Kubaan - Bario Trail

The Bario Plateau lies to the south east of Brunei in Sarawak, just Northwest of the border with Indonesian Kalimantan. It is an isolated area surrounded on three sides by mountain ranges which rise to more than six thousand feet. On the Southern side, rivers drain from the plateau through deep gorges and eventually form the Baram (it is at least three day's ridge walk south from Bario to the first navigable point). Whilst there is now a scheduled air service between Bario and Miri, the inhabitants of the plateau relied for centuries on a handful of overland trading routes. One of these routes passes westward from Bario over the Tamu Abu mountain range and on to Long Lelang via the Punan settlement at Pa Tik. The walk to Long Lelang would take around five days after which it would be possible to proceed by small boat along a river system which eventually joins the Baram.
A logging road now cuts this route between Pa Tik and Bario at a point where the trail follows the Sungai Kubaan valley. This opens up the possibility of a relatively easy overland route to Bario with one days driving on logging roads from Limbang followed by a walk of some 22 km. The walk can just be completed in one day although there are several suitable camping spots along the way (if you don't mind leeches!).
This route description draws partly on a number of driving trips made in 1993/94 and on an unsuccessful attempt to climb Batu Lawi in October 1995 when bad weather caused flight cancellations and forced us to find an alternative route into Bario.

Day One - Logging roads in Ulu Limbang
From Limbang drive to the WTK base camp at way point 7. This should take approximately six hours following the pace notes attached. The route follows the main logging road which links the WTK timber concession and the log ponds on the Limbang river at Medamit. It is a good quality sand road which is regularly maintained to allow passage of heavy logging trucks.
Note that if you have set off straight from Brunei after work and do not wish to spend the night in Limbang, a possible camp site (no water!) is located approximately 62 km after the check point on the way into the logging concession at N 04° 03' 49.8" E 115° 07' 15.3" (i.e. some 2.5 km before way point 4). There is a large flat area on the right hand side of the road which offers fantastic views over Mulu and Api to the west. The site is high on a hill side and the mist rising from the valley below in early morning is very beautiful.
Just before WTK camp there is a left hand turning with a fork in the road about one hundred meters later. Take the right hand fork which leads on to WTK Jelita camp. The scenery now becomes very spectacular as the road climbs over Bukit Batu Iran (way point 9) at over five thousand feet. At the highest points the primary rain forest can be seen to have given way to smaller stunted trees and ferns. Some exposed sandstone has the distinctive bleached white appearance which is characteristic of Batu Lawi.
Jelita camp (way point 10) is reached after about one hour's drive from WTK base camp. If it is becoming late, it is possible to stay in one of the huts on the camp to save making camp. Take care, however, not to make our mistake of accepting an invitation from one of the loggers without first paying your respects to the camp boss.
As an alternative to staying in the logging huts, suitable camp sites can be found either about forty minutes out of Jelita where the road crosses the wide Sungai Kubaan (way point 12) or, if you have even more time you could consider walking and making camp along the Kubaan trail. The first good spot is some 20 minutes walk along the trail where there are some old hunting huts next to the river. It is uncertain as to whether these huts can be opened or even whether their floors could still support any weight. Nevertheless it would be possible to sleep sheltered underneath them (they are some two meters off the ground) thus avoiding the need to carry tents.
In making this journey in October 1995 we did not set off from Limbang but from Marudi where we had become stranded following cancellation of all flights to Bario. We then needed to travel by express boat upriver to Long Temala (two hours thirty minutes), hire two Toyota pickups and drive eastward, passing close to Long Atip, Mulu and Long Seridan before emerging on the logging roads south of Limbang about half way to WTK camp (close to way point 4). This is much longer than driving from Limbang (we took express boats at 9.00 am but did not reach Jelita until after dark) and would only be interesting if your journey originated from Miri. Further details of the logging roads in the area south of Mulu can be found in the pace notes for the journey from Limbang to Mulu National Park.
Day Two - The Kubaan Trail
The logging road cuts the trail at way point 13, on the brow of a hill a few hundred meters beyond the bridge over Sungai Kubaan. In October 1995, this point was quite distinct with a small shelter having been built by Punans gathering special hard timber used for making long house foundation poles. Note that the air map is incorrect at this point as it places the trail some 800 meters north of Sungai Kubaan whereas comparison of way points 12 and 13 show it to be clearly south of the river.
The trail on the right (western) side of the road leads to the (abandoned) long house at Kubaan and the Punan settlement at Pa Tik. Judging from the distance shown on the map and the type of terrain, Pa Tik should be able to be reached after about half a days walk, offering an alternative to Bario for those who wanted to make a shorter trip.
