Nature walks in Brunei - PNHS 1997, edited by Jacqueline Henrot
Contains information on nature walks and their habitat in Brunei Darussalam
Brunei Darussalam, A Guide - Brunei Shell
Contains information on walks in Brunei Darussalam
Mountains of Malaysia - John Briggs
A comprehensive guide to the mountains of Peninsular and East Malaysia. Brigg's descriptions of the jungle are very informative although his route descriptions are now, however, somewhat dated. The treks upon which his book are based must have taken place in the late seventies and early eighties, before regular tourist trails were established. He also seemed to adopt a siege approach to any climb, accompanying his group with many local guides and porters (judging from the photograph on page 148, half the able bodied men from Pa Ukat and Pa Umor are standing on the summit of Batu Lawi!).
These two factors combine to result that he significantly over estimates the difficulty and duration of any ascent. For example, the return trek to Batu Lawi, which we completed comfortably in three and a half days, is described by Briggs as a five to seven day expedition "not suitable for casual tourists". Still the best book to use for planning your mountain and jungle trips.
Mount Kinabalu, A Guide to the Summit Trail - Sabah National Parks
A detailed description of the Tourist Trail with general information on flora, fauna and the geography of the mountain.
Stranger in the Forest: On Foot Across Borneo - Eric Hansen
Just in case you were thinking that a one day trek to Bario was something special, this book will bring you back down to earth. It describes Hansen's seven month journey in which he travelled roughly North - South across Borneo and back again. The first part of his journey, in which he walked either alone or with Punan guides, took him from Marudi to Bario via Long Seridan. Although he does not name it specifically, I think he must have entered Bario via the Kubaan trail which he describes as a "major highland footpath" crossing the Tamabo mountain range at a pass called Punga Pawan above the village of Ara Dalan (his spelling, pages 85 - 91).
SOS - Ron Foster and Robert Neil
An account of the ill fated British Army expedition down Lowe's Gully in 1994, describing how the team survived for weeks on little more than boiled sweets, and provides a stark contrast to the comforts of the Tourist Trail and the Laban Rata rest house.
World Within: A Borneo Story - Tom Harrisson
An account of life in the Bario highlands prior to 1945 by one of the first Europeans to visit the area. Harrisson describes Kelabit customs, religion and life style in great detail although little of this pre Christian culture now remains.
The second half of the book deals with the exploits of the special forces (led by Harrisson) who were parachuted into Bario in 1944 to form a resistance movement against the Japanese. This includes a description of the ascent over the Tamu Abu range on the Kubaan trail by one of Harrisson's officers who was obviously not a fan of the jungle:
Borneo Jungle (An Account of the Oxford University Expedition of 1932)
Tom Harrisson, who later became famous for his wartime exploits in Bario, edited this book which contains personal accounts of the expedition by several of it's members. Amongst them was Edward Shackleton (the son of the Arctic explorer) who made the first ascent of Mulu in 10 days during November 1932.
Australian Geographical Magazine - July/September 1995
An account of the 1993 Australian expedition to climb the main peak of Batu Lawi. The article contains superb photographs and a vivid description of the trek and climb, but is short of any technical climbing data (they left better information in the Camp 2 visitors book).
Useful Addresses
Samson Bala Palaba
c/o SSB Dept. FSU/222B Telephone (from BSP): 74-4700
Borneo Jungle Safari Fax: 60-85-417-984
Home address: Lot 2233
Sin Siang Hai Gardens,
(turn off left ~500m before the airport)
Miri, 60-85-615-453
Samson's family come from Pa Umor five kilometres north of Bario. Villagers from here and Pa Ukat built the two permanent camps on the way to Batu Lawi (Samson's father was vice chairman of the project).
Samson has a small travel agency in Miri and is experienced in organising treks around the Bario area (e.g. Batu Lawi, Murud, Bario to Bakalalan). Even if you are planning to make an independent trip, Samson is a very useful contact to arrange guides, porters, transport etc.
Tarawe's (formerly Bario Airtel)
John & Karen Tarawe Miri Telephone: 085-414400
P.O. Box 5, Bario, Bario Telephone: Telecom M'sia Radio
Kelabit Highlands Tel 1064 Ext. 404
Baram 98050,
Sarawak, Malaysia.
Very friendly and informal lodging house. Clean three bedded rooms with a separate shower and toilet block (approx. M$12 per bed and M$10 per meal - will also allow you to cook your own food). John & Karen have contacts all over the area and can also arrange local guides and trekking excursions, though these would be best booked in advance. Note that if they have run out of beer it can be bought for M$ 6 per can from the old lodging house opposite.
Sabah National Parks
Lot 3, Block K, Sinsuran Complex,
P.O. Box 10626,
88806 Kota Kinabalu,
Sabah, Malaysia
Telephone (60-88) 211881, 211652, 211585
Fax 60-88-221001,
Borneo Eco Tours
Telephone 60-88-234009
Fax 60-88-233688
Api Tours
Sabdin Said
Fax 60-88-424174
Appendix 1 Equipment List for jungle trips
Equipment List for jungle trips
Essentials
Optional
Rucksack
X
Sleeping Bag & Carry Mat
X
Torch & Spare Batteries
X
Lanterns (candle lanterns)
X
Firelighters (Hex)
X
Matches/Lighter
X
Mug, Cutlery, Plate & Bowl
X
Cooking Pan & Utensils
X
Water Bottle (2 litres minimum)
X
First Aid Kit
X
Rehydrating Salts (Servadrat - Smarts)
X
Zinc Powder (anti fungal - Smarts)
X
Chaffing Cream (Sudocream - Smarts)
X
Personal Toiletries (contact lens kit)
X
GPS
X
Map & Scale Ruler
X
Notebook & Pencil
X
Plastic Bags (heavy duty or zip bags) & Heavy Duty Resealable Tape
X
Tarpaulin for temporary shelter (if not planning to reach Camp 1 on first day)
X
Insect Repellent
X
Mosquito Coils
X
Parang
X
Swiss Army Knife
X
Camera, (mini) Tripod & Spare Film/Batteries
X
Toilet Paper
X
Wetties
X
Small Towel
X
Sweat Band
X
Malaysian Ringgits
X
Passport
X
Small Padlock
X
Ear Plugs
X
Film Cases (salt, sugar, talc)
X
String (clothes line, spare laces, building shelter etc.)
X
Main Meals
X
Coffee, Tea, Sugar, Milk Powder
X
Glucose Powder
X
Puritabs
X
Muesli & Powdered Milk (breakfast)
X
Muesli Bars, Nuts & Crisps
X
Sweets (Army ration type in plastic)
X
Beer (leave at Tarawe's)
X
Whiskey (in plastic bottle)
X
Walking Clothing ("wet set")
X
Evening/Sleeping Clothing ("dry set")
X
Extra Underwear
X
Extra Socks
X
Waterproofs (poncho etc.)
X
Gloves (for warmth & protection during climb)
X
Boots
X
Spare Laces
X
Sandals/Flip Flops
X
Guides normally supply some items indicated, some camps are equipped with kettle, cooking pans and mugs
Sunday, December 21, 2008
The Loggers, by Penaga Club, Brunei
The Loggers
The loggers that we have met during our trips have been without exception friendly and hospitable. On many occasions we have stopped them to ask directions and they have done their best to help in spite of language difficulties. Remember that whilst few will be able to understand a map or even read and write, they will be able to give you the name of a nearby river or mountain and to give directions to the next logging camp. On one occasion, a logger made a one hour detour to lead us through a particularly difficult section of roads on the way to Mulu and would accept nothing in return.
If you stop at a logging camp make sure that you first pay your respects to the Camp Boss before accepting any hospitality from other loggers. Unless it has become late or you have got into difficulties you will probably want to make camp rather than stay in a logging hut but these can be useful in an emergency.
On our return from Long San, in June 1993, we had driven until late in the evening to make up for lost time and it had begun to rain heavily. We stopped at a very small logging camp and stayed in a empty hut. That evening, the three loggers who worked there accepted our invitation and we drank and talked long into the night. A can of beer costs around M$10 in the Ulu and a manual worker earns about M$15 per day - whiskey was a luxury that they had never tried before (most loggers are Chinese or Iban and will not be offended by your offer!).
Earlier on the same trip we were camped in the middle of the jungle on the eastern side of the Baram. Late in the evening, a loggers pickup truck drove up and checked us out. This was a group on an unofficial hunting expedition (on first seeing us in the distance they had stopped and hidden their guns at the side of the road in case we were an army patrol). Their hunting would involve a drive at high speed along the darkened roads, illuminating the jungle with a very bright halogen spot lamp. As they saw the reflection of a pair of eyes they would let loose with their collection of ancient and home made shotguns - identifying their quarry by the colour of the reflected eyes. That evening two of our group joined them and returned with a mouse deer and large wild boar. As we shared our ample beer supplies with the loggers one of them barbecued a leg of wild boar above our camp fire. Even though we had almost no common language we somehow managed to communicate and the ensuing party is one of my best memories of the jungle trips.
Permits
The type of permits that are required depend on where you start your trip and whether you will be using your own transport. The system of issuing permits to restrict access to the Ulu (interior) was first introduced by Brooke in the last century to discourage missionaries and other European settlers who may ferment trouble amongst the inhabitants. The procedure is maintained today largely due to sensitivities surrounding logging activities and their effects on the indigenous people and wildlife. Rules are strictly enforced during periods of protest by Ulu inhabitants - as happened in 1993/94 when Punans blockaded logging roads Southeast of Long San and when residents of Long Terawan protested about the confiscation of their traditional lands around Mulu for the planned construction of a golf course and luxury resort.
Permits to visit the Interior (Mulu, Bario, Long San etc.) - are officially required for any non Malaysian travelling above Marudi. These can be obtained from the Residents Office in either Miri, Marudi or Limbang. The standard procedure (which is sometimes waived, but don't count on it!) is to first visit the police station with two copies of your passport in order to gain clearance for the trip. You will be required to complete a form with your profession, other personal details and the purpose of your trip (ecologists, journalists, members of Greenpeace etc. are automatically excluded at this stage!). The police inspector endorses the form which you then take to the Residents Office where you complete yet another form to enable your permit to be issued.
Note that the same procedure applies if your ultimate destination is Bario, Long San, Long Seridan or Mulu. The Residents Office will issue the relevant permit.
Permits to enter the Logging Concession (Limbang) i.e. to pass the LCC checkpoint 20 km past Medamit, are required for anyone using their own transport. These can be obtained from the Limbang Trading Company whose offices are in a marble fronted building opposite Limbang market. The office opens at 8.00 am (also on Saturdays) and a duty manager is available on public holidays. Latest reports (October 1995) are that vehicles without this permit were being turned back the checkpoint.
Limbang Trading and the police check point do not seem to be asking to see any permits from the Residents Office at the moment, however, these are advisable if you intend to walk anywhere.
Permits to enter the Logging Concession (Miri) There are two checkpoints on the road South towards Long San. The first is at the turn off for Long Miri and is a low key affair manned by logging company employees. The second is at the Samling Timber base camp just North of Long San. This is much more formal and, in 1994, was manned by Malaysian police officers (we were able to bluff our way through the first check point but not the second, which must be passed to reach the bridge over the Baram or the roads to the Dulit Mountains and Tinjar valley).
The procedure for obtaining permits is similar to that on the Limbang side - First obtain the official permit to visit the Ulu from the Miri police station and Residents Office. Then take this to the Samling Timber Company's offices next to the Holiday Inn for a letter of authorisation to use their roads through the concessions (phone first for an appointment with Henry Kong, the MD, or Philip Ho the Operations Manager).
Equipment List for 4WD Jungle Expeditions
Equipment List for 4WD Jungle Expeditions
Essentials
Optional
Tow Ropes & Shackle
X
Jerry Cans (Water & Fuel)
X
Funnel with hose attached
X
Jump Leads
X
Radweld
X
Tool Kit
X
Scaffold Board (for bridging holes and jacking up on soft ground)
X
Engine Oil
X
WD 40
X
Foot Pump
X
Fan Belt (& Aircon Belt)
X
Plastic Steel Epoxy
X
Plastic or Steel Tape
X
Spark Plugs & Contact Breakers
X
Exhaust Repair Kit (bailing wire )
X
Electrical Wiring, Test Meter & Spare Fuses
X
Gloves (leather welders gloves for hot engines/exhaust etc)
X
Pulley Block & Rope (and/or "come along" ratchet kit)
X
Spade
X
Axe / Parang
X
Hessian Sacking
X
Tents (no possibility to sling hammocks)
X
Tarpaulins (as large as possible - blue/white type from the kedai)
X
Rope/string for tarpaulin shelter
X
Sleeping bag/sack
X
Inflatable Mattress & Pillow
X
Towels for Car Seat Covers
X
Mosquito Coils / Insect Repellent
X
First Aid Kit
X
Torches & Spare Batteries
X
Storm Lanterns
X
Toilet Roll
X
Wetties
X
Malaysian Ringitts (small denomination bills)
X
Compass
X
Maps or Pace Notes
X
GPS
X
Paper, pens, scale ruler
X
Cool Boxes & Ice
X
Food (main meals & Snacks)
X
Stoves (or cook over an open fire if you can find dry wood)
X
Cooking & Eating Utensils
X
Soft Drinks & Bottled Water
X
Beer & Whiskey
X
Disposable cups, plates etc
X
Refuse Bags
X
Washing up liquid
X
Logger/Longhouse Gifts (cigarettes, balloons, sweets, tinned food etc)
X
Swiss Army Knife
X
Passports, Permits & Car Papers
X
Sunglasses
X
Camera
X
Binoculars
X
The loggers that we have met during our trips have been without exception friendly and hospitable. On many occasions we have stopped them to ask directions and they have done their best to help in spite of language difficulties. Remember that whilst few will be able to understand a map or even read and write, they will be able to give you the name of a nearby river or mountain and to give directions to the next logging camp. On one occasion, a logger made a one hour detour to lead us through a particularly difficult section of roads on the way to Mulu and would accept nothing in return.
