Endau Rompin Jungle Survival Team Building

An alternative destination to Taman Negara Kuala Tahan in Pahang ......less than 4 hours driving fromKuala Lumpur and 3 hours from Singapore .......... We specializes in Incentive and Family Packages, Students Packages, Team Building, Survival Courses etc..

Activities of interests - rubber tube rafting, night safari, 4 x 4 off road adventure, three beautiful waterfalls, Orang Asli (Aborigines) Village, exotic trekking trails and bird watching, Comfortable basic accommodation chalet with mattresses. suitable for adults and children. Short easy trails are available around the chalet areas leading to small water cascades and clear water wading pools.

Endau Rompin covering an estimated area of 870 square kilometers, stands between the boundary of Johore and Pahang, remains one of the least disturbed and finest examples of lowland tropical rainforest in Malaysia. (Click image on the right hand side for a the full size images of children activities in and around the chalet areas).

Selai - According to the Orang Hulu, long, long ago, Sungai Selai used to be a torrential river flowing down from Gunung Besar. One day, a beautiful celestial princess called Puteri Dayang Tuarangdecided to visit the place. Her visit changed every thing. She emanated so much heat during her visit that the river was reduced to a mere trickle, the size of a strip of rattan, or ‘sehelai rotan’ in Malay. Since then, the river was called Selai.

Even till this day, during periods of heavy rain, the Orang Asli of Selai propitiate the princess in a special ceremony, so that she may provide some respite from the weather.

During the course of Endau-Rompin Expedition, a group of scientist took off from Gunung Besar heading for the head waters of Sungai Endau to go down to Kuala Jasin. The party followed the wrong stream and ended up at Sungai Selai Along the way, they found a new species of flowering herb, Didissandra.

Today, it is the site of the Selai Base Camp - now known as Lubok Tapah Base Camp.

Endau Rompin is the newest found jungle retreat in the country. Itself being more than 100 million years old where the exotic flora and fauna found nowhere else in the world. Scientific expeditions and researches are still visiting the parks regularly.

Accommodation is very basic - non air condition huts with mattresses, pillows and sleeping bags. There are common toilets and bathrooms - 4 bathrooms and 4 toilets for the ladies and 4 bathrooms and 4 toilets for the gentlemen. Effort is now in place to built better accommodation with fan rooms and with attached bathroom. and these should be ready by the end of 2006. The experience and thrills one gets here in Selai is unforgettable and compensate for the little discomfort of the accommodation.

Team Building is the latest addition to the list of programs that we offer in the park. It has a special appeal as the only location that a comprehensive adventure team building program can be organised. Activities that can be included are jungle trekking, jungle survival, paintball wargames, abseiling, flying fox, obstacles course, night trekking (plus solo walk), treasure hunt, corporate games, night safari, rubber tube rafting etc.

TOUR PACKAGES AND PRICING
PACKAGE TYPE	Accommodation	PRICE PER PERSON (RM)
Click on ...CODE ER No ....... for DETAILED Itinerary)		2 - 3 pax	4 -5 pax	6 - 9 pax	Above 10
CODE ER 006 3D/2N FULL BOARD	Chalet Selai Base Camp	RM 700.00	RM 470.00	RM 440.00	RM 420.00
CODE ER 007 2D/1N FULL BOARD	Chalet Selai Base Camp	RM 530.00	RM 420.00	RM 360.00	RM 330.00
CODE ER 008 3D/2N FULL BOARD	Camping at Merekek Campsite	RM 600.00	RM 440.00	RM 380.00	RM 360.00
TEAM BUILDING AND SURVIVAL PROGRAM
CODE ER 010 3D/2N FULL BOARD	Survival Course Endau Rompin Selai	RM 1000.00	RM 650.00	RM 500.00	RM 450.00
CODE ER 011 4D/3N FULL BOARD	Survival Course Endau Rompin Selai	RM 1200.00	RM 750.00	RM 650.00	RM 550..00
CODE ER 008 (group only) 2D 1N TEAM BUILDING	Camping at Tapah/Merekek Campsite	N/A	N/A	N/A	RM 250.00
CODE ER 009 (group only) 3D/2N TEAM BUILDING	Camping at Tapah/Merekek Campsite	N/A	N/A	N/A	RM 450.00
All rates are subject to 10% service charge and 4.5% e-commerce charge for payment by credit card.