The path to Bario begins on the left (eastern) side of the road. After about twenty meters there is a sharp right turn as the trail leaves the area cleared by the Punan hunters. We started walking at 8.15 am.
After twenty minutes (8.35 am) the trail emerges into a small clearing next to the river (probably still Sungai Kubaan) where two hunting shelters have been built. Do not take the path to the river but continue past the huts with the river some ten meters away on your left hand side. The Kubaan trail continues at the other side of the clearing.
A further twenty minutes later (8.55 am) the path forks at a small stream which must be a tributary to Sungai Kubaan. Take the left (more distinct) path and ford the stream. Although not very visible before you cross, the path on the other side is wide and obvious.
There is another stream crossing twenty minutes later (9.15 am), this time using a large fallen tree. The trail in this area seemed to be generally following a north easterly direction, contrary to the air map which shows a steady south easterly path. This suggests that the distance walked is considerably longer than the straight line between way points 13 and 16 (which are some 16.5 km apart).
Although the path is wide and easy as it covers level ground, there are several sections where it follows the sides of steep river valleys. Here, although there is little danger of falling any distance, it can be slippery and difficult to find firm footholds.
Eventually, after a further thirty five minutes (9.50 am) the trail descends to Sungai Kubaan. It is now necessary to ford the river from the right hand to left hand banks (facing upstream). The river is some twenty meters wide and waist deep in places, in October 1995, a steel cable had been fixed across the river to allow it to be crossed safely. After heavy rain the river level will rise considerably (as could be seen from the surrounding banks, trees and boulders) - crossing would then be very difficult.
The trail continues on the other side of the river, slowly climbing up the step valley.
One hour after the river crossing (10.50 am) a log bridge crosses a deep stream gully. As an alternative to crossing the slippery log, it is possible to go to the left and scramble up and down each bank.
Fifteen minutes later (11.05 am) it is necessary to ford another wide river (way point 14). This place may be Long Semirang - an old settlement which is marked on a number of maps but is no longer permanently inhabited. The location of this way point on the air map, and the fact that the river is carrying significantly less water than at the earlier crossing, suggests that this is not Sungai Kubaan but it's main tributary, which the trail now follows all the way to the watershed at the edge of the plateau. On the other side of the river there is a cross-roads with paths to the left and right leading to small huts or hunting shelters. Continue straight ahead.
After forty five minutes (11.50 am) it is necessary to scramble in and out of a deep gully where a log bridge had collapsed. We needed to push through thick rattan, indicating that whilst some sections of the trail are still used by hunters (we saw footprints in several places) the whole length of the path is seldom used. It is only the fact that the trail is in the shade of the forest canopy that prevents it from being slowly overgrown.
The trail descends back towards the river and after ten minutes (12.00 pm) there is a small clearing next to the river with a very old hunting shelter. There are several trails leaving this point and this gave us our greatest uncertainty during the trip.
Standing in the clearing with the river in front of you (flowing right to left) and the shelter on your left, there is one path that continues to your right up the river bank. This leads, after about fifty meters, to a clearing containing a number of old Punan shelters - it is not the correct path. To find the continuation of the trail, cross the river and follow the opposite bank upstream for some twenty meters. Once you reach it the path is wide and distinct although it is not readily visible from the river (do not make the mistake of continuing on the small track which goes steeply uphill directly opposite the hunting shelter).
We stopped here for lunch, sitting on boulders in the water to protect ourselves from the leeches which infested the area. From our position in the river (which was at that time only about thirty centimetres deep) we could see debris in tree branches at least one meter above us. After heavy rainfall it may be necessary to wait here for the water level to fall.
After the lunch stop, the trail swings more definitely south east and begins to climb up to the plateau. The three hour climb (the first of our group arrived on the watershed at around 3.45 pm) is gradual at first becoming steeper in the final sections.
The trail follows the stream to it's source, crossing it at least ten times on the way. During our trip the water level was fairly low and the stream could easily be forded. In many places, however, there were rough log bridges above the stream indicating that the water levels are frequently much higher.
The trail under the forest canopy is very distinct although in several places fallen trees block the path and it is necessary to make detours to search for the correct continuation. The lack of well worn routes around these obstacles is further evidence that the trail is seldom used today.
At two points, approximately half way to the watershed, the trail follows the bed of the stream for short distances. The first begins just before a sharp left hand bend in the stream where there are deep pools and a steep left hand bank. The path, which must once have followed close to the bank, has been washed away but resumes straight ahead on the opposite bank, on the other side of a fallen tree, and then follows the right hand bank upstream.