If you stop at a logging camp make sure that you first pay your respects to the Camp Boss before accepting any hospitality from other loggers. Unless it has become late or you have got into difficulties you will probably want to make camp rather than stay in a logging hut but these can be useful in an emergency.
On our return from Long San, in June 1993, we had driven until late in the evening to make up for lost time and it had begun to rain heavily. We stopped at a very small logging camp and stayed in a empty hut. That evening, the three loggers who worked there accepted our invitation and we drank and talked long into the night. A can of beer costs around M$10 in the Ulu and a manual worker earns about M$15 per day - whiskey was a luxury that they had never tried before (most loggers are Chinese or Iban and will not be offended by your offer!).
Earlier on the same trip we were camped in the middle of the jungle on the eastern side of the Baram. Late in the evening, a loggers pickup truck drove up and checked us out. This was a group on an unofficial hunting expedition (on first seeing us in the distance they had stopped and hidden their guns at the side of the road in case we were an army patrol). Their hunting would involve a drive at high speed along the darkened roads, illuminating the jungle with a very bright halogen spot lamp. As they saw the reflection of a pair of eyes they would let loose with their collection of ancient and home made shotguns - identifying their quarry by the colour of the reflected eyes. That evening two of our group joined them and returned with a mouse deer and large wild boar. As we shared our ample beer supplies with the loggers one of them barbecued a leg of wild boar above our camp fire. Even though we had almost no common language we somehow managed to communicate and the ensuing party is one of my best memories of the jungle trips.
Permits
The type of permits that are required depend on where you start your trip and whether you will be using your own transport. The system of issuing permits to restrict access to the Ulu (interior) was first introduced by Brooke in the last century to discourage missionaries and other European settlers who may ferment trouble amongst the inhabitants. The procedure is maintained today largely due to sensitivities surrounding logging activities and their effects on the indigenous people and wildlife. Rules are strictly enforced during periods of protest by Ulu inhabitants - as happened in 1993/94 when Punans blockaded logging roads Southeast of Long San and when residents of Long Terawan protested about the confiscation of their traditional lands around Mulu for the planned construction of a golf course and luxury resort.
Permits to visit the Interior (Mulu, Bario, Long San etc.) - are officially required for any non Malaysian travelling above Marudi. These can be obtained from the Residents Office in either Miri, Marudi or Limbang. The standard procedure (which is sometimes waived, but don't count on it!) is to first visit the police station with two copies of your passport in order to gain clearance for the trip. You will be required to complete a form with your profession, other personal details and the purpose of your trip (ecologists, journalists, members of Greenpeace etc. are automatically excluded at this stage!). The police inspector endorses the form which you then take to the Residents Office where you complete yet another form to enable your permit to be issued.
Note that the same procedure applies if your ultimate destination is Bario, Long San, Long Seridan or Mulu. The Residents Office will issue the relevant permit.
Permits to enter the Logging Concession (Limbang) i.e. to pass the LCC checkpoint 20 km past Medamit, are required for anyone using their own transport. These can be obtained from the Limbang Trading Company whose offices are in a marble fronted building opposite Limbang market. The office opens at 8.00 am (also on Saturdays) and a duty manager is available on public holidays. Latest reports (October 1995) are that vehicles without this permit were being turned back the checkpoint.
Limbang Trading and the police check point do not seem to be asking to see any permits from the Residents Office at the moment, however, these are advisable if you intend to walk anywhere.
Permits to enter the Logging Concession (Miri) There are two checkpoints on the road South towards Long San. The first is at the turn off for Long Miri and is a low key affair manned by logging company employees. The second is at the Samling Timber base camp just North of Long San. This is much more formal and, in 1994, was manned by Malaysian police officers (we were able to bluff our way through the first check point but not the second, which must be passed to reach the bridge over the Baram or the roads to the Dulit Mountains and Tinjar valley).
The procedure for obtaining permits is similar to that on the Limbang side - First obtain the official permit to visit the Ulu from the Miri police station and Residents Office. Then take this to the Samling Timber Company's offices next to the Holiday Inn for a letter of authorisation to use their roads through the concessions (phone first for an appointment with Henry Kong, the MD, or Philip Ho the Operations Manager).
Equipment List for 4WD Jungle Expeditions
Equipment List for 4WD Jungle Expeditions
Essentials
Optional
Tow Ropes & Shackle
X
Jerry Cans (Water & Fuel)
X
Funnel with hose attached
X
Jump Leads
X
Radweld
X
Tool Kit
X
Scaffold Board (for bridging holes and jacking up on soft ground)
X
Engine Oil
X
WD 40
X
Foot Pump
X
Fan Belt (& Aircon Belt)
X
Plastic Steel Epoxy
X
Plastic or Steel Tape
X
Spark Plugs & Contact Breakers
X
Exhaust Repair Kit (bailing wire )
X
Electrical Wiring, Test Meter & Spare Fuses
X
Gloves (leather welders gloves for hot engines/exhaust etc)
X
Pulley Block & Rope (and/or "come along" ratchet kit)
X
Spade
X
Axe / Parang
X
Hessian Sacking
X
Tents (no possibility to sling hammocks)
X
Tarpaulins (as large as possible - blue/white type from the kedai)
X
Rope/string for tarpaulin shelter
X
Sleeping bag/sack
X
Inflatable Mattress & Pillow
X
Towels for Car Seat Covers
X
Mosquito Coils / Insect Repellent
X
First Aid Kit
X
Torches & Spare Batteries
X
Storm Lanterns
X
Toilet Roll
X
Wetties
X
Malaysian Ringitts (small denomination bills)
X
Compass
X
Maps or Pace Notes
X
GPS
X
Paper, pens, scale ruler
X
Cool Boxes & Ice
X
Food (main meals & Snacks)
X
Stoves (or cook over an open fire if you can find dry wood)
X
Cooking & Eating Utensils
X
Soft Drinks & Bottled Water
X
Beer & Whiskey
X
Disposable cups, plates etc
X
Refuse Bags
X
Washing up liquid
X
Logger/Longhouse Gifts (cigarettes, balloons, sweets, tinned food etc)
X
Swiss Army Knife
X
Passports, Permits & Car Papers
X
Sunglasses
X
Camera
X
Binoculars
X
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.
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.
Mount Kinabalu Summit Trail; Penaga Club, Brunei
Mount Kinabalu Summit Trail
A Weekend Trip from Brunei to Climb the Highest Mountain in Southeast Asia 4101 meters (13,455 feet).
General
The Mount Kinabalu climb is described in almost every guide book on South East Asia and in Sabah National Parks leaflets which are available from any travel agent. This description will therefore be brief and limited to topics not covered in the normal tourist literature.
Two days are required for the climb but, now that flight connections between Brunei and Kota Kinabalu have improved, it is possible to make the trip in a normal weekend, flying out on Friday evening and returning late on Sunday.
Although billed as South East Asia's highest mountain, the climb via the 8.5 km long tourist trail can be accomplished by any reasonably fit individual. The ascent begins from 1,829 meters (6,000 feet) and therefore the climate is pleasantly temperate. Overnight accommodation at the end of the first day is provided in a modern rest house where hot food is available and the (bunk) bedrooms are electrically heated.
It is possible to make the trip as part of an all inclusive package through the usual Brunei travel agents or to arrange everything yourself, dealing directly with the National Parks Office in Kota Kinabalu.
Route Description
Day One
You should aim to depart your hotel in Kota Kinabalu as early as possible on Saturday morning for the 11/2 to 2 hour drive to Park Headquarters. Although there is no risk of you arriving too late to complete the climb before night fall, the weather on the mountain is best in the morning and cloud/rain frequently closes in by mid afternoon. Ideally you should begin climbing before 9.00 am to reach the Laban Rata rest house in time for lunch.
A (free) left luggage service is offered at the Park Headquarters for the clothes that you do not need for the climb.
Upon arrival at Park Headquarters you will need to complete the formalities required for the issue of a climbing permit and hire a guide. All groups must be accompanied by a guide although there is no chance of you straying from the correct path. In busy periods, there may be a shortage of guides when you arrive (even though you will have booked one in advance) since most parties who have spent the previous night in park cabins will have set off up the mountain at about 8.00 am. The park rangers will contact the local village and call up more guides but this can result in a delay of several hours. If this happens, it is best to set off up the trail on your own and rely on the guide catching you up (they always do - most can make it to the Laban Rata in under two hours!). Tell the park rangers what you intend to do (they always give permission) but remember to take with you confirmation of your accommodation booking and a note of your guides name to make sure that you meet up without difficulty and can check into the rest house.
A mini bus service links Park Headquarters with the start of the trail, 4km away near a small power station.
The path up the mountain on the first day is well maintained and has been cut into a series of steps. There are several shelters on the way where it is possible to rest and drink from one of the rain water collection tanks (the water seems very clear and many people have drunk it without difficulty - it's your decision whether you use puritabs).
The trail passes through the full spectrum of upland and montaine forest, from primary jungle through dwarf bamboo, rhododendron and stunted trees covered with moss and lichen. Pitcher plants grow close to the path and your guide will be able to show you the best specimens which usually require a few meters scramble up or down from the main trail. The flora and fauna along the route are described in great depth (by real experts!) in many books and therefore I will not go into further detail here.
The climb to the Laban Rata rest house at 3,353 meters (11,000 feet) is advertised as taking between four and six hours. This is somewhat pessimistic, however, as a fit person can easily complete the ascent in under four hours and the average tourists will normally have reached the rest house in under 5 hours.
About twenty minutes before the rest house the Crokker sandstone which covers the lower slopes gives way to grey granite and this is a good indication that you are approaching the end of the first day's climb.
Day Two
The two to three hour climb to complete the ascent begins before dawn to enable you to view the sunrise from the summit. The guide will want to wake you at 2.00 am for a 2.30 am start to be sure of reaching the top in time. Before committing to a departure time, you should assess your fitness from your time for the first day's climb and balance the risk of arriving too late with that of a long wait in the cold wind of the summit as you wait for dawn.
The first part of the climb takes you up through rhododendrons and small stunted trees. The path is very steep in places and wooden ladders have been placed over stretches where the tree roots do not provide sufficient support.
After about 45 minutes you emerge above the tree line and the trail continues up the bare granite mountainside. The trail is still steep for a further 20 minutes with fixed ropes provided in a number of places (in fact ropes are placed for almost the whole of the route across the summit plateau to provide a reference point in case cloud descends. The path on and off the plateau is also marked with boulder cairns).
The Sayat Sayat hut at 3,810 meters (12,500 feet) marks the start of the summit plateau and the end of the steep climb. The ascent to the summit now becomes more gradual although the shape of the plateau obscures the view of Lowe's Peak for some time. On the way you will pass several other peaks (Donkey's Ears, South Peak, St. Johns Peak etc.) all of which are only a few meters lower than Lowe's Peak but almost impossible to climb without specialist equipment.
The climb up the last few hundred meters to Lowe's Peak is a scramble across a large boulder field. There are fixed ropes but the effects of altitude result that most people need to rest several times during the short final ascent.
The summit affords a good view into Lowe's Gully where the British Army expedition became trapped in 1994. It is only after seeing the sheer granite walls, which rise almost vertically for several thousand feet, that you begin to appreciate the impossible situation that they got themselves into.
After watching the sunrise, descend to the Laban Rata rest house (1 to 2 hours) to have breakfast and collect your other clothes. From there, the walk back to the power station and the road to the Park Headquarters should take between two and four hours depending on how stiff your legs have become from the previous days climb.
A National Park bus operates from the power station to the Park Headquarters and saves you an hour's road walk home. During quiet periods the driver is often reluctant to depart without a full load of passengers but a M$ 10 "special hire charge" (best negotiated by your guide) is normally sufficient to persuade him!
There are two simple shower cubicles behind the Park Headquarters next to the souvenir shop. Ask one of the rangers for the key.
Back at the headquarters you can purchase your certificate of achievement (there are even versions for those who didn't make it - with a blank space for the guide to fill in the height at which you gave up!) and T shirt with a suitably modest slogan ("It's hard to be humble when..." etc.).
