A "pre-ride" RIDE to Fraser's Hill.

The symbolic picture!

After the Sungai Chilling ride, I heard there was a plan for a night ride from KKB to Fraser's Hill. As excited as I was, the ride was just tentative as mentioned by Johnny. Anyway, I just hope for the best. I have always wanted to ride to Fraser's Hill but lack of confidence was always the stumbling block! Most rides encompass roadies which I really don't want to join as they are fast riders and I might as well ride on my own if I were to join road bikes. After all, the greetings at the start is just a formality and maybe a chat at the destination and a 'bye-bye' after that. Not much of interaction. I don't even remember them or neither can they remember me when we meet next time.

After a casual chat with Ah Fatt of My Bike Shop, who described the ride is not that difficult, I decided to follow Nike's motto, " Just Do It ". I was supposed to join Ah Fatt for breakfast at 7.00 am that morning but the jam in KL during weekdays is making me late. I reached Kuala Kubu Bahru (KKB) at almost 8.00am! I still went for breakfast at the 'wanton mee' shop but Ah Fatt was long gone! The lady asked me quite rudely, " Apa minum?" I was taken aback and my daughter was laughing. I replied, " Teh ais, kasi itu mee wanton, chee yok banyak banyak! " Why did she asked me in Bahasa? Am I getting too dark? Common sense tells that, I can't be Indian and a Malay won't patronize there, right? " Good Grief! , I must look like an aborigine nowadays" I thought to myself. I was supposed to start the ride from here but since I am late and I thought it might be wiser if I shave off 10 kilometers from the ride. I suggested to Lilian and Mabel that we start from the dam.

Our breakfast!

After having breakfast, we drove off and on reaching the dam, I changed my mind again and decided to start from Sungai Chilling. A place I last rode to! It was just a short drive and the car mileage read just 10 kilometers from KKB. After finding a shady good spot to park the car, we set up our bikes and then did a few strokes to warm up a bit. Then off we go.

The road doesn't look so steep when we ride but from the former trips I had there, it kind of looks steeper. The ride was uneventful, just riding the slight gradient uphill BUT the uphill don't stop! It just carried on and on and on and on. There was two places where work on the slopes was going on and there were workers who cheered us on. Rather they were cheering at the two ladies not the 'fatty' sweeping behind.

The slope just went up and up!

Twelve kilometers past, we reach a waterfall on the right side of the road. We stopped for a moment and then carried on. The road was still uphill all the way with no levelling off at all but it's not that steep. Nothing that our gears can't handle. It's still an easy ride but a wee slow, that's all. Finally, I saw the shrine on the right hand side and I know Gap is not far now. I been here many times, hiking Ulu Semangkok and also Pine Tree Hill's twin peaks. We were quiet with a few sudden burst of bantering, once in a while. Finally, the hanging bridge was in sight and also the dilapidated Gap Hotel. What a waste! One more turn and we saw the junction. The 'makan' stall was open! Suprise, suprise! We rested a while over a cup of 'teh-O ais limau'. The 'a while' was almost half an hour!

Sore palms.

The last push to the top! This was what I have dreaded. We turn into the first uphill after the junction and I found out that we can still do it without maximizing our gears! It was mentioned 8 kilometers to Fraser's Hill. Slowly but steadily we rode up, careful not to over exert. The 7 kilometer marker stone pass by and subsequently the 6 kilometer and then 5 kilometer until the last 1 kilometer. Apart from a few utility trucks and a few tourist vehicles, we had the road all by ourselves. That was not so hard! It was suprising. And I hesitated all this while. The last 2 kilometers was actually easy riding and with a newly paved tarmac, it was pleasant!

The phone has to ring when we were enjoying.

The first shop was a small sundry shop and Mabel went in for 2 bottles of cold '100 plus'. The chinese restaurant opposite was closed. I had dinner there last time after we hiked Pine Tree Hill last year. That hike was gruelling! After a few sip, we rode on to the clock tower. The iconic Fraser's Hill roundabout with   the clock tower. A few man asked me to help them take their group photo and I did that. We chatted for a moment and after they left, we took our symbolic photos and decided to descend.

100 plus to celebrate!

Eeeeeeww! to descend, we have to ride to Jalan Lurah which is past the Paddock where I did some archery before. The road was uphill again and after resting, we were sluggish! The road down was 2 kilometers longer than the road uphill and there were also a few climbs between the down hilling. The speed limit stated on the sign was 30 kmh but from my cyclometer, we were doing like 40 kmh at most parts! I wonder if they can give us a ticket? Halfway down, there was a loud ambulance siren wailing. I hollered to them and advised them to stop. We hauled our bikes up the grass verge and waited for the ambulance to pass. After passing, we carried on and after another 2 kilometers we were at the Gap road junction. We still had to ride UP again to the 'makan' stall at Gap junction.

