The Social, Arts & Culture Committee (SAC) of the Kuala Lumpur Bar, together with the Environment & Humanities Committee, very recently organised an event called the All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) Rides. Below is an excerpt from the journal of one of the organisers and participants on this event.
Kg. Kemensah, Ulu Kelang, Aug 16 – Day of the ATV Rides event organised by the SAC. Location of the ATV park – Kg. Kemensah, Ulu Kelang.
By Zuraifah Abd Rahman (committee member of the SAC)
17 people participated in this event which comprised of the members of the KL Bar together with their friends and family. There were also a group of people from Al-Jazeera English.
8.45 am – Met with those who do not know the way to the ATV Park at the parking lot next to the Bar Council building. Turns out most knew their way.
9.35 am - When we finally arrived, we were greeted by our main guide/ATV operator, Encik Faizil. Most of the participants were already there and some of them had already been through the briefing on the “hows” and the list of “not to dos”.
On the “hows”, The ATV comes in automatic and manual transmissions. Most of us rode the automatic ones. The automatic transmission has 3 gears which are forward, neutral and reverse. To start the machine, one has to switch on the ignition until the green colour l.e.d. comes to light. Then we are to press the brake and the start button simultaneously, then press the brake, then put the forward gear in and there you go.
On the “not to dos”, we were told not to put our legs on the ground while riding or even when the ATV is not moving, not to avoid any holes, rocks or roots as we might go off the track and at this point, we were warned about the deep ravine we might fall into if we decide to avoid the holes, rocks, or huge roots. Essentially, we are to ride over those obstacles because ATVs are made to handle such obstacles.
After we went through the briefing, we were told to conduct a trial run on the area/track (of bumpier dirt road) just outside the hut where we had the briefing. Nervous I was! The track did not look easy at all with all the huge rocks and slopes, but after a few minutes we were all riding like a pro (I would say).
10.00am - Janet left the ATV Park after turning down a free ride from the ATV operator and after instructing Seira and I to ensure that everything is ok at all times.
The second group then departed with their guide.
Plus it had rained the night before - one can tell from the muddy track. It went on – uphill, uneven track, downhill, and we literally had to ride our vehicle across the bamboo trees which had grown horizontally across the track.
The tip to avoid sliding when going down a steep hill slope is to not constantly pump the brake but to pump it on and off for a few times with about a 3 sec break in between each pumps.
We were told that if we were lucky, the animal might come out if it rains the night before. Well were not that lucky though as we did not catch a single glimpse of wildlife during our ride through the woods.
The waterfall was magnificent. The water was really, really cold. Seira got busy with her camera while the rest of us just enjoyed the clear clean air and the peaceful environment. We did not even bother to eat our food. Such a peaceful setting!
