Logging Roads in Sarawak - Penaga Club, Brunei

Limbang to Long Seridan, Mulu and Sungai Baram
Limbang to the Kubaan Trail (Trekking Route to Bario)
Miri to Long San, S. Baram Bridge & the Dulit Mountains
Introduction
This guide contains details of a number of 4WD trips using logging roads in Sarawak. It is ironic that the logging companies, which are responsible for the greatest devastation of the primary rain forests in Brunei and Sarawak, have provided a means for the ordinary tourist to enjoy the spectacular scenery around Mulu and the upper Baram and Limbang rivers.
The logging concessions contain a huge network of roads, none of which are shown on publicly available maps. Three or four years ago, it was only possible to travel short distances into these areas as one would soon become lost after innumerable junctions or bogged down as the road disappeared into a swampy track. Then, in 1993, a number of off road drivers began taking detailed "pace notes" and sharing these with other enthusiasts to enable them to push ever deeper into the interior. It was as a result of this that, in June 1994 for example, we were able to make the first 4WD trip by tourists to the Mulu National Park - an achievement only made possible using the notes taken on at least five earlier expeditions.
The pace notes included in this guide describe the main routes south from Miri and Limbang, covering in total more than one thousand kilometres of jungle driving. Logging roads change quickly as old routes fall into disrepair and new areas are opened up, there are also many areas which have never been travelled by tourists. Please, therefore, use the pace notes with care and record any amendments or additional information for the benefit of future users.
The Logging Roads
There are basically three types of logging road:
Within each concession there is at least one main arterial highway which links the logging camps to the log ponds where timber is transferred to barges for transport to the coast. These sand roads need to be kept in very good condition as they are used by heavily laden trucks. Road gangs regularly maintain these highways, re grading the surface and clearing the minor land slips which are often triggered by tropical storms. Excavations are made to minimise the gradients of ascents or descents and bridges are built over all rivers. These can be simple log bridges over minor streams or major civil engineering projects such as the Wong Fujita bridge over the Limbang river south of Medamit or the (only) bridge over the Baram river at Long San. Whilst road surfaces can be very slippery following any rain, there are seldom deep pot holes or muddy sections and the roads can normally be travelled in ease by any 4WD vehicle.
Smaller roads run between logging concessions or link them with main settlements such as Long Seridan or Long Atip. These roads are principally used for the transport of people by Toyota pickup trucks and are much smaller and less well maintained. The road surfaces are often deeply eroded and impassable after heavy rain. Whilst bridges are built over most rivers there are occasional fords.
The last type of roads are the tracks that are pushed into the areas currently being logged. Since they are so new, the road surfaces are often unconsolidated and very muddy. Little, if any, attempt will have been made to make cuttings to minimise gradients and some roads are only passable using tracked vehicles. There is seldom any need to follow these tracks as they usually just stop at the furthest extent of logging activity without leading to anything of interest.
Route Descriptions (refer to the "pace notes" attached)
Limbang to Long Seridan and Mulu or Sungai Baram
This is now a reasonably easy trip which can be made over a long (three day) weekend, plus any additional time that you would like to spend in the National Park. The first part of the journey takes you South from Limbang, firstly on government roads, then into the LCC logging concession at Medamit and finally on to the main arterial road to the WTK base camp.
Just beyond Medamit is the huge log pond which marks the furthest navigable point on the Limbang river for the barges which carry the timber to the coast. The logging company check point, beyond which permits are required (see later), is located some 20 km further.
The next main landmark is the Wong Fujita steel bridge which spans the Limbang river as it passes through a deep valley. This marks the end of the relatively flat, coastal area and the views now begin to improve considerably
Some 35 km later (121.1 km from Limbang) is the right turn which takes you on to one of the minor roads linking this concession to the one South of Mulu. The road descends steeply to a rough bridge before climbing again to join the main east/west arterial road in the next concession. This is one of the only sections of the journey that would be difficult in bad weather as the initial descent may be too slippery after heavy rain (It is best to allow two days for the return journey and to make sure that you pass this point before stopping for the night).