The view on the way down.

Reaching there, Lilian rushed into the 'emergency room'. Must have been very 'bladderful' for her. Mabel joined her and we rested at the tea stall for a moment and then twenty, YES! 20 kilometers of downhill till Sungai Chilling. The best part was the downhilling was not steep but gradual slope down all the way. A ride pass the bridge again and then we were all set to Hoooooooooray! My hands were numb from holding on the handlebars. We were zooming down for almost 40 minutes because at certain point, there was construction debris on the roadside and also one or two places with fallen branches. In no time we saw a big metal bin on the roadside with rubbish spewing out! We pass it on the way up this morning. How disgusting! I knew we reached Sungai Chilling again.

We felt lousy that we have to climb again after reaching Gap road.

We were in joy but our palms were sore! It took us a while to fold back the bikes and stuff 3 bikes into the car and leave a space for another passenger at the rear. Started the car and drove to KKB for a late lunch. we reached the restaurant, "Tan Seow Woi". I didn't eat there the other day but I will today. The signature ' mui choy pork' was sold out! The others still available was the 'tow foo fish' and the 'steamed salted fish pork' with lots of ginger. The usual 'leong cha' was the drink for 3 of us. We sat there and took a leisurely lunch till they close, in fact they have to wait for our table. Then the drive back. Even before reaching Ampang Pecah, both of them were already sleeping. Guess it going to be me and 'Lite and Easy' all the way back to KL. Before that I stopped over at Serendah for the YeeKee's ' kai tan koh ' which is also incidently closed when I was there the last trip.

A hearty meal after the ride.

RASA  TO  SUNGAI CHILLING  

A bike packing adventure.

It's been a while since I have last hike a hill or a mountain but I am enjoying the hiatus. It's good for my sore knees anyway. I have since restarted cycling, a sport that I have also long given up. My last biking activity was way back in the Y2K eras. I was into mountain biking those days and that was in Langkawi where I resided at that time.

The reason why I choose folding bike over going back to MTB was mainly because of price factor. Secondly me and Lilian's (my wife) old bones won't be able to take crashes now. So, leisure fitness ride is the wise way to go. Foldies are able to fit that category. Since my first purchase, a few months ago, I have since gone quite far in upgrading my 'foldies' and also the other two 'foldies' of my wife and daughter.

Last Sunday, there was a ride organized by My Bike Shop's , Johnny whom I got to know while I was going round bike shops around the Klang valley. There are many other bigger shops but I seem to like the personal touch of Johnny's shop. The shop organized a "Bikepacking Ride" which started from Kepong Komuter station and then on to Rawang for a transit to Rasa which is a small town north of KL. After that we will then proceed to Kuala Kubu Baru (KKB) for breakfast and then continue to the final destination which is " Sungai Chilling Kelah Santuary ".  Kelah is actually a prized freshwater fish which was almost fish till extinct until the Fisheries came in to save the species. It is actually the famous 'Masheer' species. Well, that was the plan, anyway.

I packed mine and Lilian's bike into bags that was purchased earlier for the purpose. This was required by the train authority. Early morning, I stuffed the two huge bags into the small Kancil and drove to Rawang where I was supposed to meet a few other riders. I did not want to meet in Kepong because I feel Kepong and Rawang makes not much of a difference since I am driving from Kajang and also save the hassle of switching trains in Rawang. I reached Rawang even before dawn broke and it was dark! Looking around, I decided to drive all the way up to Rasa as I actually am quite familiar with the places as I have been hiking around KKB quite often.

Some riders boarding in Rawang.

I was still early when I reached Rasa and so decided to have breakfast whilling away the time. I saw a taxi in front of a noodle shop and so we headed for that too. The 'wanton noodle' was .................errrr not so my taste but it's good to fill the stomach before the ride. After finishing breakfast there were already 3 riders there. It has to be Johnny's group so we just exchanged greetings and after a while a few more vehicles piled into the car park. I thought there were only one who has decided to drive up to here but I was wrong!

A group photo before ride commence.

The other riders arrived late, and it was already very bright by now. A fellow rider called up and they were still on the train in Serendah! That means they just boarded the train and it was already past 8.00 am. Anyway, they arrived and after setting up their bikes we all rode in a single file past the town's market. The town's folk must have wondered what's going on with suprising looks in their eyes. It must have been a sight to them with so many cyclist riding toy bikes!

