The Mamutik Episode

I got my Open Water Diver license in 2005. The underwater world fascinates me so but somehow through lack of planning and perseverance, I've only managed to dive only twice since then.
So, in an effort to revive this interest, I've decided to go to Mamutik Island for a fun dive, tomorrow.
I am almost ashamed of myself. A self-confessed water-baby and I don't make the effort to do justice to this title?
Oooo.. tomorrow's going to be interesting!

This is a copied image from the net. Mamutik Island, smallest of all 5 Tunku Abdul Rahman Park Islands, and the nearest to the mainland as well.

Sabah Adventure Challenge

Spent a fruitful weekend with Mona for some introductory duty tours with SARS in conjunction with this year's Sabah Adventure Challenge..
Today my calves are feeling a slight soreness due to the hike they did on Saturday. Ascending and descending the trails at Kg. Kiau. heheh...

Day 1..

The race started at Malangang Camp with a run up along the riverbank to Pekan Kiulu (not by the tarred road..) Upon reaching Kiulu Township, participants built their own bamboo rafts and proceeded downriver back to Malangang Camp.

They collected their bike, their drinking water and cycled up to Kg. Pantok.. further into Pukak and further into the forest where they were to eventually meet up with Ranau-Tamparuli highway junction and continued to Lobong2. All in all, it's about 25-35km. Fuh!!

Participants descending the Kiulu river with their bamboo rafts..

pics..courtesy of Mona (skodeng from Mona's fb)..hehe.

Bike-exchange

(after reaching Malangang Camp-ending point for rafting)

Day 2 (Kg. Lobong-Lobong)
On the second day of race, participants had to cycle/run from Lobong2 to Kg. Kiau via the inland route.. winding into forests and over streams... braving the leeches of Kiau..(it rained heavily sometime from 11am to about 4 pm).. and back to Lobong2.

View of Mt. Kinabalu

Look at my non-4WD Wira..

surrounded by gravel-eating Dmax and Hilux..

Well done my friend... well done..

Kiau urchins.. peace y'all..peace man..



The trek going in to access the Checkpoints..

passing by hills that had just cleared after padi harvest

lawa 00..

one of the three bamboo crossings..

TYK = Tham Yau Kong.. Man of Adventure

within the Miki Survival Camp.. (5-star sites)

would you spend your honeymoon here for a week?

a Mat Salleh couple did.. a few weeks previously.

nice.. got toilet. (flushing toilet.. luxury..)

aa Mona... salasai suda?

participants sponging off

checking in with Rudy Boyou

(the tough-looking yellow shirted ex-racer)

Leech!! It was there just now! Really!!!! Get it off me!!

walking back

(checkpoints were closed around 4pm)

sunset at Kg. Kiau Nulu ( high on top of Kiau Hill)

Day 3
On Sunday, racers had to cycle down from Lobong2 to Kg Kiau again (Kg. Kiau is a village situated at the foot of the hill) and then cycle a steep cemented road up to the main road going to Ranau. After that, they were to cycle on towards National Park for the final leg of the race which was the orienteering activity.

Sunrise...

On your mark..

Me first!!

Off they go!

Park your Mountain Bikes here..

After this..we go here.. and then run there..

mamat malaysia

This is Ed Arambarri ( I think), an American who teamed up with a UK toughman to join the Extreme Category. I asked him whether he was coming for next year's race. He said, probably not, this race was very hard. They won, as a matter of fact.

Camping Week

The XPDC Pendidikan Luar for High School students 2009 was held this week 24-29th March. Heheh... Mamai beat me this time in blogging about the same event since he also came down from Keningau to go on duty. Anyway, he brought along his camera this time and was seen keenly snapping pictures away. So, this time, you have more pics, Mamai.

I was among the few jurulatihs who handled the bicycling trek from the Kem to Kiulu Township and back. 7 and a half to and fro cycle trip back and forth mind you.

A few hardworking Ju's spent the whole night

checking and fixing the bicycles for the cycling activity.

They decided to 'open up' an ad-hoc mechanic shop...

Other disciplines were the Water Confidence, Orienteering, and Flying Fox. Two afternoons' activities were the Cabaran Hutan/ Rentas Halangan. You could refer to JulietPapaGolf's page for pictures since I didn't take as many.

During the closing ceremony, all of us JU's were required to don the official JU uniform.. What should have been a smart ensemble of attire was somewhat marred by the footwear of some of us.. heheh.. padang basah and becak baa... rusak la nanti kasut binulang limpas padang...

There is always something different to learn for me everytime I go to Camp. Different circles of people, attitudes and different happenings and occurences. It helps mightily too if the trainers are of the same wavelength.. makes work easier and better done.

Kayak Star 1 for APMM (Maritim Sabah)

There is no way I am going to be fairer any time soon. Just freshly baked from the recent Kayak Star 1 & 2 course which I attended just last week, I went over to help Boss Fadhil conduct the Kayak 1 for the Maritim Sabah. There were 20 of them. Hehe... I was the model for the capsize. Nasib tia kana suru buat roll... bikin malu blum pass.

Fadhil : Apa beza 'Kenu' dengan 'kayak'?

Peserta2 dari APMM

Morning at Tg.Aru, First Beach

Gaya menjawab Ujian Bertulis

The only young lady taking the course

Kayak Anatomy

Warming up before the Practical Test


Fascinating..first time stung by jellyfish

APMM participants of Kayak Star 1 (That's me in red)

SOSEK Malindo

Cakap siang pandang-pandang, cakap malam dengar-dengar... so say the pepatah... Sigh. Blogs used to a place where you can say whatever and get away with it. So, even though I have an itch to scratch.. this kind of itch can't be scratch so easily. Kawan-kawan tau la tu kan...

Anyway... this time I was assigned to help with Water Activity instead of the usual Rope Element. Boohoo... ni kawan-kawan tali ni aa... jan dulu sign tu borang kasi lepas saya...

Knots

I've been away for a few days in Kiulu attending Kursus Tali Temali for JU. We refreshed our memories on some basic knots and in groups constructed some low element obstacle courses. It was quite a relaxed course. No pressure at all.

Tn. JSA

Making the double figure of 8

Double figure of 8 follow through