Kuala Lumpur Mountainbike Hash
On! On!
BASH #173 – KIARA (LONG RIDE)
[Apologies in advance for the length of this report. I may or may not get round to editing it down into a shorter version.]
Who'd have thought, as the 2009 bashing year started today, that the horse trails that have caused such controversy would form a significant part of the Kiara long ride? Not me, certainly. But I was pleasantly surprised as we peeled off the road just four trails in, to discover that, so poorly have the trails been built, the churned up doubletrack they've left is actually pretty fun on a mountain bike.
But while trails supposedly fit for a king ate up the kilometres today (15 apparently for the long ride – a more than respectable length in Kiara), the singletrack would, naturally, take centre stage, the fun little trail linking the joggers' track with Lung Buster kicking things off. Safely through, it was a right up ‘Busters steep face, revealing the previously intimidating rise. But gone was the direct slog up the rock-strewn slope, replaced now by a tight yet much more rideable climb more in keeping with the rest of the Kiara network.
From here it was straight up a considerably drier Carnival to the one raced last November, across the road and onto 4K. A quick blast down, across the bridges (note, at this point, that both were perfectly intact – any complaints from the scenic riders can come only as a result of their own misdemeanours) and up the other side to join the tarmac. (As a side note: has the final climb up to the road here actually been ridden? The staircase that's formed in the trail would suggest not for a while...)
2K was next – its initial descent as fun as ever, and a reminder of the seemingly less popular inner loop before heading down the triple terraces and onto Apollo. I'm ashamed to admit it but today was my first time on this trail and, wow, what a trail I've been missing! Truly fantastic, especially in these bone-dry conditions and definitely a personal highlight of the ride.
And it was after a short spin up the road that we joined the first of our horse trails and, subsequently, the first check. A nice easy one to start with; we found paper shortly down the first left-hand offshoot and snaked along the track, eventually appearing near the water tower and tarmac at the exit of Plan A (or is it B? Or C? I can never remember).
[Incidentally, this track should definitely be considered for XC training purposes – it's like a pre-built interval session as each short, sharp rise levels off into a decent length flat (invariably holding at least one section swearing never to dry) before rising steeply again just as you've recovered. Pretty interesting, with a few challenging sections of climbing as well.]
Exiting onto the road for a short stretch, we then took a right into the terrific replacement for Rumpy Pumpy (does it have a name?) before arriving at check number two. The continuing trail wasn't uphill, as the stack of paper cunningly seemed to indicate. It must be down. And it was. Down and left to be precise, taking us away from the Sri Hartamas school (and Plan A/B/C) and back onto the rough doubletrack. A few more interesting climbs and we were out on the tarmac again, now close to the start of Boulder, Bar-a-Kuda and… Pat's new trail (PNT? Or should I also be crediting others for this?). A very tight and, I imagine, enjoyable trail ruined only by the arse-backwards, fairy-like way in which I tried to ride it. Needless to say it was with head bowed that I passed, on foot and pushing, a waiting Ashley and Pat on the safe side of the new skinny. 'Better safe than sorry, Ian,' Ashley consoled. Try telling my ego that…
Following the bridge, the trail climbed steeply, tight switchbacks winding riders back up to Bar-a-Kuda. All in all, an inspired cut around the enormous landslide that claimed much of the previous trail. Could the bridge be a good replacement for Concussion Corner in this part of Kiara? Concussion Crossing?
Paper led us to a leafy Lower Short next (it's a shame this doesn't get ridden more) which linked across the tarmac, as I suppose it should, to Upper Short and our third check. Much deliberation here. We'd explored Snakes 'n' Ladders, Boulder, Dirty Deeds, all to no avail. And I'd climbed a fair way up the continuing Upper Short. But apparently not far enough as a faint cry of 'On On!' came from high above, where Damien had ventured further than I. An incredibly long check but conventional wisdom, Damien explained, would lead bashers to check the steepest path whenever Pat has been involved in a check. So onwards and upwards it was, summiting to the most incredible view of the city I think I've ever seen. It's just a shame the foreground is now dominated by Mont Kiara development. A quick stop for photos here and it was onto what, I presume, is left of the old Twin Peaks. A throwback for me; this was one of the first trails I rode, only I think I descended down exactly where someone's new luxury villa is now perched.
