Jungle fever
Borneo Safari is not for the faint-hearted as the stress of competition also gets to the vehicles.
HAVING been on other 4X4 expeditions before does not really prepare one for the intensity that is the Borneo Safari, even when you already have some outdoors experience.
For the 2017 edition, which ran from Oct 29 to Nov 5, the total distance was much shorter than the previous year’s, taking place in just Papar district instead of 500km across Kota Kinabalu, Ranau and Kota Marudu.
But it was no less challenging, with constant showers turning parts of the Hardcore Section into brown porridge, leading to numerous instances where the “winkywinky” (winch) had to be used.
With 412 vehicles, and over 1,168 participants, this was the largest Borneo Safari to date, according to event director Faez A. Nordin.
Borneo Safari Diamond sponsor Isuzu Malaysia had brought along its three modified D-Max “Monsters,” a 3.0-litre and two 2.5litre variants which had made their appearances in earlier Borneo Safari editions.
Debuting in 2016, Isuzu’s modified seven-seater mu-X “Monster” also made its appearance again, going through the hardcore section together with its D-Max cousins.
Flagging off from the Sabah Tourism Board’s office in Kota Kinabalu’s Gaya Street, the competition convoy camped at Kampung Mikik on Day 1 and at Karamatoi, just before entering the Hardcore Section.
Adding some glamour to the occasion, Japanese actress and model Yuumi Kato, who is also Isuzu’s Brand Ambassador, accompanied the convoy through the logging trails.
Flying straight in to cover the safari from Day 3 onwards, the sec- ond group of journalists met up with the main convoy at Karamatoi, where Isuzu Malaysia’s Light Commercial Vehicles brand manager Lance Chua gave some last minute advice.
This included taking opportunity to bathe and enjoy the large, clear-flowing river next to the campsite, in case circumstances on the trail meant camping with no nearby water source or inside our vehicles.
Plans, no matter how well-laid, never survive first contact, as the front left axle of the D-Max this writer was in broke while trying to get out of an uphill rut, less than half an hour upon entering the hardcore section.
The resulting delay while recovery vehicles moved into position to tow out the damaged truck, and repairs, took nearly two hours, while everyone else took advantage of a surprise data connection to go through their smartphones.
Curiously, the broken axle also resulted in the Isuzu and Sabah 4WD Association co-drivers taking over the wheel, given their greater expertise and the need to avoid other vehicle part from breaking down.
Despite being turned out with larger off-road tyres for the muddy terrain, and carrying various supplies such as water, luggage and off-road equipment, the 2.5L engines carried on throughout the challenging terrain with nary a worry.
The mu-X also showed why it deserved the 2016 event’s “Vehicle of The Year” award, as it powered through the old logging trails with its stock 2.5L variable geometry turbo system generating 136PS and 320Nm of torque.
Leather upholstery and generous rear-aircon blowers made going through the difficult terrain almost as comfortable as a road trip, barring tackling the odd V-gully.
For those who were new to the outdoors, sleeping in camp cots under a canvas sheet, and wading through mud thick enough to suck your rubber galoshes off your feet was a challenging experience.
Despite making relatively good time, the event organisers decided to open up an “Escape Route”, especially for the Tag-On participants to bug out earlier, when reports came in of competition vehicles breaking down in front due to the challenging uphill terrain.
Even the media convoy’s own recovery and lead vehicles suffered, with electrical and even power take-off (PTO) winches malfunctioning due to the sheer amount of winching required to pull vehicles out of the muddy terrain.
The final portion of the Escape Route itself, a very steep V-gully, required nearly four hours of work, with teams heading into the bush to chop down logs to serve as a rough tracks for the wheels to get some traction and also reduce the angle of attack.
Still, the teams managed to find their way out, camping for one last night under the stars before getting back to town, in time to freshen up and get ready to attend the awards dinner the next evening.