In October 1995, we were taking this route in reverse direction on the way to Bario after travelling up the Baram by boat and joining the other end of the east/west arterial road at Long Temala. We were being driven in hired logging pick up trucks whose drivers took an alternative route between the two concessions. Travelling from the Baram, we turned off before (i.e. west of) the route that I had driven before and emerged on the Medamit/WTK road beyond (i.e. south of) the turn off at 121.1 km. This link road must run parallel to the route described in the pace notes but was interesting as it passed a small long house and involved a shallow ford across a minor river (probably the same river as the other route bridges at 122.8 km).
After emerging on the main east/west logging highway, the road improves and the driving is very easy. The turn off (left) for Long Seridan is at 151.3 km. (Note that this is the easiest way to Long Seridan and allows you to drive right into the village. Long Seridan can also be reached from a turn off on the Medamit - WTK road that you left earlier, but the road stops on the wrong side of Sungai Seridan and you have to wade to the village. See the Limbang to WTK/Kubaan Trail pace notes for this alternative route).
The Sim Yang logging camp at 204.9 km marks the junction for the choice between turning right to Mulu or continuing straight on towards the Baram. The pace notes provide the details for the Mulu route which will probably be most people's objective. I have only made the trip eastwards from the Baram in the back of a logging pick up truck so have no pace notes. From memory, however, the route continues on the main road, reaching Long Temala some two hours later. I also know of people who have reached Long Terawan (the major settlement on the Tutoh river west of Mulu) from a turn off on the way to Long Temala, beyond Sim Yang camp, but have no detailed information.
The last part of the route to Mulu is quite difficult. There is a maze of logging roads and certainly more than one way to get to your objective: Long Iman - a Punan long house on the Tutoh river approximately 1 km upstream from the confluence with the Melinau which marks the start of the National Park. I am grateful to Rob van der Vegt and Wouter van den Brink who made a number of corrections to this section of the original pace notes following their drive to Mulu, six months after my first trip.
The Punans at Long Iman are friendly and hospitable but also sharp businessmen. They charged some M$ 300 for the 15 minute return boat ride to and from Park Headquarters and offered their blowpipes and other crafts at full Miri high street prices!
Limbang to the Kubaan Trail (Trekking Route to Bario)
This trip follows the Limbang to Mulu route as far as the Mulu turn off some 120 km from Limbang. Rather than turning right here, continue straight on along the main logging highway. A very good camp site, though with no water, can be found shortly afterwards (at N 04° 03' 49.8", E 115° 07' 15.3"). 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. You should reach this point some four hours after leaving Limbang so this is a more suitable place to camp on the way home to Brunei, rather than on your outward journey.
Continue straight on towards WTK camp (N 03° 55' 59.1", E 115° 11' 16.8") using the pace notes attached. At WTK the pace notes stop since the remainder of the journey to the start of the Kubaan trail was made in the back of a truck in October 1995 (the pace notes date from our first trip in January 1993 although they have been validated several times since then). The final part of the route is very easy with few junctions - if in doubt ask at one of the camps.
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 (N 03° 50' 28.3", E 115° 15' 48.8") 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 (N 03° 50' 00.4", E 115° 18' 41.5") 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 camp, suitable camp sites can be found either about forty minutes out of Jelita where the road crosses the wide Sungai Kubaan (N 03° 47' 28.5", E 115° 19' 31.7") 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 N 04° 01' 57.9", E 115° 07' 15.4"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
The logging road cuts the Kubaan trail on the brow of a hill a few hundred meters beyond the bridge over Sungai Kubaan (at N 03° 47' 16.2", E 115° 19' 36.8"). 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 the co-ordinates of the river and trail crossing 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.
The walk to Bario takes some 10 hours (in good weather) and can just be completed in a single day. For further details refer to the separate notes on the Kubaan Trail.
Miri to Long San, Sungai Baram Bridge & the Dulit Mountains
Miri to Long San, Sungai Baram Bridge & the Dulit Mountains
This is the longest jungle driving trip that I made, spanning four whole days in June 1993 and covering some 600 km. It was undertaken in an attempt to reach Limbang from Miri and thus open up an east - west route through Sarawak without passing through Brunei. The key to this objective would be to cross the Baram river at the only bridge, situated at the Long San rapids some 200 km south of Miri, and then to travel north east, joining up with the logging roads around Mulu or WTK.