On On to the confusing junction at the bottom of TNT, Twin Peaks, etc. and it was a right turn for us, onto more of the doubletrack and yet more undulations. Here we'd continue for a fair distance, the observant seeing the paper markings thinning with each corner, until, at the base of a reasonably long, unreasonably steep descent, they disappeared. Gone too far? On the wrong trail? A 'wise' pondok-lurking, non-bash rider seemed to think so. Where were we? I don't know. We'd just followed the Char Kuey Teow, as instructed. Someone mentioned the old Pondok to Pondok trail. Someone else, Mondo Cool. Well the last time I encountered that, my chamois didn't come home clean, I can tell you, so it's either been considerably tamed by the construction or the prediction was wrong. Nevertheless, it was back up the hill (really we'd come an embarrassingly long way wrong, but we were definitely on paper at all times) to find the right markers.
Joining the correct trail, it was past Pure Quill (I think) and up to Twin Peaks, before a second incorrect turning took us onto Janie's Addiction and into much congestion as riders realised their mistake. Again, paper did point the way of Janie's – espionage from the runners, wondered Ashley? Rock Garden, and then an extension to the right of Rock Garden (Flinstone’s Playground?), was the planned route. A potentially great finish to January's bash. But then, the inevitable... As the trail steepens, rocks encroach, ruts deepen and sheer drops flirt, back floats the click of riders' preferred pedal systems – Shimanos disengage reassuringly; Times deafen even the high-pitched forest fauna; and Crank Brothers... just fall apart (can you guess my preference?) – and the descent is frustratingly slowed and interrupted. I guess such are the perils of a bash at Kiara. But does it mar the ride? At the time, perhaps a little. On reflection: of course not. For sheer variety in a network most label as purely 'technical', Bash #173 delivered a superb ride, a superb new trail and, for me, a reintroduction to a couple of long-left singletrack beauts.
Credit must go to all the hares involved. Thank you very much for a great start to 2009!
Who'd have thought, as the 2009 bashing year started today, that the horse trails that have caused such controversy would form a significant part of the Kiara long ride? Not me, certainly. But I was pleasantly surprised as we peeled off the road just four trails in, to discover that, so poorly have the trails been built, the churned up doubletrack they've left is actually pretty fun on a mountain bike.
But while trails supposedly fit for a king ate up the kilometres today (15 apparently for the long ride – a more than respectable length in Kiara), the singletrack would, naturally, take centre stage, the fun little trail linking the joggers' track with Lung Buster kicking things off. Safely through, it was a right up ‘Busters steep face, revealing the previously intimidating rise. But gone was the direct slog up the rock-strewn slope, replaced now by a tight yet much more rideable climb more in keeping with the rest of the Kiara network.
From here it was straight up a considerably drier Carnival to the one raced last November, across the road and onto 4K. A quick blast down, across the bridges (note, at this point, that both were perfectly intact – any complaints from the scenic riders can come only as a result of their own misdemeanours) and up the other side to join the tarmac. (As a side note: has the final climb up to the road here actually been ridden? The staircase that's formed in the trail would suggest not for a while...)
2K was next – its initial descent as fun as ever, and a reminder of the seemingly less popular inner loop before heading down the triple terraces and onto Apollo. I'm ashamed to admit it but today was my first time on this trail and, wow, what a trail I've been missing! Truly fantastic, especially in these bone-dry conditions and definitely a personal highlight of the ride.
And it was after a short spin up the road that we joined the first of our horse trails and, subsequently, the first check. A nice easy one to start with; we found paper shortly down the first left-hand offshoot and snaked along the track, eventually appearing near the water tower and tarmac at the exit of Plan A (or is it B? Or C? I can never remember).
[Incidentally, this track should definitely be considered for XC training purposes – it's like a pre-built interval session as each short, sharp rise levels off into a decent length flat (invariably holding at least one section swearing never to dry) before rising steeply again just as you've recovered. Pretty interesting, with a few challenging sections of climbing as well.]
Exiting onto the road for a short stretch, we then took a right into the terrific replacement for Rumpy Pumpy (does it have a name?) before arriving at check number two. The continuing trail wasn't uphill, as the stack of paper cunningly seemed to indicate. It must be down. And it was. Down and left to be precise, taking us away from the Sri Hartamas school (and Plan A/B/C) and back onto the rough doubletrack. A few more interesting climbs and we were out on the tarmac again, now close to the start of Boulder, Bar-a-Kuda and… Pat's new trail (PNT? Or should I also be crediting others for this?). A very tight and, I imagine, enjoyable trail ruined only by the arse-backwards, fairy-like way in which I tried to ride it. Needless to say it was with head bowed that I passed, on foot and pushing, a waiting Ashley and Pat on the safe side of the new skinny. 'Better safe than sorry, Ian,' Ashley consoled. Try telling my ego that…
Following the bridge, the trail climbed steeply, tight switchbacks winding riders back up to Bar-a-Kuda. All in all, an inspired cut around the enormous landslide that claimed much of the previous trail. Could the bridge be a good replacement for Concussion Corner in this part of Kiara? Concussion Crossing?