PACKAGE INCLUDES (Leisure Package) :

Return van transfers from Kuala Lumpur (except for team building and survival programs)

2 or 1 night accommodation as specified

Full board meals in the Park

Guided tour per itinerary - trekking, waterfalls, rubber tube rafting, night safari and hill climbing etc

Accompanying guides


The Chalets

Orang Asli hunting with a blow pipe	Waterfalls

PACKAGE EXCLUDES (Plus rates payable) :

NOTES

1. All packages originate from Kuala Lumpur
2. Additional charge of RM 500.00 per vehicle for a return pick up from Johore Bahru causeway. (Please add

RM 200 extra for team building and survival programs)

3. All rates are subject to 10% service charge and 4.5% e-commerce charge for payment by credit card.

WHAT TO BRING

1. Bathing suits / swimming costumes
2. Joggers / trekking shoes
3. Slippers/flip flops
4. Jumper / raincoats
5. Caps / hats
6. Personal toiletries
7. Insect repellent
8. Antiseptic cream and handy plasts
9. Torchlight
10. Energy Giving Snacks/Chocolates

11. Deep heat for muscle cramps (important)

12. A comfortable day pack backpack for trekking

13. Waterbottle

14. Extra clothing for activities

DO'S AND DON'TS

1. Do not litter
2. Bring all rubbish out of the jungle
3. Do not damage any plants or trees
4. Do not make excessive noise. Respect the jungle
5. Stay healthy. Do not take unnecessary risks like climbing

trees or rocks.
6. Always listen to advise given by your guides.
7. Do not stay away from the group, You can easily get lost.

LOCATION AND AREA MAPS OF ENDAU ROMPIN

As far removed from all the trappings of modern civilization as anyone would possibly want to be. No air-conditioning here, no television. As for cell phones, don’t bother. They don’t work here. And we make no apologies for it. For the truth is, after a while, you won’t miss it either. Because there is something about a 260 million-year-old lowland tropical rainforest that really engages your senses.

Selai is the western gateway to Johor’s famed Endau-Rompin Johor National Park. (It actually encompasses two-thirds of the park’s 48,500ha area). An Orang Asli legend has it that there was once a celestial princess who possessed the power of innate body heal. When she descended upon Earth, the scorching heat that emanated from her body led to a drought. This caused the mighty river that flowed from Gunung Besar to be reduced to a mere trickle - the size of a strip of rattan - or ‘sehelai rotan’. Hence forever after, the river was called Selai, and the park that was later created there took this name.

As for the legend, anyone visiting Selai today will have no doubt that it is all in the distant past. For this is a blessed place. Hiking across Selai entails scenic river crossings via rope bridges, and hopping along the boulders that dot the Selai River. No matter how long you trek, the exhilarating sound of water rushing over rocks is never far away. Nature’s adornment here comes in the form of a series of photogenic waterfalls. No less than 20 are to be found around the park. each one seemingly prettier than the one before. The most spectacular of these is the Takah Tujuh, which is spread over an elevation of seven tiers! It has such an atmospheric quality that the Orang Asli say spirits dwell in its upper reaches.

The terrain here is rugged. the facilities minimal, which makes the whole experience as authentic as it can get. Selai lies in the core area of Endau-Rompin, at the foothill of Gunung Tiong.

The vegetation here has been spared the swing of an axe for centuries, and even scientists have yet to fully unravel its secrets, Hornbills flying across the river during the fruiting season make for a delightful sight. Fish feeding time at the jetty can be quite awesome too, as the placid water is suddenly churned up by schools of more than 20 species of fish, all competing for a bite. Apart from trekking and communing with Nature, try your hand at a ‘temiang’ or blowpipe, or at setting animal traps Orang Asli-style. Night falls swiftly in the forest.