We were unsuccessful having followed every road on the east side of the Baram until it became impassable. Reports from the Catholic missionary based in the village of Long San (Fr. Jakob) indicated that at that time such a trip was impossible as there was an unlogged area south of Mulu and the roads in the various concessions did not meet. Nevertheless the trip was worthwhile for the opportunity to travel in spectacular scenery close to the Kalimantan border and around the headwaters of the Baram and Tinjar rivers. On Fr. Jakob's advice we took an alternative route back along the Dulit mountain range which form part of the Tinjar river valley.
The pace notes for this trip are divided into three sections:
Miri to Long San via the Baram valley (Samling timber concession)
Long San to Miri via the Dulit Mountains and Tinjar valley
Long San to the Baram bridge and roads on the Eastern bank of the Baram
The first section is very straight forward following good roads in relatively flat country. Permits are certainly required to proceed through the Samling concession but these are readily available from their offices in Miri (see later).
The alternative route back is very difficult, often following steep minor roads between concessions and involving the fording of a substantial river. It is well worth it, however, for the spectacular views from the Dulit Mountains close to the spot where Tom Harrisson made his base camp during his first visit to Borneo on the Oxford University Expedition of 1932 (see his book "Borneo Jungle"). The distinctive twin peaked mountain that can be seen east of the Dulit mountains is probably Kalulong which was first climbed by A.W. (Ev) Moore at the end of the 1932 expedition (at the same time as Edward Shackleton was making the first ascent of Mulu). Compare my photograph at the end of this account with Harrisson's on page 235 of "Borneo Jungle" or page 100 of "World Within".
The roads on the Eastern side of the Baram will now undoubtedly extend further as logging was ongoing in this area in 1993. This is again a beautiful area with good camping sites and views which very few Europeans will have experienced. At one point, a mountain similar to Batu Lawi but with three peaks can be seen to the south, close to the Kalimantan border.
The Route Around Brunei
If you ask any pundit in a bar in Miri they will tell you that it is possible to reach Limbang via the logging concessions without passing through Brunei. None, however, will have done it themselves. I can certainly confirm that it was impossible in 1993 and I have still to meet anyone who has achieved it. Two motor cyclist from Brunei (Dave Marren and Malcome MacGreggor) came closest, reaching the Baram river at Long Temala from Limbang and then ferrying their bikes across by barge and beginning to explore the concession on the west bank (which should provide a route to Miri). They ran out of time, however, and had to turn back to the Baram and reach Kota Baram by express boat.
The current "missing link" is that between Long Temala, which is reachable from Limbang, and the Long San bridge with it's route to Miri. It is certainly worth trying this again and asking loggers in these villages for directions. An alternative may be to try a more southerly route from Long San, aiming for Long Lelang and WTK, however, this area is completely unknown. If you attempt anything from the Miri side contact Fr. Jakob at Long San for latest information, his radio phone number is given on the pace notes.
Jack Verouden has travelled South on a turn off from the road to Long Temala and plotted the route with GPS (see the map at the end of this account). Unfortunately time constraints forced him to turn back even though the road was in very good condition.
Jungle Driving
General
The most important point to note 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 some logging concessions the vehicles drive on the right hand side by default (e.g. Baram valley area and WTK) so check for details as you pass the check point on the way in.
The size and weight of logging trucks dictates that they have special preference on hills. Traffic moving downhill has preference over uphill traffic and take particular care when being approached by vehicles picking up speed in order to negotiate the next hill - they may not be able to brake or manoeuvre to avoid you.
In general be courteous to logging vehicles, pulling over to let them pass whenever necessary.
Always take pace notes to make sure that you can find your way out of the concession and in any event turn back before you have used half your fuel supplies.
Finally never travel alone. Ideally your group should comprise three vehicles if you are planning to do some serious driving and at least two in any conditions. Make sure that your group is "balanced" i.e. that the lightest vehicle would be able to tow out the heaviest.
How to Ford a River
Whilst it is seldom necessary to ford rivers, it is important to know the correct technique as this is equally applicable for passing through long flooded road sections.
Fords will only have been built across areas where the river bed is reasonably firm since heavy logging vehicles are more at risk from being bogged down than your relatively light 4WD. The main problem that conventional jeeps have is that their relatively low ground clearance puts them at risk of flooding or even loss of control as they begin to become buoyant.