Paper led us to a leafy Lower Short next (it's a shame this doesn't get ridden more) which linked across the tarmac, as I suppose it should, to Upper Short and our third check. Much deliberation here. We'd explored Snakes 'n' Ladders, Boulder, Dirty Deeds, all to no avail. And I'd climbed a fair way up the continuing Upper Short. But apparently not far enough as a faint cry of 'On On!' came from high above, where Damien had ventured further than I. An incredibly long check but conventional wisdom, Damien explained, would lead bashers to check the steepest path whenever Pat has been involved in a check. So onwards and upwards it was, summiting to the most incredible view of the city I think I've ever seen. It's just a shame the foreground is now dominated by Mont Kiara development. A quick stop for photos here and it was onto what, I presume, is left of the old Twin Peaks. A throwback for me; this was one of the first trails I rode, only I think I descended down exactly where someone's new luxury villa is now perched.
On On to the confusing junction at the bottom of TNT, Twin Peaks, etc. and it was a right turn for us, onto more of the doubletrack and yet more undulations. Here we'd continue for a fair distance, the observant seeing the paper markings thinning with each corner, until, at the base of a reasonably long, unreasonably steep descent, they disappeared. Gone too far? On the wrong trail? A 'wise' pondok-lurking, non-bash rider seemed to think so. Where were we? I don't know. We'd just followed the Char Kuey Teow, as instructed. Someone mentioned the old Pondok to Pondok trail. Someone else, Mondo Cool. Well the last time I encountered that, my chamois didn't come home clean, I can tell you, so it's either been considerably tamed by the construction or the prediction was wrong. Nevertheless, it was back up the hill (really we'd come an embarrassingly long way wrong, but we were definitely on paper at all times) to find the right markers.
Joining the correct trail, it was past Pure Quill (I think) and up to Twin Peaks, before a second incorrect turning took us onto Janie's Addiction and into much congestion as riders realised their mistake. Again, paper did point the way of Janie's – espionage from the runners, wondered Ashley? Rock Garden, and then an extension to the right of Rock Garden (Flinstone’s Playground?), was the planned route. A potentially great finish to January's bash. But then, the inevitable... As the trail steepens, rocks encroach, ruts deepen and sheer drops flirt, back floats the click of riders' preferred pedal systems – Shimanos disengage reassuringly; Times deafen even the high-pitched forest fauna; and Crank Brothers... just fall apart (can you guess my preference?) – and the descent is frustratingly slowed and interrupted. I guess such are the perils of a bash at Kiara. But does it mar the ride? At the time, perhaps a little. On reflection: of course not. For sheer variety in a network most label as purely 'technical', Bash #173 delivered a superb ride, a superb new trail and, for me, a reintroduction to a couple of long-left singletrack beauts.
Credit must go to all the hares involved. Thank you very much for a great start to 2009!
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by sjohnston on -
Pat - I only asked him to start a thread since all the long riders had gone off before you had asked for a scribe! Doesn't do things by half my son!!!!!
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Permalink Reply by John HM Chan on -
Thank you very much Hares for #173 Kiara Long.
I finally conquered my Rookie fears for venturing into Kiara and learned up le trail names. Now, I think I wanna go Kiara more often.
Martin, 13-years old (our usual riding mate) had a marvelous time at the Long!
One word best described the Trails we took today = A W E S O M E !!! ... I thought the Trails were flowing and non stop ... I especially Loved the Tight Winding SingleTrack Trail linking the horse trail to where the Hartamas Bungalows are, and also loved the "WasteLand" (you know that section starting from where that skinny 'new' bridge that the Lead-Hare had a cameraman snapping photos? [err, I asked that guy in red jersey whats the trail's name, he said "WasteLand", so ok lah]), not forgetting 2K-Apollo - great stuff!
That final bit leading back to the bike wash area (Rockgarden, i think it is called) is pretty cool too. Only wished my bike had longer travel to attack those tempting downhill sections.
As usual, being a 5month old newbie, h2o levels got worrying low. Though it was about 15-17nish kms, those ups and downs can really drain the tap. Did not enjoy that steep climb after "Lower Short" as I was already 1/2 cooked. How come all the steeper climbs are at the final legs.