A little sidetrack..

Stories recently abound of this Malaysian Bigfoot especially in the Johor part of the Endau-Rompin State Park. In fact the various Bigfoot sightings from way back in the 1980s and until very recently in 2006 have transformed the mythical hairy creature into a real denizen of the forest.

They are said to be around 3 to 4 meters tall and a recent photograph and taking of a left foot model of this Malaysian Bigfoot’s footprint made through gypsum, measures the foot size as 45.5 centimeters long and 36 centimeters wide.

One sighting in November 2005, reported that three creatures, two of which were at least 3 meters tall, were seen fishing in the river, and they were plucking the fishes with their bare hands!

Previous expeditions to track these denizens of the forest had been unsuccessful because they know the jungle better than we humans.And the Johore state Government had recently set up a committee to investigate and later to track them in the jungles to confirm their existence.

The most widely accepted theory is that this Malaysian Bigfoot is a descendant of the giant primate species, Gigantopithecus Blackai. Remains of this animal, found in Vietnam and China, date back between 100,000 and two million years ago.

There were similar sightings reported in wilderness areas around the world, including the so-called Bigfoot in North America, the Yeti in Tibet and the Yowie in Australia.

SIDENOTE

HELP CONSERVE THE SUMATRAN RHINOCEROS

The Sumatran rhinoceros is probably the most endangered of the five rhino species found worldwide. It is believed that fewer than 300 of them are left currently in the world.

Therefore it is imperative that we protect the Sumatran rhinos’ habitat especially from poachers. Because sadly, their numbers are depleting due to indiscriminate poaching and hunting for their horns which are supposed to be aphrodisiacs according to old Asian beliefs. This wide-spread mistaken belief must be eradicated so that these rhinos will still be around for future generations.

WWF-Malaysia has in February 2006 initiated and undertaken a five-year project called Rhino Rescue, with one of the objectives being to raise awareness of the urgent need to protect and conserve the Sumatran Rhinoceros through outreach to local communities as well as increasing efforts in understanding its ecological, biological and spatial needs. This project will be carried out in the Belum Forest Complex in the Malaysian state of Perak.

So do help to protect these rhinos where we can, and donate to efforts towards this end.

24hrs hotline Nick Tan 0193371015

Email: nicktan@impressions.my

2011-10-15T11:57:00.000-07:00

IMPRESSIONS HOTELS & RESORT

CONTACT NUMBERS : Mr Nick Tan +6019 3371015
Website : http://www.impressions.com.my/
Email :impressions@impressions.com.my.com.my

Our latest Adventure in write up and pictures

Jungle Foods and Medicine for Survival in Malaysia

The saying “living off the fats of the land” is perfected by Malaysian natives who live in jungle for thousands of years. The rainforest is where food, medicine and useful tools grow on trees and swim in the river.

Sadly, as modernity makes its swift crawl into the countryside, quickly gobbling up vast tract of rainforest and the inhabitants that go with it, there is a danger of the wealth of information will perish someday.

To be a true blue Malaysian, one must eat durian.

Durian is perhaps the jungle’s most revered product and it has been collecting fans for centuries. Victorian naturalist Alfred R. Wallace on his study trip to the Malay Archipelago was perhaps the first westerner to sample durian 150 years ago.

“To eat durian is a new sensation worth a voyage to the East”, Wallace praised. However, not many share Alfred Wallace’s view.

“Stinks like hell, but tastes like heaven” - The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Botany certainly didn’t mince words when it comes to describing bombacaceae durio zibethinus.

The fuss about eating durian is legendary. Mind you, even the smell has “flavour”. Funny thing is, most westerners with a liking for strong cheese would freak out with one sniff of the fruit. “More like eating a combination of rotting onions and bananas”, they say.

