Tampin Hill Ride (4/5/08)

The last time I rode up Tampin hill in November last year just before PCC Ride in Kajang, I took about 50 minutes for the short 4.5 km ride. Why it took so long? It was riding up up up all the way. Some parts are about 10% gradient and most parts are 15% – 20%. I was panting and had to stop many times along the way to catch my breath.

A group of us went last Sunday to re-conquer the hill. It was an achievement because it took me only 35 minutes. I felt it was a good achievement as I considered the 3 short stops I made as moments that I put my feet down. My future goal is to ride all the way up without the feet touching the ground.

After the good effort by everyone to reach the top, Ah Chai decided to try the off road track on the way back. The track initially look good with potential for the coming MTB Jamboree sometime in July (I think). Then reality started to come in. We hardly had saddle time and each time we pushed our bike, I took comfort that we will reach the peak soon and the rest would be a nice downhill ride, but the peak seemed to elude us. After each hill top we reached, there’s the little break of flats and then it’s uphill again.
To make matters worse was when some shouted there are lots of leaches around. Suddenly everything moving bit on the ground became clear. The little twigs that were swaying on the ground were actually leaches waiting for hosts. They seemed so happy to see us with their rhythmic sways and I can almost hear small shouts of “Lunch coming!”
I looked at my shoes and there was a couple of them about to sneak into the socks.

Every few steps, we had to stop to swap away leaches from our shoes and legs. There were even thoughts of them crawling into our privates. Yuks! It was our journey to hell.
Again, I took comfort that the trail will have an ending and we would see the path to some clearing or road and so we pushed on.
The final hill was the toughest. We had to stick our feet into the soft mud and climb through bamboo trees. Our tough riders such as Doha complained how did such a track exist. Who did the clearing and went through this kind of obstacles? Must be someone crazy.

It was a table top peak with some clearing and a hut. But the trail ends there! All the trouble we went through was for nothing. I bet Low KW must have cursed a lot while trying not to get his precious Cannondale Rush scratched. We had to go back to where we started and go through all the obstacles and leaches again.
It’s now the 2nd day and the body’s still aching. No thanks for the 7 leach bites that itched all night and spoilt 2 good night of sleep plus I lost a good Sigma bike meter.

It was an exploration not to be forgotten.