Look forward to #174. Good on ya guys! Good job well done.
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Permalink Reply by Basje on -
Thanks to all the hares, this was a really great Bash! All the elements of Kiara were used, I was really enjoying it all the way! Perfect!!
Attached the KML of the Long ride. - Attachments:
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Bash 173 Long.kml, 61 KB
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Permalink Reply by jazlany on -
Basje said:Thanks to all the hares, this was a really great Bash! All the elements of Kiara were used, I was really enjoying it all the way! Perfect!!
Attached the KML of the Long ride.
Hi Basje, I seek your favor to share the garmin gdb file. jazlany@yahoo.com.
This is a wonderful Kiara route... I want to ride it again, and again, and again...
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Permalink Reply by Monkeysamurai on -
Guys! Pictures please..!
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Permalink Reply by patawi on -
Excellent scribe report. Almost, dare we say ... professional? Thanks Ian.
We hope all of you enjoyed the ride, it was a lot of fun putting it all together, although more than a little nerve wracking at the last as for various reasons it turned out that I was the only one who really new the whole route. Everyone else who helped out was working on a "need to know" basis, so that if they weren't needed as hares they could still enjoy the bash. BTW I wouldn't recommend this approach to aspiring hares, it's flirting with disaster and figuring out the logistics can give you one hell of a headache.
As I said in the briefing, credit has to be shared between a lot of people for somethng like this. Not only the hares: Adilah, Ashley, Beatrice, Derald, Mike, Soon, Stan, Winston and Yew Jo but also the others who put some sweat into the new section on Carnival and the new trail we call "Wasteland" (the new connector between IUD and Barakuda): Andrew, Chrissy, David, Dax, Debby, Jane, Karen, Paul Akhurst, Paul Fejer (and family), Phil, Ryan and Tony. For those who like numbers, 160 hours of labour went into building the 400m section of "Wasteland", 30 hours of which was spent on rockwork alone. Am I getting carried away with this stuff? Probably. Do some of my fellow SMS riders think I've gone totally bonkers? Definitely. But hey, everyone needs a hobby. I can't give enough thanks to all the SMS and Thunder Clan riders who helped out, without their assistance it would have been April or May before I would have finished.
Of course it should go without saying that riding the skinnies is entirely at your own risk. All stunts and technical trail features have consequences if you fail to clear them, it's up to the rider to decide whether to take the risk or not. Enough said?
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Permalink Reply by jazlany on
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Monkeysamurai said:Guys! Pictures please..!
Pics by Azhar Ali a.k.a. biawak tasik : http://biawaktasik.multiply.com/photos/album/247/ride_klmbh_hash_ki...
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Permalink Reply by Chin Keong on -
thanks to klmbh for organised fantastic kiara hash! here is the gps track log for long ride, njoy!
- Attachments:
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kiara_hash_90118.gdb, 215 KB
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Permalink Reply by umar on -
jazlany said:Monkeysamurai said:Guys! Pictures please..!
Pics by Azhar Ali a.k.a. biawak tasik : http://biawaktasik.multiply.com/photos/album/247/ride_klmbh_hash_ki...
Azhar, Jaz, permission to use some of your photos in my blog, thanks.
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Permalink Reply by Basje on
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jazlany said:Basje said:Thanks to all the hares, this was a really great Bash! All the elements of Kiara were used, I was really enjoying it all the way! Perfect!!
Attached the KML of the Long ride.
Hi Basje, I seek your favor to share the garmin gdb file. jazlany@yahoo.com.
This is a wonderful Kiara route... I want to ride it again, and again, and again...
I don't know how to create a gdb file, sorry! My Garmin creates a tcx file (also hopeless), but I can at least export it to Google Earth. There I make a KML file. On this website you can do a lot of conversions to other formats: http://www.gpsies.com/upload.do?uploadMode=convert, but gdb is not one of the formats you can select I'm afraid. I'm going back tomorrow morning, can't stay away from that trail!!!
Cheerio, and Gong Xi Fa Chai to all.
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Permalink Reply by jazlany on
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Azhar is the rightful owner Umar. Cheers!
umar said:jazlany said:Monkeysamurai said:Guys! Pictures please..!
Pics by Azhar Ali a.k.a. biawak tasik : http://biawaktasik.multiply.com/photos/album/247/ride_klmbh_hash_ki...
Azhar, Jaz, permission to use some of your photos in my blog, thanks.
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