The public bus service back to KK is intermittent. If you are on a package tour a mini bus will have been organised through your tour operator, if you are making your own arrangements it is a good idea to have something booked in advance (try telephoning Api tours or Borneo Eco Tours. These agents often have space on busses returning to KK)
Accommodation on the Mountain
Laban Rata rest house. Most people stay here as it has electrically heated rooms, (occasionally) warm showers and a good canteen. The bunk beds are fitted with a rough sheet and thin blanket although extra thick blankets are available for hire at M$ 1 each (ask early as they always run out). The availability of a canteen means that it is not necessary to carry any food up the mountain - not even your first days lunch as you should reach the rest house in plenty of time.
The Laban Rata also has a small shop selling beer and soft drinks, sweets, chocolate, playing cards, (cheap) torches and batteries, candles and, when in stock, woollen gloves and balaclavas. The prices are all very reasonable considering that everything needs to be carried up from Park Headquarters.
Other Huts at 11,000 feet. These simple huts are normally used by army groups but can also be hired by the general public. There is no heating or bedding materials so you will have to bring warm sleeping bags. Gas stoves are provided although most people would still eat in the Laban Rata which is only a few minutes walk away. If you insist on doing your own cooking, simple provisions such as mee and tinned meat can be purchased in the Laban Rata shop.
Sayat Sayat Hut. At 12,500 feet, this is the highest fixed accommodation on the mountain and is normally only used by parties staying on the summit plateau for more than one day. If you press onto the summit on day 1 then this would also be a good place to spend the night on the way down rather than try to reach Laban Rata before nightfall. The hut is draughty and very cold - you will need to be completely self contained regarding bedding, food and cooking gear. The area is also said to be infested with rats.
Clothing
Shorts & t shirt for the ascent on day 1
Walking boots (leather or gortex alpine type with ankle support for the rocky terrain are best although many people use training shoes, canvas "jungle boots" are not necessary)
Long trousers/leggings & shirt for evening in the rest house and the second days ascent to the summit.
Extra warm layer for the summit (fleece jacket, sweater or light anorak)
Gloves (for warmth and protection on the ropes - a good solution is cheap woollen gloves inside plastic gardening or diving gloves. The two layers keep you both warm and dry.)
Warm headgear or scarf for the summit (Thai grass cutters balaclava is ideal!).
Waterproofs (poncho).
Spare socks & underwear.
Other Things to Remember
Small rucksack (pack everything in plastic bags in case of heavy rain)
Water bottle
Small first aid kit (include Sudocream against chaffing and Aspirin/Panadol for altitude induced headaches)
Ankle/knee supports or tubigrip bandage in case of sprains
Torch and spare batteries
Puritabs and, optionally, glucose powder for making the drinking water along the trail more palatable.
Malaysian Ringgits
Sunscreen and chapped lip ointment
Toiletries & Small Towel
Camera (400 ASA film - best for early morning shots, is rarely available in the shops at the park).
Cut your toe nails before you set off or you may find the descent painful.
A Weekend Trip from Brunei to Climb the Highest Mountain in Southeast Asia 4101 meters (13,455 feet).
General
The Mount Kinabalu climb is described in almost every guide book on South East Asia and in Sabah National Parks leaflets which are available from any travel agent. This description will therefore be brief and limited to topics not covered in the normal tourist literature.
Two days are required for the climb but, now that flight connections between Brunei and Kota Kinabalu have improved, it is possible to make the trip in a normal weekend, flying out on Friday evening and returning late on Sunday.
Although billed as South East Asia's highest mountain, the climb via the 8.5 km long tourist trail can be accomplished by any reasonably fit individual. The ascent begins from 1,829 meters (6,000 feet) and therefore the climate is pleasantly temperate. Overnight accommodation at the end of the first day is provided in a modern rest house where hot food is available and the (bunk) bedrooms are electrically heated.
It is possible to make the trip as part of an all inclusive package through the usual Brunei travel agents or to arrange everything yourself, dealing directly with the National Parks Office in Kota Kinabalu.
Route Description
Day One
You should aim to depart your hotel in Kota Kinabalu as early as possible on Saturday morning for the 11/2 to 2 hour drive to Park Headquarters. Although there is no risk of you arriving too late to complete the climb before night fall, the weather on the mountain is best in the morning and cloud/rain frequently closes in by mid afternoon. Ideally you should begin climbing before 9.00 am to reach the Laban Rata rest house in time for lunch.
A (free) left luggage service is offered at the Park Headquarters for the clothes that you do not need for the climb.
Upon arrival at Park Headquarters you will need to complete the formalities required for the issue of a climbing permit and hire a guide. All groups must be accompanied by a guide although there is no chance of you straying from the correct path. In busy periods, there may be a shortage of guides when you arrive (even though you will have booked one in advance) since most parties who have spent the previous night in park cabins will have set off up the mountain at about 8.00 am. The park rangers will contact the local village and call up more guides but this can result in a delay of several hours. If this happens, it is best to set off up the trail on your own and rely on the guide catching you up (they always do - most can make it to the Laban Rata in under two hours!). Tell the park rangers what you intend to do (they always give permission) but remember to take with you confirmation of your accommodation booking and a note of your guides name to make sure that you meet up without difficulty and can check into the rest house.
A mini bus service links Park Headquarters with the start of the trail, 4km away near a small power station.
The path up the mountain on the first day is well maintained and has been cut into a series of steps. There are several shelters on the way where it is possible to rest and drink from one of the rain water collection tanks (the water seems very clear and many people have drunk it without difficulty - it's your decision whether you use puritabs).
The trail passes through the full spectrum of upland and montaine forest, from primary jungle through dwarf bamboo, rhododendron and stunted trees covered with moss and lichen. Pitcher plants grow close to the path and your guide will be able to show you the best specimens which usually require a few meters scramble up or down from the main trail. The flora and fauna along the route are described in great depth (by real experts!) in many books and therefore I will not go into further detail here.
The climb to the Laban Rata rest house at 3,353 meters (11,000 feet) is advertised as taking between four and six hours. This is somewhat pessimistic, however, as a fit person can easily complete the ascent in under four hours and the average tourists will normally have reached the rest house in under 5 hours.
About twenty minutes before the rest house the Crokker sandstone which covers the lower slopes gives way to grey granite and this is a good indication that you are approaching the end of the first day's climb.
Day Two
The two to three hour climb to complete the ascent begins before dawn to enable you to view the sunrise from the summit. The guide will want to wake you at 2.00 am for a 2.30 am start to be sure of reaching the top in time. Before committing to a departure time, you should assess your fitness from your time for the first day's climb and balance the risk of arriving too late with that of a long wait in the cold wind of the summit as you wait for dawn.
The first part of the climb takes you up through rhododendrons and small stunted trees. The path is very steep in places and wooden ladders have been placed over stretches where the tree roots do not provide sufficient support.
After about 45 minutes you emerge above the tree line and the trail continues up the bare granite mountainside. The trail is still steep for a further 20 minutes with fixed ropes provided in a number of places (in fact ropes are placed for almost the whole of the route across the summit plateau to provide a reference point in case cloud descends. The path on and off the plateau is also marked with boulder cairns).
The Sayat Sayat hut at 3,810 meters (12,500 feet) marks the start of the summit plateau and the end of the steep climb. The ascent to the summit now becomes more gradual although the shape of the plateau obscures the view of Lowe's Peak for some time. On the way you will pass several other peaks (Donkey's Ears, South Peak, St. Johns Peak etc.) all of which are only a few meters lower than Lowe's Peak but almost impossible to climb without specialist equipment.
The climb up the last few hundred meters to Lowe's Peak is a scramble across a large boulder field. There are fixed ropes but the effects of altitude result that most people need to rest several times during the short final ascent.
The summit affords a good view into Lowe's Gully where the British Army expedition became trapped in 1994. It is only after seeing the sheer granite walls, which rise almost vertically for several thousand feet, that you begin to appreciate the impossible situation that they got themselves into.
After watching the sunrise, descend to the Laban Rata rest house (1 to 2 hours) to have breakfast and collect your other clothes. From there, the walk back to the power station and the road to the Park Headquarters should take between two and four hours depending on how stiff your legs have become from the previous days climb.
A National Park bus operates from the power station to the Park Headquarters and saves you an hour's road walk home. During quiet periods the driver is often reluctant to depart without a full load of passengers but a M$ 10 "special hire charge" (best negotiated by your guide) is normally sufficient to persuade him!
There are two simple shower cubicles behind the Park Headquarters next to the souvenir shop. Ask one of the rangers for the key.
Back at the headquarters you can purchase your certificate of achievement (there are even versions for those who didn't make it - with a blank space for the guide to fill in the height at which you gave up!) and T shirt with a suitably modest slogan ("It's hard to be humble when..." etc.).
The public bus service back to KK is intermittent. If you are on a package tour a mini bus will have been organised through your tour operator, if you are making your own arrangements it is a good idea to have something booked in advance (try telephoning Api tours or Borneo Eco Tours. These agents often have space on busses returning to KK)
Accommodation on the Mountain
Laban Rata rest house. Most people stay here as it has electrically heated rooms, (occasionally) warm showers and a good canteen. The bunk beds are fitted with a rough sheet and thin blanket although extra thick blankets are available for hire at M$ 1 each (ask early as they always run out). The availability of a canteen means that it is not necessary to carry any food up the mountain - not even your first days lunch as you should reach the rest house in plenty of time.
The Laban Rata also has a small shop selling beer and soft drinks, sweets, chocolate, playing cards, (cheap) torches and batteries, candles and, when in stock, woollen gloves and balaclavas. The prices are all very reasonable considering that everything needs to be carried up from Park Headquarters.
Other Huts at 11,000 feet. These simple huts are normally used by army groups but can also be hired by the general public. There is no heating or bedding materials so you will have to bring warm sleeping bags. Gas stoves are provided although most people would still eat in the Laban Rata which is only a few minutes walk away. If you insist on doing your own cooking, simple provisions such as mee and tinned meat can be purchased in the Laban Rata shop.
Sayat Sayat Hut. At 12,500 feet, this is the highest fixed accommodation on the mountain and is normally only used by parties staying on the summit plateau for more than one day. If you press onto the summit on day 1 then this would also be a good place to spend the night on the way down rather than try to reach Laban Rata before nightfall. The hut is draughty and very cold - you will need to be completely self contained regarding bedding, food and cooking gear. The area is also said to be infested with rats.
Clothing
Shorts & t shirt for the ascent on day 1
Walking boots (leather or gortex alpine type with ankle support for the rocky terrain are best although many people use training shoes, canvas "jungle boots" are not necessary)
Long trousers/leggings & shirt for evening in the rest house and the second days ascent to the summit.
Extra warm layer for the summit (fleece jacket, sweater or light anorak)
Gloves (for warmth and protection on the ropes - a good solution is cheap woollen gloves inside plastic gardening or diving gloves. The two layers keep you both warm and dry.)
Warm headgear or scarf for the summit (Thai grass cutters balaclava is ideal!).
Waterproofs (poncho).
Spare socks & underwear.
Other Things to Remember
Small rucksack (pack everything in plastic bags in case of heavy rain)
Water bottle
Small first aid kit (include Sudocream against chaffing and Aspirin/Panadol for altitude induced headaches)
Ankle/knee supports or tubigrip bandage in case of sprains
Torch and spare batteries
Puritabs and, optionally, glucose powder for making the drinking water along the trail more palatable.
Malaysian Ringgits
Sunscreen and chapped lip ointment
Toiletries & Small Towel
Camera (400 ASA film - best for early morning shots, is rarely available in the shops at the park).
Cut your toe nails before you set off or you may find the descent painful.
Ascent of G. Trusmadi - by Penaga Natural History Society, Brunei
. Ascent of Gunung Trusmadi
An Account of the Trek in the Crocker Range National Park Sabah.
Introduction
Gunung Trusmadi is, at 8670 feet (2640 meters), Malaysia's second highest mountain and is located in the Crocker range some 60km south of Kinabalu. Until recently the ascent required a 7 to 10 day round trip from Tambunan but logging activity in the foothills has now made the area accessible to motor vehicles and the summit can now be reached after only one days climb from the nearest logging road.
There are no facilities on the mountain and overnight accommodation is in tents. One night is normally spent on the summit to take advantages of the spectacular views of Kinabalu at sunset and sunrise
The total ascent from the logging road to the summit is 4500 feet (1370 meters) over some 10 km. The path is well trodden and proceeds directly to the summit without any forks or junctions. There are few difficult steep sections although in many places the path narrows and it is necessary to squeeze between or under stunted trees.
In addition to the views from the summit the main reason for making the ascent is the opportunity to see a wide verity of pitcher plants including the large Nepenthes X Trusmadiensis which grows at higher altitudes and is said to be unique to the mountain.
Route Description
Day 1
Turn off the main Tambunan - Ranau road about 4 km South of Tambunan at Waypoint 1. If you are driving from Tambunan this is a left hand turn opposite a row of shop houses. The road is signposted "Jalan Kaingaran".
The road is initially sealed and after about 500 meters passes over a bridge across a small river. Soon afterwards the road becomes unsealed and travels more or less directly to Kg Kaingaran about 20 minutes later. There are several forks on the way to the Kampong but these are mostly logging tracks and the correct route is very distinct.
Kampong Kaingaran (Waypoint 2) is a Dusun settlement and has a large school which obviously serves the whole area. The porters for the climb (two brothers) are based here.
