!
Objectives : Stretching leg muscle before BM Mountain Bike Carnival ( this might taking too long to stretch...:) )
Riders : Hamdan, Hamdan's friends, Ang, Freddy, TK Tan, WoeiTong, WoeiChyang
Noteworthy: TK first > 73km ride, WoeiChyang first > 66 km ride, Ang first Gertak Sanggul Trail

TK and WoeiChyang both showed up in front of Park View 7am sharp, one ride from J.Perak and another ride from Farlim taking Paya Terubong route. We departed 7am with a palaton of 5, heading toward Gertak Sanggul looking for Hamdan. It look like going to rain, but no bodies seem to bother about that, I figured may be my moto " rain or shine, the ride still on" may be taking effects....haha

As we pass through Sg Ara, the sky clear out, look like we're not going to get wet anymore. While reaching Teluk Kumbar, suddenly saw Hamdan driving a car at one of the junction, I yelled at him, " oooi, thought you suppose have a ride right now?", he just waive his hand. Look like we're going to wait for a while for him.

Since today ride suppose a relax one, so we take our time to discuss the weather, BM jamboree etc. Freddy asking me are we able to finish the ride in 2 hrs, he got other thing to do at 10am. I told him don't think we can meet the time frame, so he decide not to join us for the off road ride.

Ang and WoeiChyang leading the pack just 5 mins into Gertak Sanggul trail ascend, I'm trailing them, while behind me got Hamdan, Hamdan's friends and TK. This trail is the first for Ang, WoeiChyang and TK. Where Ang experience on other more technical trail let him don't have any drama, but that not the case for TK and WoeiChyang. TK Tan surely struggled to cope with the physical requirement and keep the bike in line with the ~3" wide single trail, WoeiChyang also fall down once while negotiationg one of the sharp ascend.

When half way through the trail, rain start pouring down, all of us were soaking wet, and TK keep asking me when the trail going to end, he can't cope up anymore. As usual, I do what most mountain biker do in the jungle, I repeating lied to him that we just need to cycle 1o mins than his pain will be over. ( Actually I don't want the trail to end, I'm damn enjoying riding off road trail in the rain)

Due to the rain, we choose to bike pushing for the first half Pulau Betong DH, this is to made sure nobody get hurt. We stop for breakfast at Simpat Empat before going up Bukit Genting, and find out nasi lemak with sardine can go very well together.

There is no drama and nobody puncit on climbing Bukit Genting. We just said to each other goodbye before heading our own way.

Side note:
1) The reason why TK can do 73km today is because his wife is not around to pick him up, so he have to drag his ass all the way from Bayan Lepas to J. Perak. Good for him, I think today he learned that if we really want to do it, we can made it happen. As long as we endure the "pain" while doing it.

2) WoeiChyang turn out over estimating himself, his muscles is in pain in the afternoon while he chose to use Paya Terubong route again back to Farlim.

WoeiTong