Survival Program Itinerary and pricing

2009-01-04T03:53:00.000-08:00

Survival Programs Pricing from RM 450.00 per person - RM 1200.00 per person please log in to http://www.impressions.com.my/endau/survival.htm for more details.

Program Itineraries
Program ER010

Trip Itinerary 4D 3N Survival Program

Day 1
Upon arrival at Bekok, transfer by 4 wheel drive to Lubok Pasir , briefing and immediate distribution of equipment and food rations. Arrived at campsite at Lubok Pasir.

Things to learn, record and practice:

1. Making water bottles from Bamboo

2. Identifying/collection of edible/medicinal leaves " Senduduk " and " Selaput Tunggul "

3. Fashioning ropes from " Barok " or " Kelemedu " tree barks to secure the bamboo water container

4. Identifying drinkable wild vines " Mengkait " and " Mempelas " available only in certain areas.

5. Set up net to catch fish for dinner.

Set up camp. The next class will be starting fires using available natural resources . Participants are to start and maintain their own for signaling and dinner will be rice and BBQ fish caught in the river.

Day 2

After breakfast, depart for the second camp site at Lubok Ajam. All fires are to be put out. Trekking will start from Lubok Pasir campsite to Kampong Selai. Lunch consisting of local asli dishes will be provided by the villagers. The morning trek is about 1 1/2 hours.

Enroute, there will be things to be learned along the way and the guides will be on hand explain.After lunch, continue trekking to Lubok Ajam participants will be taught skills in cooking canned food (for dinner) and preserving it for several weeks in the jungle without going bad to be followed by a short lecture on survival essentials in the jungles. Next exercise is collection of firewood and starting/maintaining of fires.

1. Skills in predicting weather and time without using any modern equipment and night signaling.

2. Collection of " Damar " or dried saps from the " Meranti " tree as fuel and medicine

3. Collection of dried wood to carry forward to the next camp.

For dinner, we will teach the cooking method and we will provide rice and tapioca to be cooked over fire using bamboo and other means and participants are to boil their own drink also using bamboo. There will be a discussion on the previous 24 hours' activities.

Day 3
Wake up call from the gibbons at 0700hrs - we will provide coffee and bread - the following practical classes will be organised at 0900 hrs

1. Primitive jungle navigation without using any modern navigation equipment

2. Trail making in lowland primary jungles

3. Signaling methods in the daytime

Departure for the next and final camp. The trail enters into the wild " Bertam " forest. Upon arrival, participants are to immediately construct their own shelters using the leaves, branches and fronds of the " Bertam " tree as roofs, walls and sleeping mates. They will also be taught making light sticks using " Bertam " branches and leaves as a replacement for flashlights at 1400 hrs estimated arrival in one hour.

Participants will be required to practice what they've been taught namely

1. Set up their own shelter

2. Collection of firewood

3. Starting & maintenance fire for warmth, light and cooking.
4. Cooking rice and other available dishes in bamboo and wild leaf.
We will do impromptu inspection every few hours to ensure that the shelters are built to certain specifications, fires maintained well and the participants' safety ensured.

Day 4
Wake up call at 0700 hrs. Participants will assemble at camp commandant shelter at 0830 hrs for a group assessment of every participant's shelter location with final comments and tips.
Depart for for Kuala Lumpur at 1430 hrs.

Note : The above itinerary is subject to change

Program ER011
Trip Itinerary 3D 2N Survival Program

Day 1
Upon arrival at Bekok, transfer by 4 wheel drive to Lubok Pasir , briefing and immediate distribution of equipment and food rations. Arrived at campsite at Lubok Pasir.. Participants will be divided into teams and will remain in the same team until the final day.

Things to learn, record and practice:

1. Making water bottles from Bamboo

2. Identifying/collection of edible/medicinal leaves " Senduduk " and " Selaput Tunggul "

3. Fashioning ropes from " Barok " or " Kelemedu " tree barks to secure the bamboo water container

4. Identifying drinkable wild vines " Mengkait " and " Mempelas " available only in certain areas.
5. Set up net to catch fish for dinner.