After collecting the porters turn back along the dirt road back towards Tambunan. The junction for the mountain is the first left hand turn approximately 5 minutes drive outside the Kampong. There is a small logging vehicle maintenance camp at the junction and a padlocked barrier. The porters needed to find the logging camp boss to open the barrier which may be one of the principal advantages of including the porters in your party.
The drive to the base camp is along logging trails for a little over one hour. The road is of good quality and is easily navigable with a Toyota minibus (not 4WD). The route generally follows the main (most heavily used) road and there are only two "T" junctions on the way - turn right at both junctions. Our guide informed us that a left turn at one of these junctions would have lead to a camp site only two hours walk from the summit, but that the road was impassable except for 4WD vehicles. Again, the porters would be invaluable in giving directions to this alternative starting point.
The base camp site (waypoint 3) is just off the main road and is reached via a rough track on the left which climbs steeply to a clearing with a small weather station. We have no exact distance to this junction and without the guides/porters it could easily be missed unless you are using GPS.
The last water stop before the base camp is a small stream which crosses the main logging road approximately 1km before the turn off.
Day 2
The path to the summit begins at the opposite side of the base camp clearing to the entrance track. The path is initially indistinct and overgrown although after about 100 meters one enters the main jungle canopy and the path is much clearer. The first few hundred meters of the route generally follow a ridge but there are both ascents and descents with little net gain in height until a steep 150 meter long uphill section marks the start of the climb.
The first hour and fifteen minutes climb up the ridge is through primary rain forest with a high canopy. There are several small clearings along the way although the dense cover overhead prevented us taking a GPS fix.
Waypoint 4, at 6650 feet, marks a distinct change in the type of vegetation with the tall trees of the primary rain forest having given way to smaller stunted trees and bushes. Stunted trees often cross the path and it is necessary to squeeze over or under them. This is also a very important point as our guide informed us that this marks the end of leech country, the upper slopes being too cold/dry/exposed to support them.
For approximately two more hours the trail climbs only slowly to waypoint 5 at 7750 feet. The path continues to follow the ridge and, on a clear day Kinabalu should be visible due north. The trees are increasingly covered in moss and lichens, and there are many pitcher plants along the way - particularly Nepenthes X Edwardina & Nepenthes Lowii. The pitcher plants were identified using photographs in Brigg's "Mountains of Malaysia" - we probably did not see Nepenthes X Trusmadiensis which appears to be similar to Nepenthes X Edwardina but with a more rounded bulb and less pronounced ribs around the mouth.
The next two hours climb to the summit involve a net ascent of less than 1000 feet but there are two steep descents on the way and a further 20 minutes walk from the first peak to the summit proper. The path is now quite narrow and crossed by many tree roots. There are two short, almost vertical sections one of which has a safety rope fixed.
The summit is reached after between five and six hours walk from base camp. It is marked by a large metal tripod and a concrete trig. point which can be seen from several clearings along the ridge path below. The campsite is 20 meters further in a sheltered depression just below the summit.
The only water on the summit is in two rainwater pools adjacent to the trig. point. It is heavily discoloured but, if boiled, is suitable for making tea or cooking rice (we lived!).
You should arrive at the summit with plenty of time to make camp and rest before the clouds over Kinabalu begin to clear (about 5.00pm on our trip) and the photo session starts.
Day 3
After a night on the summit and an early rise to photograph the sunrise over Kinabalu, the descent to base camp takes between 2 hours 45 minutes and 4 hours. If you have made an early start, the beer that you hid at base camp will still be cool!
Equipment
The equipment list from our May 1995 trip is included in this report. This was based on our arrangements with Api tours who supplied all the food, cooking equipment and tents. Note that if you are making your own arrangements, the porters from Kg Kaingaran do not supply their own food and equipment.
If you are not using porters then you will have a little more to carry (probably 3 - 4 kg extra) and a GPS will be essential to locate the base camp.
Tents are necessary as there are no trees sturdy enough to sling a hammock, either at base camp or on the summit. Tents and sleeping bags are also essential in the cold of the summit.
In planning the weight of your packs, allow for the fact that there is no running water along the trail or at the summit. You should carry about 2 litres for the ascent and 1.5 litres for the descent plus whatever you need for cooking/drinking on the summit (unless you plan to use the rain water pits on the summit). We each left base camp with at least 3.5 litres with the guides/porters carrying a little extra for the meals at the summit. Our rucksacks probably weighed about 15 kg.
Guides/Porters
Our party of six was accompanied by a guide from Api Tours, his helper and two Dusun porters. They were useful in cooking meals and carrying the tents, food and cooking equipment. It is not necessary to use guides to point out the correct route once the base camp has been located although the presence of at least one porter should ensure that your expedition is not hindered by the logging company or local authorities.
Photography
One of the main reasons for making the ascent is the opportunity to photograph the rare pitcher plants along the route and the sunrise and sunset over Kinabalu from the summit. 400 ASA film may be useful in the half light under the forest canopy but most of our photographs were taken either with flash or with the camera supported, therefore, slower film would have been equally acceptable.
There is a flat concrete trig point on the summit which can be used to support your camera for sunrise and sunset pictures. We found that a mini tripod was also useful for larger SLRs and for more varied shots.
Everyone takes Kinabalu from the summit at sunrise and sunset and fails to notice that there is also an excellent view from the campsite itself, where the mountain is framed by trees and bushes, until they return for breakfast!
General
Our trip with Api tours lasted three days although the first day involves no climbing, only the drive to the base camp with an optional tour of the Raffalesia Centre on the way. With an early start from KK, it would be possible to drive to base camp by late morning and make the ascent the same day, thus making it a two day trip.
If a night in the cold on the summit is not appealing it would be equally possible to make the journey to and from base camp in a single day, especially as there would be no need to carry heavy packs. This, however, would mean that you would miss the dawn/dusk views from the summit, when cloud cover is at it's minimum, and a sight of mount Kinabalu would be unlikely.
As there is no running water at either camp, you will welcome the chance to bathe on the way back to KK. A good spot is on the Tambunan - KK road, on the left hand side, just before you reach the Raffalesia Centre. There is no sign post, just a small track which ends about 20 meters from the main road. 100 meters further is a small waterfall where you can wash (not big enough for swimming though). Further along the same road on the right hand side is a signposted track to a larger river and waterfall. This involves a 40 minute walk and you probably won't feel like it!
List of Waypoints
Waypoint
Description
Co-ordinates
Approximate Elevation
Time on Ascent
Time on Descent
1
Turn off Tambunan Road
N 05o 40' 07.3"
E 116o 21' 48.6"
630 meters
16.00 hrs (Day 1)
Arrive 10.20 - 11.30 hrs (Day 3)
2
Kg. Kaingaran
N 05o 38' 22.2"
E 116o 27' 32.7"
730 meters
16.20 hrs (Day 1)
3
Base Camp
N 05o 34' 24.6"
E 116o 28' 38.8"
1650 meters
18.00 hrs (Day 1)
Depart 07.30 Day 2
4
Start of Mossy Forest
N 05o 33' 52.2"
E 116o 29' 19.8"
2000 meters
09.30 hrs (Day 2)
5
Clearing on Ridge
N 05o 33' 29.8"
E 116o 29' 59.2"
2350 meters
11.15 hrs (Day 2)
6
Trusmadi Summit
N 05o 33' 13.7"
E 116o 30' 49.8"
2650 meters
13.30 - 14.30 hrs (Day 2)
Depart 07.30 hrs (Day 3)
An Account of the Trek in the Crocker Range National Park Sabah.
Introduction
Gunung Trusmadi is, at 8670 feet (2640 meters), Malaysia's second highest mountain and is located in the Crocker range some 60km south of Kinabalu. Until recently the ascent required a 7 to 10 day round trip from Tambunan but logging activity in the foothills has now made the area accessible to motor vehicles and the summit can now be reached after only one days climb from the nearest logging road.
There are no facilities on the mountain and overnight accommodation is in tents. One night is normally spent on the summit to take advantages of the spectacular views of Kinabalu at sunset and sunrise
The total ascent from the logging road to the summit is 4500 feet (1370 meters) over some 10 km. The path is well trodden and proceeds directly to the summit without any forks or junctions. There are few difficult steep sections although in many places the path narrows and it is necessary to squeeze between or under stunted trees.
In addition to the views from the summit the main reason for making the ascent is the opportunity to see a wide verity of pitcher plants including the large Nepenthes X Trusmadiensis which grows at higher altitudes and is said to be unique to the mountain.
Route Description
Day 1
Turn off the main Tambunan - Ranau road about 4 km South of Tambunan at Waypoint 1. If you are driving from Tambunan this is a left hand turn opposite a row of shop houses. The road is signposted "Jalan Kaingaran".
The road is initially sealed and after about 500 meters passes over a bridge across a small river. Soon afterwards the road becomes unsealed and travels more or less directly to Kg Kaingaran about 20 minutes later. There are several forks on the way to the Kampong but these are mostly logging tracks and the correct route is very distinct.
Kampong Kaingaran (Waypoint 2) is a Dusun settlement and has a large school which obviously serves the whole area. The porters for the climb (two brothers) are based here.
After collecting the porters turn back along the dirt road back towards Tambunan. The junction for the mountain is the first left hand turn approximately 5 minutes drive outside the Kampong. There is a small logging vehicle maintenance camp at the junction and a padlocked barrier. The porters needed to find the logging camp boss to open the barrier which may be one of the principal advantages of including the porters in your party.
The drive to the base camp is along logging trails for a little over one hour. The road is of good quality and is easily navigable with a Toyota minibus (not 4WD). The route generally follows the main (most heavily used) road and there are only two "T" junctions on the way - turn right at both junctions. Our guide informed us that a left turn at one of these junctions would have lead to a camp site only two hours walk from the summit, but that the road was impassable except for 4WD vehicles. Again, the porters would be invaluable in giving directions to this alternative starting point.
The base camp site (waypoint 3) is just off the main road and is reached via a rough track on the left which climbs steeply to a clearing with a small weather station. We have no exact distance to this junction and without the guides/porters it could easily be missed unless you are using GPS.
The last water stop before the base camp is a small stream which crosses the main logging road approximately 1km before the turn off.
Day 2
The path to the summit begins at the opposite side of the base camp clearing to the entrance track. The path is initially indistinct and overgrown although after about 100 meters one enters the main jungle canopy and the path is much clearer. The first few hundred meters of the route generally follow a ridge but there are both ascents and descents with little net gain in height until a steep 150 meter long uphill section marks the start of the climb.
The first hour and fifteen minutes climb up the ridge is through primary rain forest with a high canopy. There are several small clearings along the way although the dense cover overhead prevented us taking a GPS fix.
Waypoint 4, at 6650 feet, marks a distinct change in the type of vegetation with the tall trees of the primary rain forest having given way to smaller stunted trees and bushes. Stunted trees often cross the path and it is necessary to squeeze over or under them. This is also a very important point as our guide informed us that this marks the end of leech country, the upper slopes being too cold/dry/exposed to support them.
For approximately two more hours the trail climbs only slowly to waypoint 5 at 7750 feet. The path continues to follow the ridge and, on a clear day Kinabalu should be visible due north. The trees are increasingly covered in moss and lichens, and there are many pitcher plants along the way - particularly Nepenthes X Edwardina & Nepenthes Lowii. The pitcher plants were identified using photographs in Brigg's "Mountains of Malaysia" - we probably did not see Nepenthes X Trusmadiensis which appears to be similar to Nepenthes X Edwardina but with a more rounded bulb and less pronounced ribs around the mouth.
The next two hours climb to the summit involve a net ascent of less than 1000 feet but there are two steep descents on the way and a further 20 minutes walk from the first peak to the summit proper. The path is now quite narrow and crossed by many tree roots. There are two short, almost vertical sections one of which has a safety rope fixed.
The summit is reached after between five and six hours walk from base camp. It is marked by a large metal tripod and a concrete trig. point which can be seen from several clearings along the ridge path below. The campsite is 20 meters further in a sheltered depression just below the summit.
The only water on the summit is in two rainwater pools adjacent to the trig. point. It is heavily discoloured but, if boiled, is suitable for making tea or cooking rice (we lived!).
You should arrive at the summit with plenty of time to make camp and rest before the clouds over Kinabalu begin to clear (about 5.00pm on our trip) and the photo session starts.
Day 3
After a night on the summit and an early rise to photograph the sunrise over Kinabalu, the descent to base camp takes between 2 hours 45 minutes and 4 hours. If you have made an early start, the beer that you hid at base camp will still be cool!
Equipment
The equipment list from our May 1995 trip is included in this report. This was based on our arrangements with Api tours who supplied all the food, cooking equipment and tents. Note that if you are making your own arrangements, the porters from Kg Kaingaran do not supply their own food and equipment.
If you are not using porters then you will have a little more to carry (probably 3 - 4 kg extra) and a GPS will be essential to locate the base camp.
Tents are necessary as there are no trees sturdy enough to sling a hammock, either at base camp or on the summit. Tents and sleeping bags are also essential in the cold of the summit.
In planning the weight of your packs, allow for the fact that there is no running water along the trail or at the summit. You should carry about 2 litres for the ascent and 1.5 litres for the descent plus whatever you need for cooking/drinking on the summit (unless you plan to use the rain water pits on the summit). We each left base camp with at least 3.5 litres with the guides/porters carrying a little extra for the meals at the summit. Our rucksacks probably weighed about 15 kg.