Keep on ridin'

We were cautious when we rode along the federal trunk road and after a while we reached the junction to Ampang Pecah ( which is also known as Kuala Kubu Lama actually ) which also leads to KKB. This was the original site of the old town during the British colonial times and this was also the main trading town between Pahang and Selangor. During those days , there were railway lines linking this town to the port. They are used to transport tin ore from the Pahang regions. In fact there is an old wreck of a locomotive somewhere hidden in the hills. Those days there was no Karak Highway or Bentong road and this was the only way to Pahang via Gap which is the foothills of Fraser's Hill. In fact, the Resident General of those days have a bunglaow on the peak of Bukit Kutu ( also known as Treacher's Hill ). The hill peaking at 1050 metres also housed a sanatorium (not mental cases) for the British residents to take a break. There was a horse carriage road all the way to the top but has since been covered by foliage. The trail has been rediscovered by the hiking club of the Fire Department there. Both the bungalow and the sanatorium was destroyed during World War 2 but the remains are still there. The dam broke and flooded the old town and that's why the new town was shifted to the present KKB.

Only the chimney stack is still there from the old bungalow. 

There's a well at the side there, still with clean water.

When we reached KKB, we regrouped and then we rode into the small town for their famous 'wanton noodles'. When you have a horde of 36 hungry riders storming into the noodle shop, it causes quite a stir! Many have to wait for tables and as I have already had my breakfast, I just stood at the junction but eventually there was an empty table. It took quite some time to actually feed all of us and some riders rode to the market to buy the famous 'roast pork'. I heard there was two stalls and both are equally good depending on your taste and they both from both stalls, they called it ' the left and the right '. Hahaha!

A variety of folding bikes in front of the wanton mee shop.

Some went over to the famous bakery to buy some pastries, probably for their lunch in Chilling. They took some time there too as there was a local drama shooting there and they took the opportunity to take snapshots with the actors. After more waiting, we were on the way to Chilling. The sun was almost overhead. Past the trees and then the hot sun began to work on our backs. It was really blazing hot and the road was going up and up and up. A good few kilometers of uphill, me and Lilian finally saw them resting under some trees at the junction to the dam. It was a relief! It took some time for all of us to regroup again and when we all were there, we rode into the dam area. There, there was a vending machine and a cool 100 plus was heaven sent!

Resting at the dam.

While we were resting there, Sam Cheong also known as 'Samosaurus' rode in with his wife Michelle. They are quite well known among the foldie's community and Sam Cheong who has described quite a lot of his food and biking experiences in the dailies. I finally saw him in person. In fact he was supposed to meet us in KKB but as we were late the couple rode first and in actual fact they were riding back from Chilling. We parted with him going back to KKB while we continued on to Chilling. There was a few speedsters too and the ladies are really competitive! We have 'Speedy Gonzalez', 'The Road Runner', 'Speed Racer' etc. We were like a scene from 'Wacky Races'.

The ride was not so bad after this, just another 7 kilometers with slight rolling hills. We finally arrived and we rode straight into the Fisheries compound. We registered, regardless of whether we wanted to hike into the Chilling Falls or not. I, in fact has hiked there three times already during my hiking days. They were enjoying the cool river and having fun while me and Lilian just sat there enjoying the natural surroundings.

Riders happily immersing themselves in the cool river.

Johnny announced that we will leave at 1.30 pm. At that time we were all ready and rode onto the little off road trail and back onto the tarmac. The ride back was also very hot! We regrouped back at the dam and took a breather there. Then when everyone arrived, we continued. From here onwards it was fun. I was fully rested and instead of coasting all the way down, I shifted into high gear and pedalled all the way. I overtook all until another two front riders decided to join in and the three of us were zooming all the way till KKB again. A check with my cyclometer reads 49 kmh, a first time on my foldie.

We waited until everyone arrives and again we all went for another big feast! Some opted for the famous 'Tan Seow Woi' restaurant and some which also incudes myself want just a simple 'cendol' under a big angsana tree to quench our parched throat. We were chatting and bantering under the tree enjoying our 'cendol'. Time past and we have to leave again. Some went to get the pastries at Teng Wun to bring home and some opted to ride to KKB railway station which will shave off 8 kilometers compared to Rasa's station. Half of us decided to ride back to Rasa. So, the group splintered into 2 groups one leaded by Cikgu Chin and another by Johnny.

Kak Jah cendol under the 'yum yum' tree.

We arrived back at Rasa at 4.20 pm and hastily I rode to the shade. I drove my car to the bikes as it was under the shade. It took me some time to load back the bikes into the car and after a 'honk' and a wave, I waved goodbye to the other riders.

It was an enjoyable and relaxing but tiring ride. Sense of camaraderie among us was strong and understanding was full with regards to those who brought kids to ride. It was a real fun ride. Next ! The Fraser's Hill Night Ride. Hopefully all those that rode on this trip will be riding too.

For those who are curious what to expect when hiking into Chilling Falls , here a collage of a few pictures from my former hiking trips.