24-26 April 09
Lepar Utara (Aquarium Trail)
The Preps
Many does not know why this place is called the Aquarium. Well, for fishing enthusiast, Lepar Utara host what used to be a haven for the kelah fish (english name Malaysian Mahseer: CLICK HERE for more info). I have yet to personally been to the "aquarium", but we have made a couple of trips on the aquarium trail though not arriving at the "aquarium".
Anyhow, the story of this trip is a long and winding tale. Firstly, after two failed plans, we finallly are able to do the trip to Lepar. Then there's the preparation bit.... Hmmmm... where do I begin.... Probably I'll start with Mahyud ......
our latest friend whom like Aziz found this web and contacted me to be a part of the gugujah clan. As always, we extend our most sincerest welcome to any fellow hobbyist to join our little insignificant group. And that was more than three weeks ago...
Mahyud was eager to join the group for the first time with his Pajero LO49. All prepped-up except for a winch. Thus, after sourcing from all our friends, he found a PTO for his rig. After more than two weeks at the Jln Kebun workshop, on the eve of this trip, the worst nitemare came true for Mahyud... despite working all nite long, with Mahyud watching over, the PTO didn't work!!!
The Journey: Day 1, 24th April 2009
I woke up at 6:30am... notice Mahyud sms on my phone "sorry kawan2... PTO tak siap. Kensel join trip..." Reading the sms.. I had mixed feelings.. angry and sad and frustrated.... I replied Mahyud to tell him that there's still space as Wady's co-pilot pulled out at the last hour. Just around 0900am, Mahyud was at my doorstep. Salute your spirit bro! At around the same time, Chemat and Chelan also arrived, and moments later Wady arrived.... Wow! Punctual for the first time!
Four rigs left Bukit Rimau/Kota Kemuning Shah Alam around 0920am. After a quick fuel-up along the Kesas Hiway, the drive was smooth as the morning rush has already subsided. The main reason we opted to leave after 0900hrs. Without stopping, the group of four rigs: me + Chemat + May on the blue LC, Rizal + Chelan on the bareback Rocky, Dani + Bob on the orange LC, and Wady + Mahyud on the black Rocky.
The group met up with Romeo on his white LC, Azli + Fendi on his newly bought SR20 Rocsta, and Najib + ??? driving Romeo's Suzuki along the LPT at Bentong... We then pushed on to Bandar Pusat Jengka just in time for Friday prayers. After the rituals, we met up with Slee + Mamat + Matyi with the orange Rocky and later Whiskey-Mike + Aimae + Boy would complete the group for this trip. After a quick lunch at a kedai makan nearby the Petronas station, we participated in a somewhat official flag-off event at the petrol station.
As promised by the event organiser, some VIP flagged the group off. And as indicated by Lee Belia and Mat Yani (the co-organisers), there were more than 40 rigs at the Bandar Pusat Jengka Petronas station. And again as indicated by them, the various groups or teams were flagged off in batches. Gugujah were the last batch that left that starting point of this event.
Into the trail.... it was, overall, a well organised event. We were greeted by Hassan and his crew, guiding the convoy through the palm oil plantation (though Whiskey-Mike missed a turn and we were momentarily lost... hehehe...)
Around 6:30pm... the first obstacle awaits the group. This "V" seemed like an impossible SS even for the motocross....
Most of us had to be winched out of this "V"
except for Rizal's Rocky...
.. and Azli's Rocsta....
however.. everyone else gave this SS a good run also!
Fendi is all smiles...
l
There were more hardship after this first SS for the group. Mudholes just five-hundred yard after this "V" rendered the group losing more precious time. When all of us, by now, we had ten cars in the group.... with Zuri + Firdaus from Redah 4X4 tagging along our troop in his Pajero LO49. As it was already night time, plus everyone was rather with their hands full with rescue works, no pictures were taken I guess... But believe it... the track from here on wards until we reached campsite #1 was exactly what was promised by the organiser --> hardcore!
By the way, the Suzuki (driven by Najib) spilled/toppled/overturned just as it descended to enter campsite #1 that nite! Forgot to take pics - but the damages were.. err.. boleh tahan lah... windscreen plus both left-hand side glass-screen (?) shattered to pieces. Major dents on the left hand side and roof.... in short... major damages! Also, this is Romeo's Suzuki which he had loaned to Najib... hmmmmm.....
Day 2: Waking Up at Campsite #1
Last nite was.... err.... still okay... as we reached campsite just after midnite. All were eager to make their beds/tents plus trying to get some food. Luckily, as always, ready cooked food were brought by some of the team members. Anyhow, the earliest anyone turned in was around 02:00am...
And the next morning, everyone scrambled to head out for the second leg of this trip... but first.. some breakfast...
Some view of Campsite#1
Slee's Rocky developes a bit of a carburetion problem on this trip. It began after the first obstacle the day before (at the so called "V"). However, he was lucky in that the rig was being kind in not stalling too long....
Wady proved to be the troubleshooter he is...
Well, that was that. So, the convoy pushed on...
Coming to obstacles after obstacles...
Yet, made some times to pose for the album... :-)
More pics...
And more picture taking.....
Obstacles were aplenty. From river crossing - seen here Romeo's rig got stuck in the sandy river bed - to steep drops and challenging log-bridge as well as deep ruts and slippery climb plus mudholes.....
Dani's (from Jln kebun 4X4) rig seemed too eager to cross this bridge.... in the process the front tyre slipped. Hoiwever, it was eaily rescued via winching....
Chelan posing...
While Chemat took pictures...
That timber crossing was the climax for the day... after that, the group slowly but surely crept our way to the secnd campsite.... the end of the line for this trail..... It was already after 6:00pm when we got to the campsite....
Not mch activity that nite... as everyone was very very tired. After dinner, most turned in, but some still managed to laze around doing their things...
Day 3: 26 April 2009 ~ The Return Trip
Everyone woke early... well almost everyone. By 0930hrs, the group were already on our way out of this 2nd campsite heading home.... with high hopes that all would go well as some of us need to be back in KL early, especially Mahyud whom will be taking a promotional exam tomorrow (Monday).
First... group pics....
The campsite area....
Then its another round of muds and slopes and log-bridges and ruts and "V"s plus leeches and, did I mention muds? 
All was well, timing wise.. till we got to the log crossing... Wady's Rocky slipped and... err... pics paint thousand words...
More Pics (from Slee's D60)
Just as the convoy was comfortably driving on the tarmac, Slee's Rocky sustained injury on her front right hub... The clock was at around 0900....
When it was finally determined that this damagaed could not be repaired and that Slee's rig needed to be towed, the group decided to proceed leaving Slee behind. But that was done after arrangement with Mat Yani, whom own a tow truck, to assist. I stayed behind (with Chemat & May) to accompany Slee & his crew. But, everyone was hungry (and the time was way past 10.00pm).... So I (plus my two crews) drove towards Bandar Pusat to look for food.... but nothing could be found until we reached Bandar Pusat (which was almost an hour drive). We crossed path with Mat Yani's tow-truck (and Mat Yani as well)... and decided there was no sense for us to drive back to where Slee was (since the truck was already going to rescue them)....
So, we joined Mat Yani, Lee Belia and PokDeq (Mat Yani's mechanic) for a sumptuous fried rice in a restaurant at Bandar Pusat Jengka... and the time was already midnite!!! Immediate after, we parted ways and head back towards KL - of course after calling Slee to ask he was okay with us leaving... :-)
Reached KL around 3:00am... and was very sleepy... but it was all worth it!
Until our next outing..... do keep 'em rigs in well maintained state!
beareye 29 April 2009
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