Guides/Porters
Our party of six was accompanied by a guide from Api Tours, his helper and two Dusun porters. They were useful in cooking meals and carrying the tents, food and cooking equipment. It is not necessary to use guides to point out the correct route once the base camp has been located although the presence of at least one porter should ensure that your expedition is not hindered by the logging company or local authorities.
Photography
One of the main reasons for making the ascent is the opportunity to photograph the rare pitcher plants along the route and the sunrise and sunset over Kinabalu from the summit. 400 ASA film may be useful in the half light under the forest canopy but most of our photographs were taken either with flash or with the camera supported, therefore, slower film would have been equally acceptable.
There is a flat concrete trig point on the summit which can be used to support your camera for sunrise and sunset pictures. We found that a mini tripod was also useful for larger SLRs and for more varied shots.
Everyone takes Kinabalu from the summit at sunrise and sunset and fails to notice that there is also an excellent view from the campsite itself, where the mountain is framed by trees and bushes, until they return for breakfast!
General
Our trip with Api tours lasted three days although the first day involves no climbing, only the drive to the base camp with an optional tour of the Raffalesia Centre on the way. With an early start from KK, it would be possible to drive to base camp by late morning and make the ascent the same day, thus making it a two day trip.
If a night in the cold on the summit is not appealing it would be equally possible to make the journey to and from base camp in a single day, especially as there would be no need to carry heavy packs. This, however, would mean that you would miss the dawn/dusk views from the summit, when cloud cover is at it's minimum, and a sight of mount Kinabalu would be unlikely.
As there is no running water at either camp, you will welcome the chance to bathe on the way back to KK. A good spot is on the Tambunan - KK road, on the left hand side, just before you reach the Raffalesia Centre. There is no sign post, just a small track which ends about 20 meters from the main road. 100 meters further is a small waterfall where you can wash (not big enough for swimming though). Further along the same road on the right hand side is a signposted track to a larger river and waterfall. This involves a 40 minute walk and you probably won't feel like it!
List of Waypoints
Waypoint
Description
Co-ordinates
Approximate Elevation
Time on Ascent
Time on Descent
1
Turn off Tambunan Road
N 05o 40' 07.3"
E 116o 21' 48.6"
630 meters
16.00 hrs (Day 1)
Arrive 10.20 - 11.30 hrs (Day 3)
2
Kg. Kaingaran
N 05o 38' 22.2"
E 116o 27' 32.7"
730 meters
16.20 hrs (Day 1)
3
Base Camp
N 05o 34' 24.6"
E 116o 28' 38.8"
1650 meters
18.00 hrs (Day 1)
Depart 07.30 Day 2
4
Start of Mossy Forest
N 05o 33' 52.2"
E 116o 29' 19.8"
2000 meters
09.30 hrs (Day 2)
5
Clearing on Ridge
N 05o 33' 29.8"
E 116o 29' 59.2"
2350 meters
11.15 hrs (Day 2)
6
Trusmadi Summit
N 05o 33' 13.7"
E 116o 30' 49.8"
2650 meters
13.30 - 14.30 hrs (Day 2)
Depart 07.30 hrs (Day 3)
The Ascent of Batu Lawi - by Penaga Natural History Society, Brunei
A four day trek to the most famous mountain in the Kelabit Highlands.
Introduction
The Bario Plateau lies to the Southeast of Brunei, in Sarawak, adjacent to the border with Indonesian Kalimantan. It is an isolated area with an elevation of some one thousand meters, surrounded on three sides by mountain ranges. On the Southern side of the plateau, rivers drain from the central plain through deep gorges and eventually form the Baram.
Batu Lawi is a very distinctive mountain with twin peaks rising to more than two thousand meters. It is located North of the plateau, some twenty kilometres or two day's walk from Bario. For centuries the mountain has been of religious significance to the Kelabit people who would make long pilgrimages from either Bario or Bakalalan to it's base. More recently, it became an important landmark for the special forces who were parachuted into Bario during the Second World War to form a resistance movement against the occupying Japanese.
Batu Lawi's lower, or female, peak was first climbed in 1946 by Tom Harrisson who erected a memorial to those killed during the campaign against the Japanese. The main, or male, peak is a finger of sandstone which rises more than one thousand feet from the mountain below. The ascent of it's sheer rock faces requires specialist climbing equipment and has only been achieved twice. Firstly by a British Army expedition in 1985/86 and then in 1993 by a group of Australians.
The ascent of the female peak was, until recently, quite an arduous undertaking - involving a return trek of almost a week with overnight stops in makeshift shelters. In 1991, however, a project was initiated to improve tourist access to the mountain. This was sponsored by the Sarawak government at a cost of M$ 50,000 and executed by villagers from Pa Ukat and Pa Umor whose guides and porters will benefit from the resulting tourist income.
The project comprised improvements to the path from Pa Ukat to Batu Lawi, for example the construction log bridges across deep gullies to avoid long detours and the building of two permanent wooden shelters. These are similar to the camps in Mulu National Park, though smaller and less sophisticated since most of the materials were carried in by porters rather than being airlifted by helicopter. The first shelter is located one day's walk from Bario and the second a few hundred meters below the saddle from which Batu Lawi's twin peaks protrude.
These improvements result that the return trip to Batu Lawi can easily be accomplished in four days by any reasonably fit tourist party.
Route Description
The timings in this route description are based upon a trip that was made between Christmas and New Year 1995. Possible alternative itineraries are discussed in a later section.
Day One - Bario to Camp Penaad
The first part of the trek comprises a straight forward walk of some forty five minutes from Bario to Pa Ukat, the village at the head of the trail. The route follows wide cart tracks which, in dry weather are used by mopeds and small trucks. It is a straight road which passes (right hand) turn offs to the new airport and, at about half distance, the road to the village of Pa Umor. Evidence of the traditional agriculture of the highlands - wet rice paddy fields and water buffalo pastures can be seen along the way.
There will probably be some delay at Pa Ukat as your guide pays his respects to family and friends and assembles porters (even if arranged in advance this seems to be very hit and miss - our group had booked four porters to assist in carrying specialist climbing equipment, but departed with only two).
The trail from Pa Ukat passes to the side of rice paddy fields for some fifteen minutes before, after a right hand turn across an irrigation ditch, entering an area of secondary jungle and water buffalo pastures. The path here is has been churned up by cattle and is very muddy. In several places there are forks leading to fords (for the buffalo) and simple bamboo bridges across a wide meandering stream. Keep to the right at any junctions to remain on the main trail up the valley.
After twenty minutes amongst the pastures, the trail emerges in a small area of paddy fields with a number of rice harvesting huts on the left hand side. This is the last cultivated area in the valley and after some ten minutes walk the path enters the jungle. Shortly afterwards, at about one hour's walk from Pa Ukat, you will pass a small dam across a fast flowing stream from which the irrigation and drinking water is taken for Pa Ukat. This marks the start of the trail proper and the ascent towards the pass through the Tamu Abu cliffs.
The ascent follows the stream all the way up the valley with several fords along the way. At one point, some forty minutes from the dam, the path is blocked by a series of fallen trees. Whilst it is possible to push through these and continue following the stream, the correct route is to back track for some fifty meters to make a steep detour up the valley side and across a spur before descending back towards the stream. In December 1995 both trails were equally evident but it will not be long before the detour, which is already well trodden, becomes established as the main path.
After several more fords, the trail passes alongside two huge boulders (on your right hand side) and crosses a small stream. A few hundred meters later there is a clearing across the path which marks the site of our first night's camp. Samson had earlier called this place "Penaad". It is not a regular camping spot - there is no permanent sleeping platform and access to the stream requires a short scramble down a muddy bank. It has probably been chosen in the past due to the availability of huge palm leaves in the vicinity which can be used as bedding and roofing material.
The first of our group arrived here at 16.30 hrs, some two and a quarter hours after leaving Pa Ukat. With the aid of some tarpaulin sheets, our porters soon prepared a comfortable, dry sleeping area.
Day Two - Camp Penaad to Camp 2
The climb from Penaad to the pass over the Tamu Abu cliffs takes around two hours. The first hour is spent in a steepening climb, following the river system up the valley, with several fords. A one point, the path follows the stream bed for about fifty meters before continuing (very distinctly) up the right hand bank. At each ford there are suitable stepping stones although these are slippery and most people elect to walk through the water rather than risk jumping from rock to rock. The trail is never far from water and there are several old hunters campsites along the way.
After about 75 minutes walk from the camp, the trail climbs away from the stream up onto a ridge with steep drops on either side. The path here is good and wide, climbing only gradually towards a viewpoint where the sheer Tamu Abu cliffs can be seen through the trees on the left hand side.
Fifteen minutes later the path leaves the ridge and traverses westward, i.e. left, along the steep cliff base (the bare rock is, however, not visible through the trees above you). The ridge must end at a point where the cliffs are impassable (Briggs implies as much in his book, see later) and the traverse is necessary to bring you below the only gap.
After the traverse, the trail climbs steeply to the pass. This is marked only by a small clearing which has been used as a resting point and camp site (though there is no water here). There is no rising ground visible on either side of the path and it is only the descent into the boulder field fifty meters further that indicates you have passed the highest point. We reached here some two hours after leaving the overnight camp.
On the other side of the cliffs, the change in vegetation is abrupt. The climb has until now been through typical upland primary rain forest, with little change in appearance during the ascent. On the descent, however, the trees are more stunted and everything is covered in thick green moss. This distinct change must indicate that the Bario side of the cliffs are in the lee of the prevailing winds, with the northern side more prone to cloud cover and resulting precipitation.
The other change as one descends the pass is the boulder field. Rather than a muddy footpath, the trail now passes through a series of moss covered boulders more than a meter in diameter. These are very slippery and progress becomes quite slow. In a number of places there are deep holes between the boulders, some of which have been bridged by short logs.
The descent from the pass is gradual, with a change in elevation of less than two hundred meters in the ninety minutes walk to Camp 1. During the first half of this section the trail passes through three main boulder fields before continuing alongside a narrow stream. Everything remains covered in thick brown and green moss, even the banks of the stream, which gives the water a peaty appearance though it is quite clear when collected.
At several stream crossings there are vast mats of an umbrella fern Dipteris Lobbiana, a montaine species that thrives on rocky ground which is frequently covered by fast moving water.
As the stream widens, there are a number of fords and several log bridges. Most of the bridges are small although two, over the deepest gullies, are built from very large trees more than six meters long. The path in this area is in very good condition, though occasionally swampy, and fast progress can be made.
Suddenly the trail emerges at the side of the Ulu Limbang river. This is of marked contrast to the streams along the descent, being more than ten meters wide, meandering and stained brown with tannin. Two hundred meters later, surrounded by thick grass teeming with leeches, lies the wooden hut at Camp 1.
Camp 1 was our lunch stop on day two. We reached it at 12.00 hrs after leaving Penaad at 08.15 hrs and pausing for some twenty minutes at the Tamu Abu pass. It is a totally enclosed hut with a central fireplace and ventilation openings between the walls and ceiling. Outside there is a clothes drying line and a long "park bench" type seat next to the river. The hut comfortably slept our group of eight on the return leg and could probably accommodate ten before becoming too crowded.
There is a fading sign in the hut giving the names of the villagers from Pa Umor and Pa Ukat who were involved in it's construction. It includes a memorial to the four workers who were killed when a flight between Bario and Marudi crashed at Long Seridan in 1992.
After waiting until 13.30 hrs for the last of our group to arrive at Camp 1, and enjoying one of Samson's culinary delights for lunch, we finally began to depart for Camp 2 at 14.30 hrs. This, it transpired, was far too late to be able to reach our destination in the safety of daylight.
After crossing the river in front of the camp, the trail continues along flat, swampy ground for at least forty minutes. There are several river crossings, the last three of which are within a few hundred meters of each other and comprise fords across rocky stream beds. This marks the start of the gradual ascent up to the ridge walk section of the trail.
We were warned by Samson that there were several hunters trails which left the ridge and that we should take care not to descend too early. Whilst we saw several side trails (principally to the right of the main path) these were much less distinct. In several places side trails were symbolically blocked by an "X" of cut saplings to avoid confusion and the main trail was regularly marked with parang marks blazed into the tree bark. I doubt whether anyone following the trail in daylight could stray from the correct path. Nevertheless, Seamus and I marked our trail with toilet paper at any junction to assist those who followed.
The walk along the ridge lasts for about one hour. The ridge is not sharp but rather flat on top with a number of swampy sections as the path undulates through the mossy forest. At half distance, we found a Punan message stick at the side of the trail, next to the junction with a small hunters trail or pig track. We were later told that this point offered, in clear weather, the first sight of Batu Lawi though thick clouds prevented us from seeing anything.
At the start of the long descent the ridge narrows. A wide valley can be glimpsed through the trees to the right whilst the sound of a fast moving stream can be heard far down to the left. The jungle floor here is very open and the path becomes less distinct. In several places it was necessary to check for the parang marks on the trees to confirm that we were on the correct trail.
