Lion Hill of Sungai Siput

I received a Whatsapp message asking me if I am interested in riding up Lion Hill in Sungai Siput. Shaped like a lion comprising of two hills, one being the head with two ears and the rear as another hill. At that instant , it was a " YES !" Many a times, even more so when I was a child, I passed by Sungai Siput while on the way to Penang, I saw this hill and my parents describing it as Lion Hill, making it sounds so mystical.

Almost near the top

At the day of the ride, I woke up at 5.30am , drove to Sungai Siput via the old trunk road which requires you to drive straight into Kuala Kangsar town before heading out towards Sungai Siput. It was only a 40 minutes drive. Once there, I see many vehicles with mountain bikes strapped on their car roofs and I instinctly went into the lane where most riders are having their breakfast.

This was the coffee stall recommended by Fookson, a local rider based in Ipoh and Sungai Siput as well. I sat at one of the tables and immediately joined by Fookson himself. He ordered the toast and 'kaya with butter' together with a cup of milked tea. I must say, the 'kaya' was really good. Seriously 'good!' Never tasted this old kind of 'kaya' anymore, anywhere else. I found one GOOD 'kaya' not listed on Google. Stall location is GPS 4.820381, 101.070292

After breakfast, all riders assembled near the local church and not long after that all 80 or so mtb riders starts off. We rode on some main tarmac towards Sungai Nyamuk and not long after that into oil palm plantation. The climb was almost instant!  After much 'huff and puff' , we were the last two riders .......... hihihi,  and need to be swept by others. Later after this offroading session, we came to a village called Temin. All were regrouping here. Finally came the last two riders, yours faithfully and wife.

I also found out that the last session was a warm up and we have not even at the foothills of Lion Hill yet! When we all moved out , then into another plantation, this time we have to carry our bikes over a barrier. Usually plantation owners don't really mind cyclist trespassing into the plantation. Not that we can carry bunches of palm kernels anyway, right?

The terrain went steeper and steeper and the gap between me and wife were

getting really far. It was never a flat or level part until 40 minutes later. Only then some respite but we still need to carry on riding. After some tough ride, we came to a lone 'quinine' tree, a kind of mango species, on top of the hill. Then I found out this is the rear of the 'Lion' Sigh................still some climbs to ride! Regrouped here again and I am thankful, although it is a big group, they insists on full regroup!

I was suprised with the condition of the trails here. They were well maintained and they even have road signs. I guess there are vehicles coming up here to enjoy the peak. As we trundled on, gasping for air like a gold fish, the sun is rising and burning our backs. The neck is on fire! We crossed onto another hill, the head as they called it, where the two ears are! Still more climbs...........more climbs...........and more climbs. Then we reach a small hut just before the last section.

Scenic peak with 'quinine' tree.

I rested here and was watching the rest climbing the last section and it was like 45 degrees slope. Then I see the strong riders start to push their bikes too. I decided to stop here, after all, they will be coming down this way to get down. The last part was actually a telecommunication tower and the actual ears of the 'Lion' are limestone formations and you need to abseil to reach the peak.

The downhill section took me and Lilian just 10 minutes and at a glimpse of an eye , we were already on the main road. We need to regroup here as well as some are good at going downhills and some are good at going uphills. Off course there are some that are good at both. But we were waiting the those bad at downhill......hahahaa.

Off to finish the last section!

We were supposed to get onto another offroad section , they called "Black Hill" but I saw Fookson going tarmac. So, after some discussion, half the pack wants to take the easy ride on tarmac back to town. After the 'hardcorers' went off, we stroll slowly back into town stopping by to buy some 'Shat Keh Ma', a local specialty. Just beside the Petron Station on the main road.

After a 'teh peng' breakkie, I decided not to join their lunch session at the other end of town. I said my 'thank you' and 'good byes' to the rest and headed back to the car, pack up and drove the other way back to Taiping.

'da man' Fookson in green floral jersey and Steven GT taking the selfie.

I like to thank 'da man' Fookson Liew for including me on this fun ride.

Taman Negara V2

Road Gets Easier The Second Time !

It's been ages since I last blogged but since I have all the time in the world, I just felt like doing it again. 

I have since gave up folding bikes but I still have another one, all fully modded to 2 x 10 speed, not the best groupset but just a mid level one. After 2 years of riding a mountain bike (I have actually started with a mountain bike during the late 90s), seems riding the mountain bike seems much easier, even with the large 2.1 tires shodded on mine.

I haven't changed my concept of riding though, still the easy going, sight seeing and good food hunting kind of ride. Except now, with a mountain bike, I gained more access to places where folding bikes can't explore. Many equate mountain bike to extreme games but there's actually 3 kinds of mountain biking, cross country (and I am currently riding an XC bike), all mountain or enduro and finally the downhill.

Back to the subject, there were many request for this ride again since the last one we did three years ago. I don't know why I re-do it again, moreover I have to actually drive 6 hours to reach the starting point not to mention sending my pets for boarding. Maybe I too, have this inner desire to ride there again.

