My 12th BOAT Overseas Expedition

12th BOAT's "Overseas Expedition @ Mt Ophir"

Wow! Finally, friday arrived! Can't help feeling so excited about the final trek that even a huge hiccup at work dim dampened my excitement. Stepping into TPAC room, some of my friends are already there, some was packing their bag while some was distributing food items. After the briefing by the in-charges, we gathered our enormous bagpack and set off to MT Ophir.

It was about 3am when we reached our campsite at the foot. Everywhere is in pitch dark, with our touch light as our guiding lamp. The thought of having only 3 hrs of beauty sleep expedite the process of meeting zhou gong. Was giggling in my dream that luckily i wasn't the one who need to wake up early to prepare breakfast for the 3 days. ;p The thing of sleeping in outdoor is that even though the ground is hard, maybe sometimes having some inclination, well, worst still, i hate most is a damp tent, i really enjoyed the feeling of waking up in the forest with full satisfaction to the sense of hearing and viewing the nature.

We took the Asahan trail up Mt Ophir. The terrain is not that steep or difficult which i thought it is. The only part which was still fresh in my mind is the steep rock which i used up all my arm power to pull my rope with all my strengths which i realised on that night with aching body. Oh yes, except for a small rain that occured along the way, the next very very minor event that i experienced is bumping my head against a fallen truck. ha ha... was busy watching my steps on the ground that i forgot my to see upfront. hai... really cannot multi task. "Dr Chu" was pretty nice to apply ointment on my head but without STERILISING his hand! We reached our second campsite in late afternoon. After pitching our tents, we settled down to prep and cook dinner. Our menu for Day 2 is hainanese chicken rice (er... without chicken) and streamboat! I had my fills compared to camp 2, perhaps is due to not being the in-charge for food this time round. 'Beautiful' is not enough to describe the surrounding. That moment i watched the whole process of sun set. I really wish for this scene to appear infront of me everytime when i am feeling down. It was so serene. That night i couldn't sleep well, maybe is due to the very cold temperature, was actually shivering but do not dare to tell leslie coz he warned us to bring enough clothing or else he will strip us and place a guy in sleeping bag together with us if we experienced hypertermia.

The next morning, we woke up early to climb to the submit. If only we can camp up there, we can have sun break in front of us too. The afternoon sun was blazing hot. After taken lots of photos, we proceed to our next destination, the square pool. Personally, i felt that this portion of the hike is more siong, esp when we need to cross some danger spots e.g. KFC (Killer For Climber). Wow, no words can describe that, i was like "Oh my god" whenever i saw one cliff followed by another cliff. I knew that i have to mobilise my whole body together with my brain. In short, i am a very lazy person, i would prefer partial usage. :p But it was very fortunate that i have this gang of friends or faciliators to set up safety point here and there and the effort they put in in running up and down to help those weaker ones. It was pitch dark when we reached our 3rd campsite. After analysing the danger in trekking at darkness and the trail ahead, we decided not to camp at the square pool but further away. At this moment, everyone is so tired that what they wished for is not food but zzz...

Finally, we trekked down to the opposite side of Mt Ophir. The end is always sweet and bitter. The former is due to we have suceeded in climbing Ophir. The latter is the fact that we might not get together again to do this adventure as a whole group. But whatever it is, like what Yuchze sang in our bus ride home,

for you my dear friends
i'll be always on your side
当你很想远离痛苦寻找爱
with you, my dear friend
越过高山和大海
勇敢面对危险
(we're)on the road again

Sungei Yong Waterfall Abseiling

Sungei Yong Waterfall Abseiling
30 Sep 2005 - 02 October 2005
by Josephine Poh
Toa Payoh Central YEC Adventure Secretary

Did you know that no two trips are the same? The different elements of a trip never fail to make it so, each time, you a different surprise too. Sungei Yong is not an extremely spectacular waterfall but what it has to offer is relatively unspoilt nature within close proximity. It is located at the north face of Gunung Belumit, Kluang (Johor) and has a 2-step water that is 80m in height at its highest. Sungei Yong is also a destination ideal for beginners to apply the skills they learnt.

Being technical in nature, all participants had to be sufficiently equipped with abseiling proficiency skills for when you are down there, its nothing by you, your rope and your equipment. This was a trip organized as a motivation for taking up the Abseiling Proficiency Course for some of us. And for the rest of us, it was just a chance to just go for a trip and be surrounded by nature.

Things were much simpler for me since I did none of the planning, though I did attempt to change the food plan so that we could have something more satisfying after a long day.

It was pitch dark when we arrived at our base camp (entrance of Belumut) for the night. On seeing such a large group of 20 of us, the “caretakers” at Belumut simply took the opportunity to earn a few quick bucks out of us and offered the porch of their home to us for the night.


We set off after breakfast and our last chance to visit a "civilized toilet". The hike to the waterfalls was a short one. Nothing strenuous or exhausting but we had to cross a small gully by balancing ourselves on beams strategically placed. Rumor has it that there are tigers in Sungei Yong. The recce team confirmed it. We saw the fresh tiger footprints on our way in and out.

Because it had been raining the night before, our safety officer decided that the large volumes of water made it impossible and dangerous for canyoning. We settled for one with less vertical descends. The way down was extremely slippery and at some places, bore sharp edges. It was very difficult not to slip. We had to be really mindful about where we stepped or placed our hands. Our technical team set up two lines and with the safety precautions in place, we were all ready to go. It was a good experience for the first timers and also a whole new experience for repeat canyoners. The terrain was stepped, so it felt like walking down a staircase at certain parts.