A few minutes into the descent, at a right hand bend, trees have been cut at the left hand side of the trail to give a view of Batu Lawi. The view from here is spectacular (I have seen photographs) as you are now only two or three kilometres from the summit. Unfortunately, cloud cover prevented us from seeing anything on the outward journey and we missed the spot on the return.
Three hours after leaving Camp 1, we reached Sungai Tabun - a fast flowing stream at the foot of the ridge. The path continues on the other side of the stream and climbs away for some 100 meters before swinging right to follow the bed of another stream. After some 15 meters along the stream bed there is a sharp right turn up the bank (marked again with a parang cut in a tree).
The trail climbs over a small ridge before descending again. In the bottom of the valley is a log bridge over a deep gully. This is the most difficult bridge of the trip, especially as it comes near the end of a very long day's walk. The log is more than eight meters long yet only some forty centimetres in diameter and slippery. The drop to the stream below must be at least three meters as the tops of trees and shrubs along it's bank were below the level of the log. Seamus and I crossed this point at 17.40 hrs, in the gloom of an overcast dusk. The rest of our party were some thirty minutes behind and our porters, who had tidied up at Camp 1 before their departure, crossed in the dark with one fading torch. It is essential that you make an earlier start from Camp 1 to avoid the risk of crossing this point in the dark - there seemed to be no obvious detour.
After another ten minutes we reached a ford over a third stream which also forms part of the Sungai Tabun system. The last twenty minutes before Camp 2 were spent on a steep ascent up Batu Lawi itself. Just before the hut comes into view, the trail passes a rough helicopter landing area on the right hand side (built not to assist in the construction of the camp, but more recently to fly in a high ranking army officer on a "pilgrimage" to the mountain) and finally over a very small stream which provides the drinking water to the camp.
We arrived at 18.05 hrs, just over three and a half hours after leaving Camp 1. Though we had spent some time checking out side trails along the route, we walked quickly to avoid becoming caught in the dark and, ideally, four hours should be allowed for this leg.
Camp 2 is of similar construction to Camp 1, though slightly smaller. It is beginning to show signs of neglect as one of the floor cross members has already collapsed leaving one half of the room some four inches lower than the other and providing a convenient access for rats (we saw none, though the visitors book gave details of earlier "visits"). This hut is surprisingly warmer than Camp 1, being some two hundred meters lower and located in a more sheltered spot.
Check out the visitor's book for details of earlier expeditions including the Australian party who climbed the main peak in 1993.
Day Three - Camp 2 to Batu Lawi Summit and Camp 1
Immediately after leaving the camp the trail begins to climb steeply. Initially it follows a small ridge where the sound of a stream (probably the same as passes next to Camp 2) can be heard below to the left. It then continues to wind up the side of the mountain - look out for parang marks blazed on the trees as in several places the jungle floor is open and it is difficult to make out a regularly worn trail.
Some forty minutes after leaving the camp, there is an excellent view of the main peak as the trail passes along the edge of a small land slip. Ten minutes later the path steepens markedly as it continues to the right of a sheer rock face. The vegetation also changes at this point with the start of the mossy forest. The last ten minutes to the saddle are a scramble up over moss covered boulders and between stunted tree roots. In one place a thin nylon rope has been placed to provide an additional hand hold.
We reached the saddle an hour after leaving camp 2. To emerge on the saddle is breathtaking after the ascent under the forest canopy as the vegetation here is low and offers wide views. To your right (north) is the main peak and to your left the female. In front of you are views towards Bukit Batu Iran and behind you, in clear weather, Murud can be seen.
From your position low in the saddle with the two peaks towering close by on either side, it is difficult to judge their height. The female peak appears only a short scramble away (rather than half an hour's hard slog) and whilst the main peak looks impressive, there are better view from the path to the female peak. Even though we had partial cloud cover we were lucky as some groups reach the saddle with both peaks shrouded in mist, then climb the secondary peak and return without ever having seen the main peak!
The scramble to the secondary summit is steep and similar to the last ten minutes up to the saddle. The only change is the excellent views and the fact that, in several places, there are sheer drops of more than a hundred meters either side of the path. Nylon ropes have again been placed to provide hand holds up the steepest sections.
Twenty minutes from the saddle, you reach a large overhang where a brass replica of Tom Harrisson's plaque has been fixed. It was erected in 1987 by a group of Australian servicemen who had made an earlier ascent in 1985 to decipher all they could from the original wooded memorial. The remains of the Harrisson's plaque can also be found at this point, in a cleft in the rock, along with several other mementoes left by more recent climbing parties.
A rough rope ladder has been fixed to assist the climb up this overhang from which it is only a short scramble to the summit itself. From here are the best views of the main peak as you are now of similar elevation and some five hundred meters away. Take time to enjoy the views but to not follow the tradition of writing your name on one of the rocks!
After spending some time on the summit, the descent to Camp 2 should take about one hour. If you had set off for the summit after breakfast it should now be time for lunch.
The trek back to Camp 1 took the first of our group three and a quarter hours. We were surprised to be quicker in this direction as there is a net increase in height on the way back. In particular, the ascent from Sungai Tabun up on to the ridge seemed to be a very long uphill slog. Even at a moderate pace, however, you should arrive at Camp 1 with plenty of time to bathe in the (very cold) Sungai Ulu Limbang and set up camp before night fall.
Day Four - Camp 1 to Bario
The trip back to Bario is just a long route march. There is very little uphill walking but at least ten kilometres to cover before Pa Ukat where we were aiming to arrive before lunch. If you only concentrate on covering distance then this leg could become quite boring but instead, take time to photograph the mossy forest and listen out for wildlife.
During the four days, different members of our group encountered wild boar (disturbing a whole family at a small stream and, on a second occasion, a large male who crashed away through the undergrowth), red leaf monkeys (difficult to identify high in the canopy, but definitely brown), small squirrels and heard gibbons early in the morning at Camp 1. The trek from Camp 1 to Pa Ukat took us some five hours.
Figure 2 The route to Batu Lawi
List of Waypoints
Description
Co-ordinates
Time
(Timbali)
Ascent
Descent
Elevation
1
Bario
N 03° 44' 28.5"
Tarawe's Lodging House
E 115° 27' 42.9"
Depart 13.00 hrs
Arrive 17.00 hrs
1000 meters
2
Pa Ukat
N 03° 45' 38.6"
Arrive 13.45 hrs
Depart 16.20 hrs
Village at the head of the trail
E 115° 29' 09.4"
Lunch
1020 meters
Depart 14.15 hrs
Arrive 13.10 hrs
3
Dam
Water supply to Pa Ukat
15.15 hrs
Start of jungle walk
4
Temporary Camp "Penaad"
Arrive 16.30 hrs
One of several suitable sites
Overnight Camp
11.30 hrs
on the ascent up the valley
1180 meters
Depart 08.15 hrs
5
Ridge below Tamu Abu Cliffs
View Point before short descent
9.30 hrs
and traverse towards the pass
1625 meters
6
Pass over Tamu Abu Cliffs
Arrive 10.00 hrs
Start of Boulder Field &
10.00 hrs
Mossy Forest
1670 meters
Depart 10.25 hrs
7
Camp 1
N 03° 50' 39.2"
Arrive 12.00 hrs
Depart 08.10 hrs
Permanent shelter next to
E 115° 26' 16.0"
Lunch
Overnight Camp
Sungai Ulu Limbang
1500 meters
Depart 14.30 hrs
Arrive 16.15 hrs
8
Ridge
15.40 - 16.40 hrs
1670 meters
9
Sungai Tabun
Two fords & one log bridge
17.25 - 17.45 hrs
over deep gully
1100 meters
10
Camp 2
N 03° 52' 00.7"
Arrive 18.05 hrs
Depart 13.00 hrs
Permanent shelter at Pa Tabun
E 115° 23' 36.9"
Overnight Camp
Lunch
1300 meters
Depart 08.10 hrs
Arrive 11.45 hrs
11
Saddle
09.10 hrs
11.00 hrs
1700 meters
12
Female Peak
N 03° 52' 07.8"
Arrive 09.40 hrs
E 115° 23' 00.8"
1870 meters
Depart 10.40 hrs
Notes:
1. Departure/arrival times were for the first members of the party. At least 20% extra time should be allowed for each leg.
2. Approximate elevations were measured by Neil Casson using a divers watch.
3. Time constraints and thick tree cover prevented me from taking more GPS fixes. The path between the camps is, however, reasonably straight except for a slight dog leg on the descent from the ridge towards Sungai Tabun. Briggs's book provides a good sketch map.
Planning the Trip.
Planning the Trip
Our itinerary was probably the best that could be achieved with an early morning flight into Bario. The trek from Bario to Camp 1 will take at least seven hours and with flight delays and porters to organise, this would be almost impossible with an arrival in Bario around 10.30 hrs.
Setting off from Bario or Pa Ukat in the early morning, however, the two permanent camps are ideally situated at the end of the first and second day's walk. In fact, the relatively short distance between Camps 1 and 2 opens up the possibility of reaching the summit on day two and spending spare time on the way back fishing or exploring the area around Camp 1.
Our itinerary offered no contingency should the summit be shrouded in cloud or bad weather delay our ascent. A possibility would have been to leave Camp 2 for the summit before dawn to catch the sunrise (and, from experience on Trusmadi, the clearer weather before cloud begins to rise from the valleys). Our late arrival the previous evening, however, resulted that nobody suggested this!
We could have improved our itinerary by making earlier starts in the morning and eating a cold lunch rather than a full cooked meal. This would have left more time for relaxing at the end of each day's walk and, on day two, avoided the potentially dangerous arrival in Camp 2 after dark.
Flights into Bario are notoriously unreliable, a situation that may only marginally improve with the opening of the new runway which is scheduled for mid 1996. It is essential that you plan alternative routes into Bario (fly/walk via Bakalalan, drive/walk via Lawas and Bakalalan or as we were forced to do on an earlier attempt, fly/boat/drive/walk via Marudi, Long Temala, WTK logging concession and the Kubaan Trail!). Make sure that you have one or two days spare at the end of your trip, before your boss/wife/girlfriend begins to panic, to make sure that any delay in reaching Bario does not result in your whole trip being scrubbed. Note that space on the Marudi - Bario charter flights cost M$ 2/kilo (for you and your luggage!) outward when space is at a premium but that the return flight is only some M$ 50 per person.
Whilst it is not necessary to make the trip on a guided tour, since the trail is very clear, protocol probably dictates that you employ one or two porters from Pa Ukat as a minimum. These should be booked in advance - see useful addresses later.
Permits
Permits to visit the Ulu (interior) - are officially required for any non Malaysian travelling above Marudi. If you arrive on a scheduled MAS flight for an organised tour (with Samson Bala for example) this requirement is usually waived. On the other hand, those hoping to make their own arrangements with local porters or who may be forced to take alternative routes into Bario in the event of flight cancellations, are strongly advised to have the correct paperwork.
Permits can be obtained in advance from the Residents Office in either Miri, Marudi or Limbang. The standard procedure is to first visit the police station with two copies of your passport in order to gain clearance for the trip. You will be required to complete a form with your profession, other personal details and the purpose of your trip (ecologists, journalists, members of Greenpeace etc. are automatically excluded at this stage!). The police inspector endorses the form which you then take to the Residents Office where you complete yet another form to enable your permit to be issued.
Climbing the Main Peak
Our group included two experienced climbers who intended to make an attempt on the main peak. They brought with them a considerable amount of technical climbing gear and had allowed an additional twenty four hours at Camp 2 to complete the ascent.
After receeing the peak from the saddle, however, they abandoned their attempt for two main reasons. Firstly, it had rained considerably during the night and the cloud base was then below the main peak. Wet weather or poor visibility during the climb would have posed a major risk. Secondly, whilst they assessed that the climb was within their capabilities, there were no other members of our party who could have offered assistance if they got into difficulties.
Bearing in mind the grade of the climb (see later), unreliable weather and remoteness of the mountain, attempts to climb the main peak should only be made by parties of four to six experienced mountaineers, with the time and resources necessary to adopt a siege approach. This has been the method used on the two previous successful attempts (the first group of British Army climbers in 1986 even had helicopter support for re supply and any casualty evacuation!).
Paul Casson, one of our climbers, had been unable to source any technical information from the two earlier ascents and provided this information from the visitors book in Camp 2 and his own reconnaissance:
The first ascent in 1986 was via the North Ridge after unsuccessful attempts from the saddle (up the Southern Face) and two days trekking round to this easier route.
The second ascent was via the South East Buttress (perhaps the more difficult side but visible from the saddle or secondary summit and better suited to photographs for Australian Geographical magazine!). Starting from the saddle, this group traversed Eastwards up easy slabs before ascending using grooves and corners on the East Face. Midway in the ascent, they made a rising traverse onto the South Ridge which offered clean rock before the angle becomes easier close to the summit.
The ascent comprised five technical rock climbing pitches (presumably fifty meters each) and was indicated in the visitors book as "Grade 20". If this refers to Australian climbing grades, this is equivalent to British "Hard Very Severe/E1 5a/5b". There was no information to suggest whether this referred to the whole climb or just one particularly difficult section. Fixed ropes and jumars were probably used to allow the whole party to make the ascent over the several days they remained at Camp 2.
