It was madness.
Cold to the bone. Wet from the rain. Can't progress more than 6km/h on the final 18km of mountaineous route.
It was crazy.
A bunch of us. Me, Doc, Azmar, Steve and Zabil decided to forgo the comfort of the warm bed on Raya morning to head on to Simpang Pulai, Steve and Azmar was touring from KL to Ipoh from the weekend. Covering a good 300 odd Km before landing themselves in what i would call the ride of the year, so far.
I met upw ith doc at TTDI about 4.45am. Still dazed from my 2 hours of sleep but the promise of the ride was more than stronger than 3 cups of coffee to wake me up. Who wouldn't? Just a month ago, i felt invincible being able to do 2 century (ie 200km) ride to Lumut. This measly looking 70km, abeit uphill, shouldn't be anything. Moreover the promise of 70km of DOWNHILL was too hard to resist.
And so, after one SMS to Azmar and Zabil to inform them that we are on our way, me and Doc headed to S.Pulai for the RV point in his new spanking Hilux. Impressive i must say, but that's anohter post, for another day.
We reached S.Pulai at about 8.00am, after a short break at Tapah RnR for breakfast with Zabil and Family.
Azmar and Steve was waiting outside Hillcity Hotel. We unloaded and were duly on our way to Cameron.
Another quick stopover after 3km of riding as Azmar and Steve need breakfast. Some of us took the oppurtunities to eat as well, namely me.
We turn into the Cameron road 4km from HIllcity. The ride begin with us passing by those huge quaries. It's a pity to see the hills being blasted and cut away to get the granites and stones and sand. But i guess that's the price of development, we can't make buildings from mud and twigs i supposed. Nevertheless, deep inside, we felt it could had done better by the local authorities controlling the quary business.
The first hill climb came after 10km of ride. A slow gently uphill near some repair work on some recent landslide along the Pos Slim - Kampung Raja road. Eating up the dust as vehicle whizz passed us, kicking up all the debris for us to inhale. Thank you.
After about 20km of ride, we reached the first bridge. It was magnificent. I meant, the bridge wasn't anything to brag about, but being built at about a good 50meters above a gushing class 2 rapid was a sight to behold.
with Zabil on the bridge
BEauuuuuutiful!!!
We continued on. Touching the 30km mark after an ardous 3 hours plus of pedalling. Steve on his road bike, found himself running out of gears to change. Me, on the other hand, tried very hard to change to the smallest chainring. I have to get through this on my intermediate chainring, no two ways about this! Azah and her support crew were waiting by the roadside for us at the 30km mark. She snapped a few pics, which will i hope, be passed to me for uploading. Nothing beats seeing your own constipated face while trying to remain cool about pedalling up those 3 degree gradient mountain road.
Why 3 degree? well, when you are cycling, the road infront looked flat, not until you look behind and you will notice you are actually going UPHILL. Genting are mostly 5-8 degree on the normal stretch and almost 10 on the final 2km, which was the killer stretch. Cameron new road, on the other hand, is more gentle, but they made it up with neverending stretches of road.
After the 30km mark, we reached the first valley. The view was awesome. As you enter the valley, you eyes will see the other end of the road, going around the valley, it might be some 3 or 4km of straight sight, but it will be a good 10-15km of riding to do. You could see the road going up...gradually.
pic taken in the middle of the valley, a snap shot of what we covered in the last 45min of ardous ride...
the wonders of nature...
It rained, it poured, the wind was strong, we were cold (that is why doc huddle up with steve)
It was painful, at least for me, my quads tightening up. I wasn't sweating, i could feel my heart gently pumping at about 120bpm, hardly even hard for my heart, but the leg is taking a beating...after 35km of pedalling, i wasn't even caring to look at how fast i am going, but i switched to the distance mode. The meters slowly ticked by, i could stare at it and just wait for it to pass...that's how slow i was going.
I couldn't remember to keep track of how many more KM to go, but at about 50 odd KM, we reached this construction site where there is a Kongsi, complete with Astro that was placed there for the slope rectification job over the previous major landslide that happened on this new road.
There, we had our best egg sandwich. Only 2 slices and shared by 5 person. Go figure. Steve reckon we must kill one person, so the remaining 4 will get a quarter each. We ran out of food. The Kongsi's shack wasn't open. No hot Maggi!