Though there was a lot of free time while waiting for the lanes to be available, it was not wasted. And those who found their spot in the sun had a wonderful time sun bathing and napping at the same time. With the sounds of the water flowing in the background, smell of the lush green forests and air that cannot be fresher, this is what we also know to be a "natural spa", perfect for unwinding and relaxing. We had the luxury of some splashing good fun in the waters before heading home too.

It was rained cats and dogs! Still, I think we ought to be thankful for the good weather for heaven has been kind to only allow it to rain only towards the end of the day. Till then, I will always remember the 10 packets (100) of hotdogs we had in those 2 days!

An Overseas Expedition - A Participant's Perspective

Overseas Expedition, A Participant's Perspective - 20 to 23 May 2005 12th BOATER Soon Tze Chien

On the same day that Buddha gained his enlightenment more than 2,500 years ago, the team from Toa Payoh Adventure Club (TPAC) 12^th Basic Outdoor Adventure Training (BOAT) achieved our own pinnacle. We conquered Gunung Ledang, more popularly known as Mount Ophir, after three months of intense preparation. At 1,276 m above sea level, it is considered the sixth toughest mountain to climb in Malaysia with its challenging mountain trails and cascading waterfalls.

After repeated attempts of forcing my backpack into our bus storage area, it dawned on me that this was not going to be an easy trip, if this beginning was any indication. Especially when the gods had never favoured us. In our earlier attempts at defying the elements, we were drenched by rain, chased by bees and bitten by blood-sucking leeches.

It was already 4 am when we reached our campsite for the first night. It was no mean feat to wake up after only three hours of sleep. And instead of becoming a grouchy monster, we had to be like guardian angels. For our entertainment group had come up with a brilliant game to spice up the trip – making each of us the guardian angels of two "mortals", people we had to be nice to, no matter what. And so I did. I offered my unsuspecting "mortal" my unwanted ration to lighten my own load.

Even though the facilitators did the ritual known as "chilli bawang", where they poked an onion and a chilli over a satay stick to fend off the rain, the dreaded rain hit us nonetheless. If there is indeed a "rain god" in our team, that person must be our team’s guardian angel, sending us through difficulties to make us stronger.

All of us braved the cold to reach our camping ground near the summit at Asahan Trail, a scenic area overlooking the sunset. And what a dazzling sunset it was! The forest cover was shrouded in a sea of clouds. As the sun slipped down the horizon, the sky turned from yellow to red to violet. I realised then that if the rain had not come and cleared away the clouds, we would never have seen the setting sun in its full brilliance. Behind every cloud, there is indeed a silver lining!

As the cicadas started their rounds of mating calls, we started our games for the night. We played the "Human Jackpot", "Guessing Numbers" and acted out a self-improvised sketch "Love Generation 2005". As the last sketch concluded, the participants were left with the closing line: "In 12^th BOAT, it does not matter who you love, what matters is teamwork."

But to some, it did matter. For it was in 12^th BOAT that some participants found love. As the moon cast its pallor of light over us, the lovers sneaked off for their rendezvous. As one of those guys whom Cupid had chosen to save his arrow, I joined a few other forsaken team mates in lying down and enjoying the stars, pretending that it did not matter.

The dawn of the new day was spent sitting down with two special friends and enjoying the peace. That peace was transient, but the memory of it will last a lifetime. Before long, the camp came alive. Some started cooking oats on the Indian pots. Gals and guys wrapped tightly in their windbreakers were brushing their teeth under the icy cold water. After our breakfast, we started our warm-ups. The warm-ups soon became really hot when we learned an alternative occupation - pole dancing from our very own professional.

We were by then raring to go. Singing and teasing punctuated the walk but there was still a final challenge waiting for us before the summit - a steep cliff face where each of us had to hang onto the ropes for our dear life.

When we saw the panorama at the summit, all our efforts seemed worth it. We jostled to pose for photos. Some brought out their cherished celebration drinks. There were slapping of backs and heightened laughter. We were finally here.

The climb down via the Sagil Trail was no less exciting. At KFC (Killers-for-Climbers), participants who feared heights found that their fear was not enough to stop them. Another lesser fear was to fall on me. I had to borrow a sarong because I had torn my pyjama pants in the most strategic area. Luckily the tear was small enough to be stitched back. But the tear to my image would probably take a while longer to fix.

After a laborious 12-hours trek, we eventually reached an open area in the pitch dark. To our disappointment, that was not a designated and approved campsite in Mount Ophir. *Sigh* We BOATers were dry on water and drained out both physically and mentally. Morale was near rock bottom. We heaved a sigh of relief however when the guides informed us that the actual campsite at Square Pool was fully occupied and we could stay and camp at our current location. Despite our exhaustion, we still chatted for the last night.

From there to the ground, it was an easy 3-hours climb in the morning. We stopped at the waterfall to enjoy our "Jacuzzi". As the rush of water washed over us, the grime and worries evaporated, leaving us rejuvenated.

As our bus moved off for the ride back home to Singapore, our eyes were drawn to the peak of Mt Ophir for the final time. A flood of images flashed across my mind: physical training, day hike, night walk, abseiling, kayaking, camp at Changi, camp at Panti and finally this overseas expedition. I was shaken from my reverie by the team belting out songs and yet another scene of two hapless guys "kissing".

It seemed remarkable that just three months ago, these people were strangers to me. I see them now as my special fireflies, illuminating my path and brightening my heart. We had shared, laughed and cried together. How can I not miss you all? I definitely will.