Paul added that from the aerial photographs, and our MAS sponsored fly past on the way in, there appears to be another feasible route on the South West corner, via an angled ramp that is obscured when the main peak is viewed from the saddle or secondary summit.
Geology
Batu Lawi's exposed rock faces have a distinctive white appearance that led to the mountain being mistakenly identified in the past as being of limestone. It is, however, composed of sandstone as are most of the surrounding mountains (the nearest limestone outcrops are probably in Mulu National Park).
Neil Casson advised that the sandstone of Batu Lawi and the Tamu Abu cliffs, is well cemented and of the Meligan Formation of the Late Oligocene to Early Miocene age (17 - 30 million years old). It is significantly harder than the surrounding rocks and has resisted weathering, resulting in the spectacular appearance of these two features.
Access from the Logging Concessions / Kubaan Trail
Standing on the summit of Batu Lawi, no evidence of logging was visible in any direction. My GPS, however, indicated that a way point taken a few weeks earlier on the logging roads close to the start of the Kubaan trail was less than nine kilometres away. Camp 1 was also a similar distance from a fix taken midway during that walk into Bario.
Whilst the advance of logging towards this beautiful spot is worrying, it opens up the possibility of alternative routes to the mountain. The terrain in the area is undulating but not really mountainous and should pose no serious problems for a well equipped group ready to make camp in the open. (We considered making the trek from the logging concession to Batu Lawi whilst staying at WTK Jelita logging camp, some eleven kilometres from Batu Lawi, the evening before embarking on the Kubaan trail. The idea was rejected, however, because we were not properly equipped, in particular lacking parangs and any materials to make an overnight shelter. Our overland journey had only been necessitated by flight cancellations and we had expected to pick up these essentials in Bario.)
Introduction
The Bario Plateau lies to the Southeast of Brunei, in Sarawak, adjacent to the border with Indonesian Kalimantan. It is an isolated area with an elevation of some one thousand meters, surrounded on three sides by mountain ranges. On the Southern side of the plateau, rivers drain from the central plain through deep gorges and eventually form the Baram.
Batu Lawi is a very distinctive mountain with twin peaks rising to more than two thousand meters. It is located North of the plateau, some twenty kilometres or two day's walk from Bario. For centuries the mountain has been of religious significance to the Kelabit people who would make long pilgrimages from either Bario or Bakalalan to it's base. More recently, it became an important landmark for the special forces who were parachuted into Bario during the Second World War to form a resistance movement against the occupying Japanese.
Batu Lawi's lower, or female, peak was first climbed in 1946 by Tom Harrisson who erected a memorial to those killed during the campaign against the Japanese. The main, or male, peak is a finger of sandstone which rises more than one thousand feet from the mountain below. The ascent of it's sheer rock faces requires specialist climbing equipment and has only been achieved twice. Firstly by a British Army expedition in 1985/86 and then in 1993 by a group of Australians.
The ascent of the female peak was, until recently, quite an arduous undertaking - involving a return trek of almost a week with overnight stops in makeshift shelters. In 1991, however, a project was initiated to improve tourist access to the mountain. This was sponsored by the Sarawak government at a cost of M$ 50,000 and executed by villagers from Pa Ukat and Pa Umor whose guides and porters will benefit from the resulting tourist income.
The project comprised improvements to the path from Pa Ukat to Batu Lawi, for example the construction log bridges across deep gullies to avoid long detours and the building of two permanent wooden shelters. These are similar to the camps in Mulu National Park, though smaller and less sophisticated since most of the materials were carried in by porters rather than being airlifted by helicopter. The first shelter is located one day's walk from Bario and the second a few hundred meters below the saddle from which Batu Lawi's twin peaks protrude.
These improvements result that the return trip to Batu Lawi can easily be accomplished in four days by any reasonably fit tourist party.
Route Description
The timings in this route description are based upon a trip that was made between Christmas and New Year 1995. Possible alternative itineraries are discussed in a later section.
Day One - Bario to Camp Penaad
The first part of the trek comprises a straight forward walk of some forty five minutes from Bario to Pa Ukat, the village at the head of the trail. The route follows wide cart tracks which, in dry weather are used by mopeds and small trucks. It is a straight road which passes (right hand) turn offs to the new airport and, at about half distance, the road to the village of Pa Umor. Evidence of the traditional agriculture of the highlands - wet rice paddy fields and water buffalo pastures can be seen along the way.
There will probably be some delay at Pa Ukat as your guide pays his respects to family and friends and assembles porters (even if arranged in advance this seems to be very hit and miss - our group had booked four porters to assist in carrying specialist climbing equipment, but departed with only two).
The trail from Pa Ukat passes to the side of rice paddy fields for some fifteen minutes before, after a right hand turn across an irrigation ditch, entering an area of secondary jungle and water buffalo pastures. The path here is has been churned up by cattle and is very muddy. In several places there are forks leading to fords (for the buffalo) and simple bamboo bridges across a wide meandering stream. Keep to the right at any junctions to remain on the main trail up the valley.
After twenty minutes amongst the pastures, the trail emerges in a small area of paddy fields with a number of rice harvesting huts on the left hand side. This is the last cultivated area in the valley and after some ten minutes walk the path enters the jungle. Shortly afterwards, at about one hour's walk from Pa Ukat, you will pass a small dam across a fast flowing stream from which the irrigation and drinking water is taken for Pa Ukat. This marks the start of the trail proper and the ascent towards the pass through the Tamu Abu cliffs.
The ascent follows the stream all the way up the valley with several fords along the way. At one point, some forty minutes from the dam, the path is blocked by a series of fallen trees. Whilst it is possible to push through these and continue following the stream, the correct route is to back track for some fifty meters to make a steep detour up the valley side and across a spur before descending back towards the stream. In December 1995 both trails were equally evident but it will not be long before the detour, which is already well trodden, becomes established as the main path.
After several more fords, the trail passes alongside two huge boulders (on your right hand side) and crosses a small stream. A few hundred meters later there is a clearing across the path which marks the site of our first night's camp. Samson had earlier called this place "Penaad". It is not a regular camping spot - there is no permanent sleeping platform and access to the stream requires a short scramble down a muddy bank. It has probably been chosen in the past due to the availability of huge palm leaves in the vicinity which can be used as bedding and roofing material.
The first of our group arrived here at 16.30 hrs, some two and a quarter hours after leaving Pa Ukat. With the aid of some tarpaulin sheets, our porters soon prepared a comfortable, dry sleeping area.
Day Two - Camp Penaad to Camp 2
The climb from Penaad to the pass over the Tamu Abu cliffs takes around two hours. The first hour is spent in a steepening climb, following the river system up the valley, with several fords. A one point, the path follows the stream bed for about fifty meters before continuing (very distinctly) up the right hand bank. At each ford there are suitable stepping stones although these are slippery and most people elect to walk through the water rather than risk jumping from rock to rock. The trail is never far from water and there are several old hunters campsites along the way.
After about 75 minutes walk from the camp, the trail climbs away from the stream up onto a ridge with steep drops on either side. The path here is good and wide, climbing only gradually towards a viewpoint where the sheer Tamu Abu cliffs can be seen through the trees on the left hand side.
Fifteen minutes later the path leaves the ridge and traverses westward, i.e. left, along the steep cliff base (the bare rock is, however, not visible through the trees above you). The ridge must end at a point where the cliffs are impassable (Briggs implies as much in his book, see later) and the traverse is necessary to bring you below the only gap.
After the traverse, the trail climbs steeply to the pass. This is marked only by a small clearing which has been used as a resting point and camp site (though there is no water here). There is no rising ground visible on either side of the path and it is only the descent into the boulder field fifty meters further that indicates you have passed the highest point. We reached here some two hours after leaving the overnight camp.
On the other side of the cliffs, the change in vegetation is abrupt. The climb has until now been through typical upland primary rain forest, with little change in appearance during the ascent. On the descent, however, the trees are more stunted and everything is covered in thick green moss. This distinct change must indicate that the Bario side of the cliffs are in the lee of the prevailing winds, with the northern side more prone to cloud cover and resulting precipitation.
The other change as one descends the pass is the boulder field. Rather than a muddy footpath, the trail now passes through a series of moss covered boulders more than a meter in diameter. These are very slippery and progress becomes quite slow. In a number of places there are deep holes between the boulders, some of which have been bridged by short logs.
The descent from the pass is gradual, with a change in elevation of less than two hundred meters in the ninety minutes walk to Camp 1. During the first half of this section the trail passes through three main boulder fields before continuing alongside a narrow stream. Everything remains covered in thick brown and green moss, even the banks of the stream, which gives the water a peaty appearance though it is quite clear when collected.
At several stream crossings there are vast mats of an umbrella fern Dipteris Lobbiana, a montaine species that thrives on rocky ground which is frequently covered by fast moving water.
As the stream widens, there are a number of fords and several log bridges. Most of the bridges are small although two, over the deepest gullies, are built from very large trees more than six meters long. The path in this area is in very good condition, though occasionally swampy, and fast progress can be made.
Suddenly the trail emerges at the side of the Ulu Limbang river. This is of marked contrast to the streams along the descent, being more than ten meters wide, meandering and stained brown with tannin. Two hundred meters later, surrounded by thick grass teeming with leeches, lies the wooden hut at Camp 1.
Camp 1 was our lunch stop on day two. We reached it at 12.00 hrs after leaving Penaad at 08.15 hrs and pausing for some twenty minutes at the Tamu Abu pass. It is a totally enclosed hut with a central fireplace and ventilation openings between the walls and ceiling. Outside there is a clothes drying line and a long "park bench" type seat next to the river. The hut comfortably slept our group of eight on the return leg and could probably accommodate ten before becoming too crowded.
There is a fading sign in the hut giving the names of the villagers from Pa Umor and Pa Ukat who were involved in it's construction. It includes a memorial to the four workers who were killed when a flight between Bario and Marudi crashed at Long Seridan in 1992.
After waiting until 13.30 hrs for the last of our group to arrive at Camp 1, and enjoying one of Samson's culinary delights for lunch, we finally began to depart for Camp 2 at 14.30 hrs. This, it transpired, was far too late to be able to reach our destination in the safety of daylight.
After crossing the river in front of the camp, the trail continues along flat, swampy ground for at least forty minutes. There are several river crossings, the last three of which are within a few hundred meters of each other and comprise fords across rocky stream beds. This marks the start of the gradual ascent up to the ridge walk section of the trail.
We were warned by Samson that there were several hunters trails which left the ridge and that we should take care not to descend too early. Whilst we saw several side trails (principally to the right of the main path) these were much less distinct. In several places side trails were symbolically blocked by an "X" of cut saplings to avoid confusion and the main trail was regularly marked with parang marks blazed into the tree bark. I doubt whether anyone following the trail in daylight could stray from the correct path. Nevertheless, Seamus and I marked our trail with toilet paper at any junction to assist those who followed.
The walk along the ridge lasts for about one hour. The ridge is not sharp but rather flat on top with a number of swampy sections as the path undulates through the mossy forest. At half distance, we found a Punan message stick at the side of the trail, next to the junction with a small hunters trail or pig track. We were later told that this point offered, in clear weather, the first sight of Batu Lawi though thick clouds prevented us from seeing anything.
At the start of the long descent the ridge narrows. A wide valley can be glimpsed through the trees to the right whilst the sound of a fast moving stream can be heard far down to the left. The jungle floor here is very open and the path becomes less distinct. In several places it was necessary to check for the parang marks on the trees to confirm that we were on the correct trail.
A few minutes into the descent, at a right hand bend, trees have been cut at the left hand side of the trail to give a view of Batu Lawi. The view from here is spectacular (I have seen photographs) as you are now only two or three kilometres from the summit. Unfortunately, cloud cover prevented us from seeing anything on the outward journey and we missed the spot on the return.
Three hours after leaving Camp 1, we reached Sungai Tabun - a fast flowing stream at the foot of the ridge. The path continues on the other side of the stream and climbs away for some 100 meters before swinging right to follow the bed of another stream. After some 15 meters along the stream bed there is a sharp right turn up the bank (marked again with a parang cut in a tree).
The trail climbs over a small ridge before descending again. In the bottom of the valley is a log bridge over a deep gully. This is the most difficult bridge of the trip, especially as it comes near the end of a very long day's walk. The log is more than eight meters long yet only some forty centimetres in diameter and slippery. The drop to the stream below must be at least three meters as the tops of trees and shrubs along it's bank were below the level of the log. Seamus and I crossed this point at 17.40 hrs, in the gloom of an overcast dusk. The rest of our party were some thirty minutes behind and our porters, who had tidied up at Camp 1 before their departure, crossed in the dark with one fading torch. It is essential that you make an earlier start from Camp 1 to avoid the risk of crossing this point in the dark - there seemed to be no obvious detour.
After another ten minutes we reached a ford over a third stream which also forms part of the Sungai Tabun system. The last twenty minutes before Camp 2 were spent on a steep ascent up Batu Lawi itself. Just before the hut comes into view, the trail passes a rough helicopter landing area on the right hand side (built not to assist in the construction of the camp, but more recently to fly in a high ranking army officer on a "pilgrimage" to the mountain) and finally over a very small stream which provides the drinking water to the camp.