Set up camp.

The next class will be starting fires using available natural resources . Participants are to start and maintain their own for signaling and dinner will be rice and BBQ fish caught in the river.

Day 2

After breakfast, depart for the second camp site at Lubok Merekek. All fires are to be put out. Trekking will start from Lubok Pasir campsite to Kampong Selai. Lunch consisting of local asli dishes will be provided by the villagers. The morning trek is about 1 1/2 hours.

Enroute, there will be things to be learned along the way and the guides will be on hand explain. From the villlage, the group will be taken by 4 WD vehicles to Merekek campsite,

Next class will be on simple knots. Participants will be taught how to tie fishing hooks and finally placing the fishing line at the right places.

Participants will be required to practice what they've been taught :
1. Set up their own shelter

2. Collection of firewood
3. Starting & maintenance fire for warmth, light and cooking.
4. Cooking rice and other available dishes in bamboo and wild leaf.

We will do impromptu inspection every few hours to ensure that the shelters are built to certain specifications, fires maintained well and the participants' safety ensured.

Day 3
Wake up call at 0700 hrs. Participants will assemble at camp commandant shelter at 0830 hrs for a group assessment of every participant's shelter location with final comments and tips. .

Leisure activity, trekking to Takah Pandan Waterfalls.
Lunch will be provided and after lunch transfer by 4WD to Bekok town.

Program ER 012
Trip Itinerary 3D 2N Basic Survival Program - Merekek Campsite

Day 1

Upon arrival at Bekok, transfer by 4 wheel drive to Merekek Campsite (participants will stay for two nights at Lubok Merekek) , briefing and immediate distribution of equipment and food rations. Participants will be divided into teams and will remain in the same team until the final day.

Day 2

After breakfast, briefing and day trekking will start from Lubok Merekek campsite to Takah Tinggi waterfalls. Packed. lunch consisting of local asli dishes will be provided. The trek is about 2 hours per way. Enroute, there will be things to be learned along the way and the guides will be on hand explain. Return to Merekek Campsite in the evening

For dinner participants will be be provided with local chicken already slaughtered. They will be taught how to remove the feathers and clean the chicken ready for cooking. The chicken will be cooked in two ways - BBQ over campfires and also inside bamboo with other ingredients provided.

Break camp and proceed to start fire to be maintain until the next morning. The program is as follows :

Participants will be required to practice what they've been taught :

1. Set up their own shelter

2. Collection of firewood
3. Starting & maintenance fire for warmth, light and cooking.
4. Cooking rice and other available dishes in bamboo and wild leaf.

We will do impromptu inspection every few hours to ensure that the shelters are built to certain specifications, fires maintained well and the participants' safety ensured.

Set up camp. First class will be starting fires using available natural resources . Participants are to start and learn to maintain their own. Participants will be taught how to tie fishing hooks and finally placing the fishing line at the right places. and dinner will be rice and BBQ fish caught from the river.

Day 3

Wake up call at 0700 hrs. Participants will assemble at camp commandant shelter at 0830 hrs for a group assessment of every participant's shelter location with final comments and tips. .

Leisure activity, white water tube rafting from Lubok Selow to Lubok Tapah.
A simple lunch will be provided and after lunch transfer by 4WD to Bekok town.

A Basic Survival Kit
Pack these basic items:

First Aid kit, whistle, compass, matches / lighter, mini torchlight / headlamp, pocket knife and light rain jacket/poncho in a drysack / waterproof pack and keep the pack with you all the time, even on a short hike. (A 4-litre drysack only costs about RM35). Most experienced trekkers swear by the handy parang (machete).

