Borneo Safari 2006

29 Oct - 5 Nov, Sabah, Malaysia

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• Super hard technical 4 km loop in Deramakot.
• Nice high mountains at Trusmardi and super cold mountain streams there too.
• Typhoon made this one of the wettest safari ever - ground surface never dry.
• Very slippery, one slips even when walking.

Lows:

• Event details was hard to get before event.
• Only 11 SS.
• All except one competitor attempted SS2.
• Very slippery, one slips even when walking.

What else?

• Nice route and camping.
• Some cars broken.
• 3 Japanese teams.
• Deramakot - best 4x4 technical driving stage - thanks to the rains.
• Deramakot - thick forest canopy, low light- dark by 5pm, leeches by the dozens, giant size trees
• Kampung addidas rubber studded shoes works best in slippery conditions.

Sarawak pride - no cars damaged.

T - minus 1
Scrutineering was held at Pan Pacific Sutera Harbour. Here competitors get to meet their old buddies and check on other competitor's rigs. Vehicles of all shapes and sizes were out there. If there is one thing that borneo4x4 observed is that cars are better prepared in Sabah than the ones in Sarawak.

Day 1 - Festivities in Gaya Street and a convoy to Tuaran for SS1 and 2. SS1 was a short twisty track with the usual front wheel jumping, axel breaking obstacle over dry hard terrain. Kopi Leong was the only one who attempted SS2 and rolled. The presence of rocks and a deep pool made everyone else DNF this stage.

Many of the travelling fans, especially the 20+ Sarawakians were dissapointed with the prologue as they did not get to see much 4X4 action.

From here the convoy went up the Crocker Range to Telupid, crossing the foothills of Mt.K for a night's camping.

Day 2 - SS3 in Telupid. This had two water crossing and a twisty track in the forest. After the SS, the convy moved to Deramakot. Typhoon Cinarom lashed the Philippines and dumped rain falling in thumb size droplets on the 'land below the wind' and conditions got 'interesting' from here.

Sarawak Contingent L-R: Eddie (navigator) Lau (driver) Serwan (mechanic) Mel, Octaviouss (moral support) Aboy (cook) Laurence (back-up driver) and Malcolm (journalist) with Eunice (front).

Day 3 - The 4km Torture Loop. This is an old skid trail and filled with broken bridges. From the middle of the convoy one could hear everything happening from the from the front to the back. There were people working chain saws making bridges in the front, cars revving and winching to get out of the bog in the back and everything in between.

There was a stage here that required expedition cars to be belayed down a 60m 50 degree slope. Some competition managed to drive down. Laurence (support car for team Sarawak) driving a Hilux told the recovery team to unhitch him and he drove down. The heavens unleashed another bout of rain - gaint size droplets. Vision was restricted to the car bonnet. Aboy - the cook was screaming brake! brake! as the car slid sidewards but Laurence floored the throttle to correct and managed to bring the car safely down.

Later a number of officials requested both Eddie (Sarawak team's navigator) and Laurence who are also both borneo4x4 instructors to take their vehicles down the slope. 

A lot of the terrain was reduced to 'broth' or gluey mud and advanced winching technique was needed. Many people on single electric winch burnt out the motor. Team Sarawak deployed a twin winch technique where the recovery car and also the car being recovered used both their winch to recover the stucked car.

Day 4 - Some of the competitors only managed to get out at 3am. It was a long day. SS in the morning and the convoy packed up and moved on. This was again a long day moving along an abandon timber trail with many, many fallen trees and branches to delay the journey. The convoy was separated as it too long and too slow. The weather again made it a safari befitting of what the Bornean terrain could throw at participants. The convoy camped on the trail.

Day 5 - The convoy was still in Deramakot and a short and simple SS was held. Everyone was too tired as the route itself was an SS for all. Rain was falling like never in the rainforest and it kept pounding thumb size droplets on the event. From here the convoy moved back on timber trail to Tongod. The organisers had to amend the route to keep with the Sunday closing.

Day 6 - They made it through Tongod and camp at Trusmardi - Sabah's second highest peak. This was a cool place.. no make that cold. With the rains and cloud cover bathing in the river too a new meaning to false start. One needed to use a count down system to dive in the frigid cold water and the first countdown is seldom engaged. There was a village store that sold fuel here - a relief to many, albeit twice the market price.

Day 7 - The convoy came out to Keningau and on to KK. Check into hotel for a much needed clean up and change of clothes before heading for the closing ceremony.