We continued on. By now, the weather has turned awful. Wind blowing so strong that we had to brace ourselves or else doc might fly away. Wet cold condition even the raincoat couldn't handle it as water actually seep through all opening. Tights which are now soaking wet and cold feet in wet cold shoes. I had in me the will to give up and just wait for Azah to come pick me up. But i can't do it. No way i would do that. Giving up because of me not being able to complete this? I got to be joking!
At the same time, i saw a can of Tiger Beer flashed past me...funny. I don't drink and that sight of the beer passing me was like some omen or something?
It was also then when a bar of Powerbar Protien Plus flashed past my head...gosh...i still ahve like 6 of those at home, keeping them for important recovery...and i was kicking my ass as to why i didn't bring it along this time around.
The final 18km was tortourous. Everytime we go into the road between two cliffs, strong headwind that brings chill to the bone hits us. We had to stop so many times, as it was pointless to go against the 10-15km/h wind. Of course standing there waiting wasn't any better as it was pouring as well.
At the speed we are going, we reckon it will take anohter 3 hours before we reach Kampung Raja.
That was when something else hit us.
It was a downhill stretch and instead of enjoying a good 20-30km/h of downhill speed...we had to pedal to maintain a 6km/h speed DOWNHILL!!!! Yes, the FURY of the WIND! Crosswind strong enough to push us to the middle of the road and headwind so strong it was an oxymoron to be pedalling DOWN the road....
At that point, i told myself there is no point to cycle back. Fuck the return journey that promises the 70km of downhill ride. I wouldn't want to be pedalling 70km DOWNHILL!
The weather turned worse at about 8km to Kampung Raja, By then we've already seen civilisation. The first sighting of anything remotely Cameron - the vegetable and flower farms.
I recalled stopping at the stone marker, which says it's 63km to Ipoh. That was because i took a leak at the stone. The only place well covered so that my modesty wasn't compromised. Doc took a leak too. The wind was strong and mist just made visibility down to 20meters at most.
About 20 more minutes of painful cycling, we finally reached the last 3km to Kampung Raja. The T-Junction that says Gua Musang straight ahead and Kampung Raja on to the right.
That was also where the road goes down for 3km at 10 percent gradient. That's steep. I touched 45km/h going down the winding road; and that i was actually holding on to the break once the speed exceed 45km/h.
Flat ground finally. Blur from the cold. Stoned from the tiredness. We were greeted by Azmar, which has huddled up with Zabil at the first chinese kopitiam in Kampung Raja. The locals were amused when i told them we came from Simpang Pulai. The do not believe we cycled all the way up. The only person that believed us, and rewarded us with a comb of banana were one of the stall owner there, which rides with PCC in one of the interstate ride.
We had between the 5 of us, 9 cups of hot milo, 9 sets of roti bakar, 1 comb of banana, a packet each of rice with Chicken Kurma, one fried fish each and vegetables. We were that hungry and it was a sorry sight to see me and doc eating with our hand shaking from the cold...
Zabil and Azmar - freezing at Kampung Raja
Doc warming up to the hot hot milo!
Steve enjoying his lunch...
and me, looking very *village people* with my raincoat and reflector kit
And some of the food we had, piping hot Milo with melting planta with kaya toast...don't need to go to Uncle Lim for this, just cycle 70km up from Simpang Pulai!!!!!!
An hour rest later, we started to plan as to how to transport 7 people and 5 bicycles in the Hilux pickup truck 70km down to Simpang Pulai. Zabil took a bath in the freezing coldness with Steve. Azmar changed into clean clothes. Azah, Aiman and Maid has the luxury of being inside the truck, which is only fair as they were the hero behind the scene in providing us food and drinks at the top.
Hence, left me and doc. We volunteered to sit behind with the 5 bikes. Hiding behind the truck like some immigrant that is crossing the border illegally, with the rain beating down and wind which by now exceed a good 70km/h (car moving mah!)...it was no fun at all. Not in this weather.
I told doc i had motion sickness...and true enough, with 20km left to Simpang Pulai, Doc signalled Zabil to stop. The moment he stopped the car, i only remembered to put my head OUT of the truck and vomitted the lunch out. It was damn painful and i felt much relieved thereafter. Shy because at 30, i am still prone to motion sickness. I blame the high altitude change and the fact that we were whizzing down the winding road...hahahaha....
Will i do it again? Well, it sounded as crazy as the ride up, But yes. The next time with better preparation, more food, better leg and some motion sickness pills to knock me off should the need arise to take the truck down again.
Fun factor: 8.5/10
Lesson learnt: Never fight with Mother Nature, especially when it comes to wind and weather.
Phrase of the week : Kenapa ye???
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