“Ideally, aside from the basic kit, you should carry a flysheet/poncho with tent/kernmantle ropes (strong elastic rope made of sheathed nylon fibre), raffia string, extra food and water and enough dry, warm clothing to survive the elements,” says Azirin Aziz of Outward Bound Malaysia.A tent in the form of a flysheet or poncho can double up as a raincoat and also as an emergency blanket to keep one safe from the risk of hypothermia. A tent rope may also be used as an ascending or descending line in the event of an emergency. Keep the candles and matches dry so you can start a fire, cook food, keep warm and send a smoke signal while you wait to be rescued, adds Azirin.

Endau Rompin Jungle Survival Team Building

2009-01-03T12:18:00.000-08:00

Link to jungle survival webpages http://www.impressions.com.my/endau/survival.htm

Jungle Survival Skills, encompass the following......,

Shelter Construction from simple overnight 'accommodations'. During our program you will learn to identify safe areas to build and type of material to build temporary shelters.
Water Procurement from the jungle using water vines and other plant life.
Edible Plants and Wildlife for food - this will include hunting, preparing traps, identify places where to set traps. Identify edible plants and roots.

Traps, Improvised Survival Tactics, and other 'tricks of the trade.' These tactics are designed for use when drastic measures must be applied to preserve one's own life. From basic traps, such as snares, deadfalls and fish traps, to using weapons made from jungle products.

The Offensive
Mindset and learning to mentally cope and 'enjoy' adversities in order to overcome them. Confidence, application of skills, and becoming a part of the surrounding environment.

Knife and Blade Work - During these expeditions you learn how to properly use and care for a jungle knife. Sharpening, proper cutting technique, developing the proper timing, and use as an improvised tool will all be covered since your participation in clearing log jams and constructing shelters is required.

Medicinal Plants and the uses ranging from mosquito repellants to treating illness. In this topic you will also learn to assist yourself or teammates during accidents or other ills faced in a tropical jungle survival.

Rafts
You will learn to build temporary rafts and travel on it.
Compass Orienteering and Tracking - This process will teach you to read a compass properly and describe proper safe procedures of tracking in a tropical jungle.

Our jungle survival courses address the following:
Survival kit items
What to take
What not to take
Items specific to tropical conditions
Fire –How to start a fire
Types of fires
Fires for warmthFires for cooking
Fires for signalingUnderground fires
Cooking basics -Cooking utensils and basic cooking skills
Strategy –Setting priorities (basic needs)
Preparing for the unexpected
Weather concerns
Food –Wild edible plant
Fishing
Hunting weapons
Building traps and snares
Food preparation
Shelter –Finding suitable site
Types of shelters (including natural shelters)
Building shelters
Rope – Making rope from plants How to tie knots
Finding your way back –
Reading signs
Determining direction
Reading weather
How to use a compass and map
Moving –Moving solo through the jungle
Moving a group of people
Planning food and water while traveling
Signaling

ARTICLES

The Star Travel & AdventureSaturday August 25, 2007By LEONG SIOK HUI
Will you be able to survive the ultimate wilderness test? In the last eight months, local newspapers have reported nine cases of lost trekkers in Malaysian forests. What does it take to get out alive?

Survival Basic -

SHELTER

A shelter will keep away the rain and wind, and keep you warm. Look for a campsite that’s sheltered from the wind, a higher ground with less risk of flooding, safe from rock falls and away from animals’ watering holes. Most “lost” cases in Malaysia happen to day hikers, thus you’re likely not to carry a tent. You can make a simple A-frame shelter with a plastic sheet or your poncho and tree branches. Or gather some branches, make a frame and use leaves to cover up. Bamboo makes great shelters but be careful of sharp slivers or splinters when it is cut.

FIRE

A fire not only keeps you warm, it’s a morale booster and can be used as a smoke signal. In wet conditions, get dead branches off trees and shave them. It’s easy to kindle the fire this way, says Tham Yau Kong of TYK Adventures. Always carry matches/a lighter in waterproof bags. Dry bamboo, termite’s nests or cotton balls dipped in Vaseline make excellent tinder while twigs, small leaves and dry bark will keep the fire going.