It is essential that before crossing the river someone walks across to check that it is not too deep and that the first car is led across by two people walking in front of each wheel checking for pot holes and other obstacles. The need for this was learnt the hard way when driving on a flooded road next to a river in Limbang in January 1993. We sent one person walking ahead who confirmed that the water in the middle of the road was only about eighteen inches deep. As the first car was some 20 meters into the flooded section, one front wheel slid down a deep hole (possibly a ditch at the side of the road which was obscured by the floodwater). The car stalled and came to rest at an angle of almost forty five degrees, with the bonnet and drivers seat under water! We were very lucky that the car behind was able to tow them clear as the muddy road gave little grip.
The maximum water depth that can be crossed is governed by two factors - the stability of the car (i.e. not floating away downstream!) and the need to prevent water entering the engine. The first is the main problem in conventional 4WD vehicles which can, in theory, be recovered from by opening the doors to flood the passenger compartment and regain stability (I've never heard of this being done for real!). The second is potentially more serious as it can put your car out of commission. Many people see the "snorkels" fitted to the engine air intakes on logging pick-ups and imagine that these are to enable them to cross deep water. Their main purpose is, however, to minimise the amount of dust entering the engine - the standard air intake is in fact on top of the engine in a position unlikely to flood. The main risk of water entering the engine is from the exhaust. When the engine is running, the exhaust gasses will prevent any water ingress, however, if the engine stalls with the exhaust outlet under water, the cold water will condense the vapours in the silencer box, sucking water into the exhaust and possibly even into the engine. For this reason it is essential to prevent the engine from stalling when crossing water.
With all things considered, it is probably best to avoid crossing water that is deeper than the tops of your tyres i.e. around half a meter (even shallower if it is fast flowing).
Make sure that your engine has been well sprayed with WD40 and drive slowly to prevent any bow wave forming as this may put your engine air intake at risk.


Dealing with Mud and Slippery Roads
Mud causes greater problems for our conventional 4WD vehicles compared with commercial logging trucks and jeeps for two reasons: firstly, factory fitted tyres tend to be too slick and easily become clogged with mud and, secondly, our relatively low ground clearance puts us at risk from becoming bogged down with the underside of the chassis literally floating on the mud whilst the wheels spin uselessly.
Some mud tyres are available in Brunei - the off road tyres for the Suzuki 410SJ jeep are particularly good and a set of Indonesian "Goodyear" crossplys with a deep profile, suitable for a Vitara, cost around B$ 500. It's worth investing in some if you intend to make a number of jungle trips (they are also suitable for the Labi road!).
To minimise the risk of becoming bogged down try to keep at least one wheel out of the "tram lines" made by heavy trucks as these will certainly be deeper than your modest ground clearance can accommodate. In very soft mud, speed can help to get you through but take care that the mud does not hide any solid objects which may damage the underside of your vehicle. My petrol tank was remodelled by a boulder in the middle of a muddy stretch of road in Sarawak - the car behind was not so lucky with the rock punching a hole in their tank.
On long, low lying, muddy sections the lightest car should travel in front and ensure that it does not get too far away from the car behind. Remember that the second car will need reasonably solid ground to be able to tow the first car out if it becomes bogged down. It is no good if the first car picks up speed to cross one hundred meters of thick mud and becomes stuck half way across if you are only carrying one four meter tow rope! For this reason make sure that you are carrying plenty of rope with you - a specially made 25 meter heavy duty line (any hardware store) with shackles and pad eyes (from Joe Curio KB) can cost up to B$ 100 but is well worth it.
If it proves impossible to simply tow out a stuck car then find something to put under the wheels to provide some extra grip. Many people cut large timbers and try to jam these or big stones under the wheels - I've never seen this work as they create too much of a step for the wheels to negotiate, although small branches complete with twigs and leaves are effective. Some drivers carry hessian sacks for the same purpose (an old trick to get out of snow: tie the sacks to your rear bumper with some string to avoid having to stop and go back to retrieve them). You may also need to dig mud away from the underside of the car if your sump or chassis has grounded. Finally check which wheel(s) are actually gripping, rather than spinning in mid air. Do anything you can to give these additional traction. Stand on the bumper above the wheel that is making contact with the ground and even rock the car up and down hard to try to force the wheels to grip.