The second is a longer stretch of more than a hundred meters, higher up the escarpment, where the stream is much smaller. Here the trail follows the bed of the stream before emerging on the right hand bank. Along both of these sections, however, the sides of the stream are steep and it would be difficult to loose the correct trail. Furthermore the continuation of the path a few meters away from the bank is very distinct - we were confident that we were on the correct trail without the assistance of our guide who was by then at least one hour behind us (we left toilet paper to mark our route and prevent the group from becoming split up).
In the upper section of the trail there are several beautiful waterfalls and the tall trees of the primary rain forest begin to give way stunted, moss covered, species and giant ferns. The altitude at the pass over the Tamu Abu range is approximately 5,500 feet (tree cover prevented us from obtaining a proper fix). At this height, whilst the rain forest does begin to change, there is little evidence of the true "mossy forest" which can be found on the upper slopes of Mulu (7,800 feet), Trusmadi (8,700 feet) or even a few kilometres away at the other pass through the Tamu Abu cliffs on the way to Batu Lawi.
The last hundred meters to the pass follows a dry stream bed. There was no view point at the top although it would be possible to climb higher on either side of the trail (we didn't feel like it!). In any event we missed the "shattering views out over the whole interior" promised by Harrisson in his book (see later).
The first part of the descent into Bario follows the valley of a small river and is very similar to the climb on the other side of the pass, although perhaps with more mossy forest. The trail remains steep and slippery with many tree root for tired legs to trip over. This lasts for some forty five minutes (4.30 pm) until the trail begins to widen and the log bridges over small streams are constructed from sawn timber - evidence that civilisation is approaching.
At this point the trail passes a small dam in the river which provides a reservoir for the drinking water supply to the surrounding villages. The water pipe follows close to the path for the remainder of the route.
At the base of the escarpment the trail enters pasture used to graze water buffaloes. The village of Arur Dalan (way point 15) comes into view shortly after (5.00 pm).
The villagers were very friendly and gave us directions for the remainder of the journey to Bario (ask for the airport, Tarawe's lodging house is one hundred meters from the control tower). There is basically only one path which passes alongside the long house and then continues through paddy fields, past the local school and on to Bario five kilometres or forty five minutes later (our first group reached Bario at 17.45 pm, the last - including our Kelabit guide, some two hours later after being ferried from Arur Dalan by moped!).


List of Waypoints (join at waypoint 4 if starting from Limbang)
Waypoint
Description
Co-ordinates
Time
(Timbali)
1
Long Temala
N 03° 49' 38.2"
12.30 hrs
Logging concession roadhead on Baram River
E 114° 27' 55.0"
2
Logging Road
N 03° 48' 09.3"
West of Long Atip
E 114° 56' 13.2"
3
Logging Road
N 03° 57' 30.9"
Area South of Gunung Mulu
E 115° 02' 36.5"
4
Logging Road
N 04° 01' 57.9"
Just after joining North - South logging road
E 115° 07' 15.4"
from Limbang through WTK concession
5
Logging Road
N 03° 59' 28.0"
Heading South through WTK concession.
E 115° 08' 19.3"
6
Logging Road
N 03° 57' 39.8"
Heading South through WTK concession
E 115° 10' 06.7"
7
WTK Base Camp
N 03° 55' 59.1"
Turn left just before the camp and then take the
E 115° 11' 16.8"
right hand fork
8
Logging Road
N 03° 52' 13.8"
Continuing towards Jelita Camp.
E 115° 15' 10.5"
9
Pass over Bukit Batu Iran
N 03° 50' 28.3"
On the logging road to Jelita Camp
E 115° 15' 48.8"
10
WTK Jelita Camp
N 03° 50' 00.4"
Arrive 18.30 hrs
Overnight stop
E 115° 18' 41.5"
Depart 07.30 hrs
11
Logging Road
N 03° 48' 47.0"
Continue straight on, left hand turning continues to
E 115° 19' 20.8"
a high point which may offer a view of Batu Lawi
12
Bridge over Sungai Kubaan
N 03° 47' 28.5"
08.10 hrs
E 115° 19' 31.7"
13
Start of Trail
N 03° 47' 16.2"
08.15 hrs
Logging Road crosses Kubaan Trail which links
E 115° 19' 36.8"
Bario to Pa Tik
14
River Crossing
N 03° 47' 14.9"
11.05 hrs
Trail crosses (tributary of?) Sungai Kubaan
E 115° 22' 43.5"
Old hunting shelter - possibly Long Semirang
15
Arur Dalan
N 03° 45' 30.2"
17.00 hrs to
First Kampong on the Bario Plateau
E 115° 26' 25.0"
18.45 hrs
16
Bario
N 03° 44' 28.7"
17.45 hrs to
Way point taken next to old airfield at Tarawe's
E 115° 27' 42.8"
19.45 hrs
lodging house
Planning the Trip
This largely depends on how you reach the start of the trail and whether you need to return to pick up cars. I would certainly not recommend leaving cars unattended next to the start of the trail for any length of time unless you can find someone who would sleep next to them for a few dollars per day. If you are intending to make a return trip then either leave your cars at Jelita camp and hitch a lift to the trail or leave some of the less energetic members of your party behind to relax and camp for a few days exploring the logging concession by car. If you do not intend to return the same way then an option would be to hire transport in Limbang for a one way trip to the start of trail (Try Samson Bala if you need to arrange this - he has several relatives working in the area. His phone number is given later).