SIGNALLING

Always bring your mobile phone – you never know where it will work. Don’t scream your lungs out – you’ll waste energy and your voice won’t travel far unless rescuers are within hearing distance. A whistle (pic) is a great piece of survival gear. If you need to start a signal fire, choose a clearing away from overhanging branches. Dig a trench or build an earth wall around the fire if it’s close to other trees or plants. Rubber tyres or green branches give a good, dense smoke. Spread out a reflective blanket (if you have one) to help searchers spot you from the air. Use a compact mirror, a knife blade, a thin foil or ready-made signal mirror with the sun to flash light signals.

FOOD

Though you can go without food for at least a week, hunger weakens the body and makes you more susceptible to hypothermia. Look out for wild fruits, roots, leaves, the soft heart of young stems or palm tree’s branches. Ferns and bamboo shoots are delicious. Though not appetising , boiled lichens are safe to eat. A tip for testing plants: if a plant smells of almonds (hydrocyanic acid) or peaches (prussic acid) when crushed, dump it. Rub a piece of crushed plant lightly on a soft skin area (inside of arm) and wait five minutes to check if any rash, swelling or burning appears. Worms (pic) and insects are a good source of protein if you can get over the squeamish factor.

For Wendy Chin Yoon Mun, Gunung Bunga Buah (1,430m) near Genting Highlands makes a nice day hike and is only a short drive away from the Klang Valley. It usually takes her about three to four hours to clamber up and down the peak. The experienced hiker has trekked the trail a few times and didn't think much of it when she led three friends on a climb one day.The climb up was uneventful and as the group came down from the summit, Chin suggested they check out the source of a stream they spotted. The other two girls in the group decided to walk back to the trailhead where the car was parked. Chin and her friend ventured off the trail and followed the water source. “At first, I knew where we were going but then I had an idea: we could find another way out to the main road if we followed the stream,” recalls Chin an assistant training manager with an outdoor school.“We kept tabs on the time and decided to turn back by 6pm if we didn’t find the other way out.”The two hikers trudged on the unmarked trail through thick undergrowth while also keeping an eye on the stream. The trail didn’t seem to lead anywhere and when it was time to turn back, Chin and her friend backtracked.“Somehow the trail looked different. Then we saw three waterfalls and we were like ‘Whoa, that’s strange because we didn’t pass these waterfalls on the way in’,” says Chin, 35.They backtracked and took another trail but still couldn’t find the way out either. It was getting dark and the two decided to stick to one trail. “We just had to find a way out,” says Chin.By 9pm, the forest was already pitch black and Chin realised they were lost. Luckily, the well-equipped Chin had a stove, poncho, parang and extra food.“We picked a spot above the water source, set up shelter with my poncho, had a light dinner of muesli bars and went to sleep,” says Chin. The temperature had dipped and Chin was wearing shorts but she had a rain jacket to keep her warm. The pair didn’t have their mobile phones.“We knew we would find our way out when daylight broke,” says Chin, who remained calm throughout. “I was more concerned about family and friends worrying about us.

” The Art of Staying Alive

In the SAS Survival Handbook, author John Lofty Wiseman says survival is the art of staying alive.“You must know how to take everything possible from nature and use it to the fullest, how to attract attention to yourself so that rescuers can find you, how to make your way across unknown territory back to civilisation if hope of rescue is not on the cards and navigating without compass or map.”Wiseman says any gear you have is a bonus. You not only have to keep healthy, you need to know First Aid in case you or your group members are sick or wounded AND maintain your morale.Sounds like a tall order. But Chin’s case proves the point. Even the most experienced trekker can get lost due to a misstep or wrong judgment. So, when you’re thrown into this kind of situation, what do you do?