We arrived at 18.05 hrs, just over three and a half hours after leaving Camp 1. Though we had spent some time checking out side trails along the route, we walked quickly to avoid becoming caught in the dark and, ideally, four hours should be allowed for this leg.
Camp 2 is of similar construction to Camp 1, though slightly smaller. It is beginning to show signs of neglect as one of the floor cross members has already collapsed leaving one half of the room some four inches lower than the other and providing a convenient access for rats (we saw none, though the visitors book gave details of earlier "visits"). This hut is surprisingly warmer than Camp 1, being some two hundred meters lower and located in a more sheltered spot.
Check out the visitor's book for details of earlier expeditions including the Australian party who climbed the main peak in 1993.
Day Three - Camp 2 to Batu Lawi Summit and Camp 1
Immediately after leaving the camp the trail begins to climb steeply. Initially it follows a small ridge where the sound of a stream (probably the same as passes next to Camp 2) can be heard below to the left. It then continues to wind up the side of the mountain - look out for parang marks blazed on the trees as in several places the jungle floor is open and it is difficult to make out a regularly worn trail.
Some forty minutes after leaving the camp, there is an excellent view of the main peak as the trail passes along the edge of a small land slip. Ten minutes later the path steepens markedly as it continues to the right of a sheer rock face. The vegetation also changes at this point with the start of the mossy forest. The last ten minutes to the saddle are a scramble up over moss covered boulders and between stunted tree roots. In one place a thin nylon rope has been placed to provide an additional hand hold.
We reached the saddle an hour after leaving camp 2. To emerge on the saddle is breathtaking after the ascent under the forest canopy as the vegetation here is low and offers wide views. To your right (north) is the main peak and to your left the female. In front of you are views towards Bukit Batu Iran and behind you, in clear weather, Murud can be seen.
From your position low in the saddle with the two peaks towering close by on either side, it is difficult to judge their height. The female peak appears only a short scramble away (rather than half an hour's hard slog) and whilst the main peak looks impressive, there are better view from the path to the female peak. Even though we had partial cloud cover we were lucky as some groups reach the saddle with both peaks shrouded in mist, then climb the secondary peak and return without ever having seen the main peak!
The scramble to the secondary summit is steep and similar to the last ten minutes up to the saddle. The only change is the excellent views and the fact that, in several places, there are sheer drops of more than a hundred meters either side of the path. Nylon ropes have again been placed to provide hand holds up the steepest sections.
Twenty minutes from the saddle, you reach a large overhang where a brass replica of Tom Harrisson's plaque has been fixed. It was erected in 1987 by a group of Australian servicemen who had made an earlier ascent in 1985 to decipher all they could from the original wooded memorial. The remains of the Harrisson's plaque can also be found at this point, in a cleft in the rock, along with several other mementoes left by more recent climbing parties.
A rough rope ladder has been fixed to assist the climb up this overhang from which it is only a short scramble to the summit itself. From here are the best views of the main peak as you are now of similar elevation and some five hundred meters away. Take time to enjoy the views but to not follow the tradition of writing your name on one of the rocks!
After spending some time on the summit, the descent to Camp 2 should take about one hour. If you had set off for the summit after breakfast it should now be time for lunch.
The trek back to Camp 1 took the first of our group three and a quarter hours. We were surprised to be quicker in this direction as there is a net increase in height on the way back. In particular, the ascent from Sungai Tabun up on to the ridge seemed to be a very long uphill slog. Even at a moderate pace, however, you should arrive at Camp 1 with plenty of time to bathe in the (very cold) Sungai Ulu Limbang and set up camp before night fall.
Day Four - Camp 1 to Bario
The trip back to Bario is just a long route march. There is very little uphill walking but at least ten kilometres to cover before Pa Ukat where we were aiming to arrive before lunch. If you only concentrate on covering distance then this leg could become quite boring but instead, take time to photograph the mossy forest and listen out for wildlife.
During the four days, different members of our group encountered wild boar (disturbing a whole family at a small stream and, on a second occasion, a large male who crashed away through the undergrowth), red leaf monkeys (difficult to identify high in the canopy, but definitely brown), small squirrels and heard gibbons early in the morning at Camp 1. The trek from Camp 1 to Pa Ukat took us some five hours.
Figure 2 The route to Batu Lawi
List of Waypoints
Description
Co-ordinates
Time
(Timbali)
Ascent
Descent
Elevation
1
Bario
N 03° 44' 28.5"
Tarawe's Lodging House
E 115° 27' 42.9"
Depart 13.00 hrs
Arrive 17.00 hrs
1000 meters
2
Pa Ukat
N 03° 45' 38.6"
Arrive 13.45 hrs
Depart 16.20 hrs
Village at the head of the trail
E 115° 29' 09.4"
Lunch
1020 meters
Depart 14.15 hrs
Arrive 13.10 hrs
3
Dam
Water supply to Pa Ukat
15.15 hrs
Start of jungle walk
4
Temporary Camp "Penaad"
Arrive 16.30 hrs
One of several suitable sites
Overnight Camp
11.30 hrs
on the ascent up the valley
1180 meters
Depart 08.15 hrs
5
Ridge below Tamu Abu Cliffs
View Point before short descent
9.30 hrs
and traverse towards the pass
1625 meters
6
Pass over Tamu Abu Cliffs
Arrive 10.00 hrs
Start of Boulder Field &
10.00 hrs
Mossy Forest
1670 meters
Depart 10.25 hrs
7
Camp 1
N 03° 50' 39.2"
Arrive 12.00 hrs
Depart 08.10 hrs
Permanent shelter next to
E 115° 26' 16.0"
Lunch
Overnight Camp
Sungai Ulu Limbang
1500 meters
Depart 14.30 hrs
Arrive 16.15 hrs
8
Ridge
15.40 - 16.40 hrs
1670 meters
9
Sungai Tabun
Two fords & one log bridge
17.25 - 17.45 hrs
over deep gully
1100 meters
10
Camp 2
N 03° 52' 00.7"
Arrive 18.05 hrs
Depart 13.00 hrs
Permanent shelter at Pa Tabun
E 115° 23' 36.9"
Overnight Camp
Lunch
1300 meters
Depart 08.10 hrs
Arrive 11.45 hrs
11
Saddle
09.10 hrs
11.00 hrs
1700 meters
12
Female Peak
N 03° 52' 07.8"
Arrive 09.40 hrs
E 115° 23' 00.8"
1870 meters
Depart 10.40 hrs
Notes:
1. Departure/arrival times were for the first members of the party. At least 20% extra time should be allowed for each leg.
2. Approximate elevations were measured by Neil Casson using a divers watch.
3. Time constraints and thick tree cover prevented me from taking more GPS fixes. The path between the camps is, however, reasonably straight except for a slight dog leg on the descent from the ridge towards Sungai Tabun. Briggs's book provides a good sketch map.
Planning the Trip.
Planning the Trip
Our itinerary was probably the best that could be achieved with an early morning flight into Bario. The trek from Bario to Camp 1 will take at least seven hours and with flight delays and porters to organise, this would be almost impossible with an arrival in Bario around 10.30 hrs.
Setting off from Bario or Pa Ukat in the early morning, however, the two permanent camps are ideally situated at the end of the first and second day's walk. In fact, the relatively short distance between Camps 1 and 2 opens up the possibility of reaching the summit on day two and spending spare time on the way back fishing or exploring the area around Camp 1.
Our itinerary offered no contingency should the summit be shrouded in cloud or bad weather delay our ascent. A possibility would have been to leave Camp 2 for the summit before dawn to catch the sunrise (and, from experience on Trusmadi, the clearer weather before cloud begins to rise from the valleys). Our late arrival the previous evening, however, resulted that nobody suggested this!
We could have improved our itinerary by making earlier starts in the morning and eating a cold lunch rather than a full cooked meal. This would have left more time for relaxing at the end of each day's walk and, on day two, avoided the potentially dangerous arrival in Camp 2 after dark.
Flights into Bario are notoriously unreliable, a situation that may only marginally improve with the opening of the new runway which is scheduled for mid 1996. It is essential that you plan alternative routes into Bario (fly/walk via Bakalalan, drive/walk via Lawas and Bakalalan or as we were forced to do on an earlier attempt, fly/boat/drive/walk via Marudi, Long Temala, WTK logging concession and the Kubaan Trail!). Make sure that you have one or two days spare at the end of your trip, before your boss/wife/girlfriend begins to panic, to make sure that any delay in reaching Bario does not result in your whole trip being scrubbed. Note that space on the Marudi - Bario charter flights cost M$ 2/kilo (for you and your luggage!) outward when space is at a premium but that the return flight is only some M$ 50 per person.
Whilst it is not necessary to make the trip on a guided tour, since the trail is very clear, protocol probably dictates that you employ one or two porters from Pa Ukat as a minimum. These should be booked in advance - see useful addresses later.
Permits
Permits to visit the Ulu (interior) - are officially required for any non Malaysian travelling above Marudi. If you arrive on a scheduled MAS flight for an organised tour (with Samson Bala for example) this requirement is usually waived. On the other hand, those hoping to make their own arrangements with local porters or who may be forced to take alternative routes into Bario in the event of flight cancellations, are strongly advised to have the correct paperwork.
Permits can be obtained in advance from the Residents Office in either Miri, Marudi or Limbang. The standard procedure is to first visit the police station with two copies of your passport in order to gain clearance for the trip. You will be required to complete a form with your profession, other personal details and the purpose of your trip (ecologists, journalists, members of Greenpeace etc. are automatically excluded at this stage!). The police inspector endorses the form which you then take to the Residents Office where you complete yet another form to enable your permit to be issued.
Climbing the Main Peak
Our group included two experienced climbers who intended to make an attempt on the main peak. They brought with them a considerable amount of technical climbing gear and had allowed an additional twenty four hours at Camp 2 to complete the ascent.
After receeing the peak from the saddle, however, they abandoned their attempt for two main reasons. Firstly, it had rained considerably during the night and the cloud base was then below the main peak. Wet weather or poor visibility during the climb would have posed a major risk. Secondly, whilst they assessed that the climb was within their capabilities, there were no other members of our party who could have offered assistance if they got into difficulties.
Bearing in mind the grade of the climb (see later), unreliable weather and remoteness of the mountain, attempts to climb the main peak should only be made by parties of four to six experienced mountaineers, with the time and resources necessary to adopt a siege approach. This has been the method used on the two previous successful attempts (the first group of British Army climbers in 1986 even had helicopter support for re supply and any casualty evacuation!).
Paul Casson, one of our climbers, had been unable to source any technical information from the two earlier ascents and provided this information from the visitors book in Camp 2 and his own reconnaissance:
The first ascent in 1986 was via the North Ridge after unsuccessful attempts from the saddle (up the Southern Face) and two days trekking round to this easier route.
The second ascent was via the South East Buttress (perhaps the more difficult side but visible from the saddle or secondary summit and better suited to photographs for Australian Geographical magazine!). Starting from the saddle, this group traversed Eastwards up easy slabs before ascending using grooves and corners on the East Face. Midway in the ascent, they made a rising traverse onto the South Ridge which offered clean rock before the angle becomes easier close to the summit.
The ascent comprised five technical rock climbing pitches (presumably fifty meters each) and was indicated in the visitors book as "Grade 20". If this refers to Australian climbing grades, this is equivalent to British "Hard Very Severe/E1 5a/5b". There was no information to suggest whether this referred to the whole climb or just one particularly difficult section. Fixed ropes and jumars were probably used to allow the whole party to make the ascent over the several days they remained at Camp 2.
Paul added that from the aerial photographs, and our MAS sponsored fly past on the way in, there appears to be another feasible route on the South West corner, via an angled ramp that is obscured when the main peak is viewed from the saddle or secondary summit.
Geology
Batu Lawi's exposed rock faces have a distinctive white appearance that led to the mountain being mistakenly identified in the past as being of limestone. It is, however, composed of sandstone as are most of the surrounding mountains (the nearest limestone outcrops are probably in Mulu National Park).
Neil Casson advised that the sandstone of Batu Lawi and the Tamu Abu cliffs, is well cemented and of the Meligan Formation of the Late Oligocene to Early Miocene age (17 - 30 million years old). It is significantly harder than the surrounding rocks and has resisted weathering, resulting in the spectacular appearance of these two features.
Access from the Logging Concessions / Kubaan Trail
Standing on the summit of Batu Lawi, no evidence of logging was visible in any direction. My GPS, however, indicated that a way point taken a few weeks earlier on the logging roads close to the start of the Kubaan trail was less than nine kilometres away. Camp 1 was also a similar distance from a fix taken midway during that walk into Bario.
Whilst the advance of logging towards this beautiful spot is worrying, it opens up the possibility of alternative routes to the mountain. The terrain in the area is undulating but not really mountainous and should pose no serious problems for a well equipped group ready to make camp in the open. (We considered making the trek from the logging concession to Batu Lawi whilst staying at WTK Jelita logging camp, some eleven kilometres from Batu Lawi, the evening before embarking on the Kubaan trail. The idea was rejected, however, because we were not properly equipped, in particular lacking parangs and any materials to make an overnight shelter. Our overland journey had only been necessitated by flight cancellations and we had expected to pick up these essentials in Bario.)
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