Seven Bridges - one hell of a ride

Day 1- TROUBLE!!!

1610 went into trail
1705 top of hill
1732 1^st bridge
1808 2^nd bridge
1843 Voon’s car swept by raging stream
2303 out from trail

My text message to Aldrin, 4x4 enthusiast from Kuching now working in Penang reads “7 Bridges 4x4 trip, no breakdowns BUT we lost ONE car – Voon’s Rocky got swept down river. Thank God no casualties… rescue in d morning…” Aldrin was actually in Singapore on a business trip and had stayed up to watch the Germany-Sweden World Cup game. Time 00:54:13 (Sunday) A series of messages to inquire of the incident ensured.

Bikit Sekoras and the Seven Bridhges trail can be clearly seen from Stenggang village.

The Seven Bridges trail is an old unmaintained timber road that starts by the Kuching-Lundu road, up a 600+ feet ascend up Bukit Sekoras and runs 27 km in a snakelike loop that comes out at Stenggang village.

It is called Seven Bridges because there are seven major crossings that make competition special stages look more like Sunday outings. This trail is reputed to be the hardest 4X4 trail and is a car breaker (coming close to a widow maker.) Out of the many trips that have gone into this trail, only two have made it through without major incident. The word is ‘major.’

The word ‘bridge’ in the trail’s name is actually used in error- as in Columbus calling native Americans Indians, thinking that he reached India. In reality there are no bridges. They have long gone. What remains are deep V gullies where cars needs to manoeuvre down on bank, hit the river bed and up the other bank.

Somewhere in the twist between dreams and consciousness, the idea of shooting a 4X4 video of the trail became a reality when five cars entered ventured uphill at 4 pm, Saturday 23 June, 2006. The intention was to shoot both day and night scenes and therefore the delay.

The weather was bleak – big heavy black clouds high up above the mountain line. In my expert assessment as an outdoor adventurer, angler, and events organiser, this reads as ‘HEAVY RAINS COMING, BUT NOT YET’.

The five cars with their drivers and co-drivers were all ‘hand picked’ for this shoot. A trail of this repute deserves more respect and anything short of a fully modified and prepared car or lesser drivers would be suicidal. The convoy consisted of some of the top notch in Kuching’s 4X4.

One for the album (L to R):
Aboy, Ah Shin, Ah Soong, Eddie, Ah Ted, Voon, Anong, Lau, Ah Siang, Vincent and Octviouss in the cool of the mountain air....

Driver Ah Shin and co-driver Ah Soong in a Suzuki Jimny Hybrid, equipped with 3 winches (one rear electric,) and full front and back lockers. They are top 4X4 competitors and have won a few competitions.

Lau and Eddie in a Daihatsu Jeep Hybrid with modified PTO winch, high torque diesel engine, superb suspension. Eddie is a seasoned campaigner having participated in events such as Rainforest Challenge, Sarawak 4X4 team captain and a technical director for 4X4 competitions. Lau is a top competition driver.

Aboy and Anong in a Toyota MkII with super powerful modified PTO winch, 2JZ, full lockers, a powerful car. Vincent and Ah Siang also in a Toyota MkII with modified PTO winch, Toyota V6 high torque petrol motor, rear lockers – also super powerful car. Voon and Ah Ted were the only ones driving a full cab vehicle- a standard Daihatsu Rocky with standard PTO winch and suspension lift. Although it was the least modified car in the group, it was built strong enough for this trail.

All these cars were running on 35” Simex Centipede Extreme tyres, except Voon who had 32”.

Thanks to digital technology, the pictures indicate the timing of the trip. The convoy went into the trail at 1610 hrs, ascended Sekoras hill at 1705 hrs when it started to rain- torrential thumb size droplets. We hit the first bridge at 1732 hrs and the second bridge at 1808 hrs.

Hard going all the way up Bukit Sekoras, Ah Ted pulls the winch cable in the cool air.. .

The ascend up the Bukit Sekoras was rough but all the vehicles managed to make it up. The winch had to be used a 'couple' of times on Voon's car. Reason? His 32” tyres were 3” shorter than the others. But Rocky was head and shoulders better most other vehicles.

Not too soon after the heavens poured, the moisture indicator came out on the video camera, where the camera were returned back into the bag and was stored in Voon’s full cab car, the rest were opened 'jeep like' cars.

We reached the third bridge crossing at about 1840 hrs and Ah Shin made it safely across the raging stream which was about a foot and a half above the normal levels. They were followed by Voon in his full cab Rocky. The car made it down and across only to stall on the ascend up the opposite bank.

The force of the water swept the car into the pool - thankfully after the occupants got out!

The force of the water hit Voon’s car square on the side and went as high as the top of the side windows. The car then turned sideways, with the heavier front facing the raging current which then pushed the car backwards, and the rear tyres went down the drop off and finally the vehicle slid into a deeper pool which escaped the strong flow. Somehow in all this, Voon kept his cool head to organise an evacuation of the vehicle for both he and Ah Ted before it dipped into the pool.

I was riding in the last car and arrived at the scene during full pandemonium. I snapped a few shots in darkness and hope for a picture that could tell a thousand a words, and got a shot of the car in the darkness with the strong water flow.

The rest of the gang were quick to organise themselves in removing the plasma rope from Lau’s car and securing Rocky. While this was going on Aboy and Anong pitched a tent and started a fire. The group settled to much deserved food and beverages and some ‘pala babi’. It was decided that the best cause of action is to leave the car in the water and organise a rescue the following day even though the water had receded a little by the end of the BBQ session.

A convoy of four cars carrying passengers made the way out from the trail and reached the road side at 2300 hrs. Voon rode with me back into town for a bite to eat and a much deserved rest. We better be ready for tomorrow, the rescue will not be light work.