Sunday morning 31 July 2022 dawned fine for Bash # 306 in Seminyeh. Despite the early start and groggy head from post-Saturday morning ride exertions, there was an air of expectation from riding in a new area, far away from KL city. Some confusion around briefing time and Bash starting point clarified, an expectant group of around 100 riders gathered to listen to the words of the KLMBH President, who’d feasted heavily on a Sunday breakfast of Siew Pau and Tiger Beers.
Bash #306 marked one year to the day that Malaysian MTB icon and former KLMBH President Johan (‘Cik Jo’) Shadzli passed away during a ride in Bukit Kiara, and a minute’s silence was impeccably observed by the riders prior to the briefing by the lead Hare from the PCC riders.
Leaving the KLMBH President still addressing the departing crowd from atop the pick-up truck, riders headed off at 9am following one of the Hares to the Long and Short split. The Long began gently enough on the flat, passing by what would prove to be a regular feature of the course, fishing ponds, followed by more fishing ponds. And then, after 15 minutes, the first of three climbs, this one more gradual than the later two, climbing 150m rather gently before a sweet and scenic single trail descent that passed variously through areas of deep mud and fresh water streams. Some scenic stops to take in the view of the Theravada Buddhist Temple near the bottom of the first descent and off again on the flat to the next climb.
The second flat section passed by numerous fishing ponds, carefully manicured Chinese cemeteries and a herd of misbehaving water buffalo before the start of the second climb, a more intense 20 minute ‘warm-up’ for what was to come with the third climb. A unique feature of the second climb was the unmistakable aroma of the nearby poultry farm, providing ample incentive to get a move on up the hill.
A sharp and fun descent again before the big one, the Stairway to Heaven. What can I say? It was only 200m or so vertical climb but the gradient near the top was enough to get the heartrate into the ‘dangerous’ zone according to Garmin, even with the eBike in full Turbo mode. But it was worth it, as the trail down bashed out by the PCC Hares was epic. Long, steep, flowy, technical in parts, it had the brakepads screaming and muscles burning, following which riders were spat out back at the starting point for a well-earned 100 Plus and the left over Tiger beers.
Well done to the PCC team for the great trail they set – 25kms, 700m vert and a lot of happy riders.
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