When travelling in a convoy, make sure that the car in front has reached the brow of a hill before starting your ascent - you will not want to stop half way up if their tyres begin to loose grip.
If roads are slippery after heavy rain, it is always safer to wait for the sun to dry out the surface again if there are any steep ascents or descents to be negotiated. If this is not possible, there are a number of tricks that I have seen work although they may not be recommended by any 4WD textbooks!
If wheels begin to spin on a steep ascent then a surprising amount of additional traction can be gained by your passengers simply pushing the car up the slope as the wheels spin. Pushing can also prevent the rear of the car moving round and keep wheels out of any tram lines.
On steep descents, loss of control can be a real problem, particularly for heavier vehicles such as Land Cruisers and Pajeros. I was once the passenger in a Land Cruiser that began to slide sideways on a steep descent with a drop of several hundred meters at the edge of the road. Resisting the temptation to brake, which would certainly have made matters worse, the driver (Roddy Murray) brilliantly banged the clutch in and made sure that the wheels were moving in the same direction as we were travelling before steering us away from the edge. After stopping for a change of underwear, we developed a technique for the rest of the descent (down the Dulit mountain range, towards the Tinjar river) using a long tow rope strung out behind the car. Three people held the rope and followed the car, running, sliding or being dragged down the road, using the rope to pull the rear end back into alignment any time that it began to slide away. The scene (which was captured on video!) looks like something from the Keystone Cops - but it worked.
Problems can also occur close to home. In 1993, two families were airlifted from the jungle where their vehicles had become bogged down within 10 km of the Labi road during a Sunday afternoon jaunt (they were trying to take the inland route to Tasek Marembum - the road has improved considerably since then). They had taken two very heavy 4WD jeeps and allowed them both to become stuck in the same stretch of mud. Whilst one driver walked to the nearest telephone, the families (including young children) spent an uncomfortable night in the open. Never underestimate the conditions!
Deeply Eroded or Rocky Sections
Whilst it is always possible to retrieve a car from soft mud, a vehicle stuck with two wheels down an eroded gully at the side of the road may not be so lucky. If the road is badly eroded, with deep channels running down it, then it may be safer not to continue, particularly if the ground is soft and there is a risk of the road collapsing under the weight of your vehicle. In any case, unless the road condition can be seen to improve after a few meters then this is a sure sign that no logging vehicles have passed this way for sometime and the road is unlikely to lead to anywhere of interest.
On rocky sections the main risk is of your car grounding and damaging the exhaust or petrol tank. It is possible, however, to significantly increase your ground clearance by keeping your wheels on the high points in the road - purposely diving slowly over boulders or even up any bank at the side of the road to clear the obstruction.
Equipment
An equipment list for jungle driving trips is included with this guide. Note in particular that the number of tools and spare parts are essential and based on bitter experience! Some of the problems that have occurred on recent trips include:
Holed Petrol Tank Drain and then repair using epoxy plastic steel.
Blocked Fuel Filter Flush with WD40 (take spare hose and clips in case you need to cut it out to remove it).
Exhaust Torn Off Try fixing back with spare nuts or bailing wire, otherwise take home on your roof rack!
Spark Plug Shaken Out Luckily the plug was still attached to the HT lead and was not damaged, we now carry spares though!
Burst Radiator Hose Carry spare hose, "Radweld" and aircon sealing tape.
Punctures Check in advance that your wheel nuts are not over tight and carry an aerosol vulcanising kit (as used by motorcyclists etc.) in case you have a second puncture.
Blown Head Gasket No solution here except to abandon the car (it was towed a short distance to Long Seridan) and return later with a mechanic.
Broken Spring Temporary repair executed with small chains and shackles from the tow rope.
Broken Engine/ Held in place with bailing wire.
Transmission Mounting
Whilst it is recommended to carry all the necessary tools and equipment, I should point out that the vast majority of problems occurred with older vehicles (most on one particular Suzuki jeep!) that could just as easily have broken down on the way to the Club!
Vibrations caused by the road surface will also loosen any nuts that have not been tightened before the trip - the light pod on front of my Vitara was particularly susceptible. Carry spare nuts, bailing wire, steel tape, string and anything else you can think of.
Take plenty of spare fuel in jerry cans - remember that all logging vehicles run on diesel and there will be no possibility to refuel once you enter the concession.