When Lost

Stay calm and think positive,” advises Tham Yau Kong, one of the pioneer adventure operators in Sabah. In 1999, Tham and Sadib Miki set up Miki Survival Camp in a village at the foot of Mt
Kinabalu. At the camp, students learn to identify edible food or fruits, pick up traditional healing skills using forest herbs, learn to build shelter and fashion animal traps out of forest products.“Leave markers on the trail as you try to find your way out to ensure you’re not going in circles,” Tham adds.If you still fail to find a way out, set up a base by building a shelter and try to signal to alert others that you’re lost in the jungle. In the meantime, source for water and food to survive. (See sidebar on Survival Basics.)Outward Bound Malaysia field instructor Azirin Aziz recommends trekking in a group of no less than four people as a safety measure. “When lost, send out a trekker team (maybe two from the group) to clear and check tracks in order to determine the better path to take,” says Azirin who is based in Lumut, Perak.

“You should venture out about 100m forward, to the right and to the left from the original bearings to look out for visible features. Then return to the rest of the team and report. Try to gauge your location on the map if you have one.“It’s good practice to walk on a ridge instead of in a valley because it’s easier to get spotted by rescuers from there. A valley’s feature is usually rocky with creeping vegetation. Streams are useful in determining direction, but they are not the safest terrain to walk on, Azirin adds.

Lessons learnt

In Chin’s case, a bunch of volunteers from the Association of Backpackers Malaysia (the lost hikers are members) and the police had started a search and rescue effort. At 7am the next day, Chin and her friend tried to retrace their footsteps. One-and-a-half hours later, they found their way out.

“It’s embarrassing. We are experienced trekkers but because we were overly confident and didn’t leave any markers, we got lost,” admits Chin. “Never assume you’ll find your way out of an unfamiliar place. Even though you don’t think you may get lost, sometimes people get injured in accidents or get disoriented. Just make sure you carry the kit.” ( See sidebar on Survival Kit.)When you’re with a group of friends, it’s easy to let your guard down, Chin cautions. Always see where you’re going, know where you are and stay alert.Sources: Wiseman, John Lofty SAS Survival Handbook; Harpers-Collins Publishers, 2003 and Hattingh, Garth The Outdoor Survival Manual; New-Holland Publishers, 2003.Don’t lose your wayPrevention is the best cure, they say, so before setting out, it’s crucial to plan your trip, load up on the right gear, check the weather and ask yourself: Are you experienced enough to do the trek without a guide? Are you fit to tackle the trails? And do you have the right gear, maps and directions?

“Effective planning separates the responsible hiker from the common hiker,” says Azirin Aziz, an outdoor field instructor at Outward Bound Malaysia, Lumut. “It’s important to spare your family, friends, the authorities and rescue organisations the anxiety.”

Recreational hikers should never attempt a tough and unfamiliar trek, especially without a guide, Azirin adds. Besides your basic survival kit, you need to know simple navigational skills using a compass and map.Unfortunately, in Malaysia, the public has limited access to topography maps unless they are part of organisations like Outward Bound Malaysia or the Association of Backpackers Malaysia (ABM).*

Avid trailblazer C. S. Goh and his group of experienced adventurers find challenge in bushwhacking their way through pristine jungles in Peninsular Malaysia. Though Goh swears by his GPS (Global Positioning System), he still relies on his map and compass-reading skills for back-up. GPS is reportedly 95% accurate and to receive clear signals, you need to stand still and out in the open, away from tree branches or any obstruction.“I still have to take note of the direction I’m travelling in and observe the terrain or vegetation around me,” says Goh, a part-time trekking guide who organises jungle-trekking recces.Keep an eye on what’s around you and make mental notes of lakes, rivers, caves and waterfalls. And don’t rely solely on your group leader in case you get separated from the group.If you reach a junction and you’re not sure which trail to take, leave some markings, in case you go on the wrong trail and need to backtrack.“I use a parang to make three slashes on both sides of the trees along the trail,” adds Goh.“Try not to fold the tree branches as markers. It’s hard to spot them when it’s dark or if the trail is thick with bushes.”Most importantly, always let someone know where you are going, when or what time you are expected back.