I have initially stuck to the old plans where we will stay a night in Jerantut , even the hotel was booked. As the date approaches, I usually go over and over the plans again in my mind, I realized that Kuala Tahan can be a boring place at night. Beers and stouts are also scarce and expensive too. So, I decided to check in a day earlier and bring in a few crates of beers and also some food for our night activities.

I was insomniac the night before the ride and was already driving out back to Jerantut to meet the other riders at 4.30am. I reached Piccadilly (breakfast place) at 5.30am and the shop keeper was just laying out the tables and chairs. Looking alarmed, I just told him to take his time.

Breakfast in Jerantut

Later, punctually as planned, the others arrived one by one. After greetings and hugs we had breakfast before taking a drive to Kuala Tembeling where the boatman was waiting for us.

We assembled our bikes, collected all dues to pay the boatman and then carried our bikes down to the riverside. As usual, excited faces can be seen when the boat was trudging across the river. The major flood 3 years ago has changed the whole landscape of the riverside and it was muddy now. We unloaded and pushed our bikes to the start of the tarmac road and after a group picture, we started off.

In high spirit !

It was a misty morning, so misty, droplets of water was blurring my glasses. But it was great, cooling and the whole group just loved it. We were riding and chatting at the same time, bantering, joking all the time. Maybe the happiness made us not noticing that we have already reached the small sundry shop where we re-stocked our water and 100 plus the last time. Only this time nobody did so.

             


 

We came to a section where during the last ride, a rider fell off her bike and was hospitalized. The sand patch was still there and being extra cautious, I stopped and warned every rider to be extra cautious of the sand patch. Only after the last rider has passed safely, I continued on. There is a planned left turn here to go to the next village called Merting. But during the last trip, a few fast riders overshot but I did not asked them to turn back as the road they were heading to also leads to Kuala Tahan. In fact going straight just leads you to the main trunk road faster. Little did I realized, the left turn to Merting actually avoided a lot of high slopes and also cutting short 7 kilometers off the route. This time we managed to choose the right route! I also noticed that although it is the durian season, I only saw one tree with fruits! This year's harvest is really bad!

After the village, a right turn leads us to the main trunk road (this is the end of kampong roads) but it comes out to where we had lunch the last time. A row of three shops, two eateries and a general store. It was only 11.00am and as I recalled, the last time we reached here , it was well over noon. As this is the last eatery until the junction near Kuala Tahan, we decided to have an early lunch. The stall owner over charged us big time because we were not local and also because the next shop was not opened.

After lunch, we carried on and it was getting hot now. The highest section of the whole route is beyond here. A few high and long slopes and also crossing the Pahang river. Somehow or rather, it seems easier for everyone and after a short ride we were already crossing the Pahang River bridge. Stopped for a few shots here. We passed the jungle section and now reached the plantation section. The old oil palm trees were cleared and new saplings were planted here onwards. The palm oil kernel loaders were rusty now and I remembered very well  as I seen riders taking refuge from the hot sun under it the last time.

As the last group was riding, we saw Kimmie standing on the roadside. She told us Jui Lee was taking a 'poo poo' and it was just lucky for her to find a place to do that , right in the middle of a plantation! We stopped too and after regrouping we carried on.

Slightly past 1.00pm, we reached 'Kenny's Place'. Called so because the last ride, we were all waiting for him here. We regrouped only after two and halfs hours here when John Kang borrowed a motorcycle to look for him and brought him back. We are now calling this place 'Donald's Place' because right after he reached here, he got cramped! He went lying on the ground for a good 15 minutes.

After a good laugh and drinks, we headed for the last three dragonbacks. It's now easy to tackle the dragon backs. As long as you don't brake on the downhill section the momentum will drive you to the mid uphill section of the next climb and at times all the way to the apex of the slope. But the last one was different. After the downhill, the road levels off for a while before the big climb and we have to start pedalling from the bottom. To compound this is the heat and the tiredness.

Still we need to finish it. At exactly 1.48pm, I reached the apex of the last slope and a few was in front of me. I stopped here and waited till the last rider passed me before I zoomed down to Kuala Tahan. Upon reaching and checking in to Han Rainforest Resort, we were at the front terrace , lazing and chatting away, joined in by the recreational officer there. It was then 8 of us decided to do the rapids boating and 'Orang Asli' village visit. The other four just wanted to take a shower and rest.

Small party.

We had dinner and then look for a place to have a mini party with beers and tidbits brought in last night. We chatted till late night and went to sleep. We regrouped again at breakfast the next morning and then packed up and headed for the jetty for our boat ride back to Kuala 

Tembeling. Some rode there and some took the hotel's shuttle service.

Like before, some of us took a nap on this long journey back and as the river was swelling, the current faster, the boat ride was also faster as we were heading downstream. Reaching Kuala Tembeling , me and Donald have to say our goodbyes and missing the lunch as we were heading to the opposite direction. We were taking the Cameron Highlands route back to the north.