In theory, it would be possible to make a three day round trip i.e.:
First evening: Kuala Belait to Limbang
Day 1: Drive Limbang to Jelita or camp at S. Kubaan
Day 2: 9 - 11 hour walk to Bario
Day 3: 11.00 am flight to Miri via Marudi then KB by taxi
This, however, would leave no time to make excursions in Bario and the surrounding area, nor allow contingency for flight delays etc. Furthermore if your objective is to enjoy the Kubaan trail then why not take several days, perhaps making a detour to visit Kubaan or Pa Tik.
It is worth remembering that whilst we took up to eleven hours to walk the trail, we were hampered by each carrying up to 40lbs of equipment for our planned Batu Lawi climb (even four day's provisions that our guide had intended to give to porters and luxuries like beer and whiskey that we would have left at base camp to await our return). Either carry the minimum and make the journey in a single day or take full camping equipment and make more leisurely progress.
As an alternative to flying out from Bario, it would be possible to return the same way if you have transport waiting or to carry on overland to Bakalalan, some three days walk from Bario, where flights to the coast are said to be less weather dependent.

Jungle Driving
The route from Limbang to the start of the Kubaan trail follows the main logging highway through the concession. It is regularly maintained for use by heavy traffic and is navigable in any four wheel drive vehicle. Detailed advice on jungle driving is contained in a separate guide which includes "pace notes" for trips both from Miri and Limbang.
The most important point to remember is that not only do logging vehicles have the right of way (obviously) but that they also drive on either side of the road! This is not as chaotic as it sounds, but is a system to ensure that long, heavily laden trucks leaving the concession do not have to negotiate the outside of bends with dangerous drop offs. At any blind corner or when approaching the brow of a hill, look out for a small sign with a red arrow. This directs you to the correct side of the road at that particular point. Hopefully there will be a similar sign on the other side pointing oncoming traffic in the opposite direction!
In general be courteous to logging vehicles, pulling over to let them pass whenever necessary.

Around Bario
Most tourists who visit Bario do so as part of a major trip, such as the climb up Batu Lawi or Murud, or at one end of a long trek to or from Long Lelang or Bakalalan. Few people come to just spend time in Bario or one of the outlying villages on the Plains of Bah. This reflects the fact that there are almost no tourist facilities in the area nor well known places of interest to justify a specific journey to the highlands. Nevertheless it is worthwhile allowing time to experience the outstanding hospitality offered by the Kelabit people and, as a minimum, to see the unique wet paddy fields and their ancient irrigation system. If you are spending more time in Bario, either through choice or because of the notoriously unreliable air service, then there are a number of possibilities:
Rafting on the Baram - The main tributary of the Baram river rises on Mount Murud and flows south across the Bario Plateau. In this area it is slow moving and easily navigable by bamboo raft. During an earlier visit, ours was built by people from Pa Umor, a village about six kilometres north of Bario. Ask Samson Bala or his father (who still lives in the village) to arrange this.
Carved Monolith - There are several stone carvings in the Bario highlands which provide a link with the pre Christian traditional beliefs of the Kelabit people. One of the most accessible is on Samson's family land about fifteen minutes walk from Pa Umor. It is a large boulder about three meters in diameter which lies at the edge of a paddy field. The weathered carving on the upper side depicts a Kelabit man complete with extended earlobes, parang and collection of heads. It is said to be a memorial to a local warrior.
Pa Umor Salt Lick - Salt was an important commodity for the Kelabit people and was traded extensively during the last centuries. Today, one of the old salt springs at Pa Umor is occasionally used by families to gather their own supplies. The site is quite disappointing comprising only a brick lined well and an adjacent shelter where the brine is boiled for twenty-four hours to yield raw salt. We were told that the complete operation to chop firewood and boil sufficient brine to provide a family with a year's supply of salt would take about one week. The trip to the salt lick is worthwhile for the chance to see some of the wet paddy fields and water buffalo pastures typical of the Kelabit highlands. The path takes you along lanes which are more reminiscent of the European countryside than Borneo (they can be very muddy - take your boots!).

Figure 1 A schematic map with approximate walking times around Bario