Penang eco challenge
Cabaran eKo !A weekend of adventure with a bunch of wacky n brave friends! Ming, Ken, Ling, Teckwee & i took e bus. Nik, Pling, Wayne, Angela, Becks drove up by car. The thing abt adv activities, we also had to bring along our bikes n gear (harness, slings, crabs, helmets..). After 10 hours of travelling, our barang2 n us arrived in Penang!
i supposed e arrangements were an adventure in itself ;)
Organisers : Kotrt - knights of e round table!
Our team : Slackers ! (hehe.. how apt!...but again, we finished!)
Race Report (Winnie's version)Start of e morning, we awoke to pouring rain. Thats quite a damper! cold, wet n no poncho. So, we made raincoats of garbage bags n rode to e start (abt 7km cycle).
The flag-off was in slight drizzle, e first stage was a climb up a durian hill of riding n pushing. Superb downhills with plenty of switchbacks afterthat. Angela was just a breathe behind me n rode all e scary bits. i rode 90%. More wonderful trails.
Ming, fit n full of energy zipped ahead to take vids n photos.
Next point, we got on to a self-made raft of poles n string to paddle around 2 buoys. Battling e current n turning into salt-bake under e sun, we paddled for 1+ hour with excruitingly slow progress. The sea bubbles, e rock looked e same location, and any slack, e raft would be pushed back. Teams were getting bailed out by e rescue boat, .. "hey team, not getting anywhere la, how abt e rescue boat? Lets go e rest of e checkpoints leh." "No la. As long as we e able bodied, dont give up', quipped my team mate. Argghhh... n we r not moving!
Suddenly, a school of dolphins appeared, arches n tail flips! Wow, morale booster. We tried a different raft-propulsion tactic, i jumped into e sea n tried pushing e raft, team mates paddled like crazy n we made it! Even beat a team along e way, sweet success.
Poor Angela was seasick, n we had a long way of trekking along e coastal boulders, forest n thorn gardens. She finally sat down at a durian plantaion, surrounded by durian n said, this is e ultimate. ;) (esp for someone with aversion to durian!) We took it real slow.
Then at e first waterfall traverse, the marshall told us e next checkpoint was e big waterfall abseil. Little chance of making it for e cut off time.
Rocket booster for Angela, n she now took off like e wind, with Ming & i running behind.. haha! Poor me, nearly bonked ah. (just kidding, Ming!)
By a turn of luck, we came upon a lost Nik & Wayne. All of us made it to e waterfall.
Now e Waterfall, Highlight of the day! Gushing pure clear water, n a exciting walk straight down e rockwall. From my vantage, it looked like a 90% verticaldrop into whitewater, as i slowly let e rope through. The water gushed everywhere, couldnt see much, all i felt was e water n e rock under my feet, an adrenalin charger. As i came out, i had been swept to e side n Angela was fast decending on e 2nd line just above. Luckily she heard my shout n paused, while i scrambled to e correct side. i landed safely at e base of e waterfall, n waited to see e other guys descent. Photo moments in e pool & an easy trail back to kem bina.
Cut-off time now, event over or so i thought. We ran into e organisers, who offered to keep e checkpoints open for us, e final team. Arghh... n from e very determined expressions on Ming & Angela's faces.. finish la. Not after commando crawls, biking for another 45min, peeling coconuts n dragging team-member on a palm leaf.. haha(guess who got to seat on e leaf). Finishers!
All muddy, aching, hungry. We had a bit of makan, chatted with e vips, chatted with e other teams n attended e ceremony. Ling's team got First, fabulous!
We also heard about Rebecca & another participant who went to hospital for reactions to bee & jelly-fish stings, there was someone who crashed at e downhill n needed stiches, there was someone who fainted from seasickness. Ah, a memorable exchange of incidents n adventures.
Fri (27/7) : Spore-JB-Penang (eta sat 5am)
Sat(28/7): Pre-race equipments/skills check & Sunset dinner
Sun(29/7): Adventure! Back Penang-JB-Spore. (eta mon 10am)
Total expediture/ pax: ~S$70 (rm40 racefee, rm30 misc, s$35van)
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