Taste Of Adventure

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Don’t lose your way

Prevention is the best cure. Before hitting the trails, 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. 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. 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.  

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. Goh prefers to use a parang to make three slashes on both sides of the trees along the trail. He does not 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.

Making it out alive

Will you be able to survive the ultimate wilderness test? What does it take to get out alive?  For Wendy Chin Yoon Mun, an assistant training manager with an outdoor school, 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, she knew where they were going but then she decided to find another way out to the main road by following the stream.  They kept tabs on the time and decided to turn back by 6pm if they 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 they saw three waterfalls. That was strange because they didn’t pass these waterfalls on the way in. 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.    

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.  They picked a spot above the water source, set up shelter with my poncho, had a light dinner of muesli bars and went to sleep. 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.  

Somehow, they knew they would find the way out when daylight broke. Chin remained calm throughout. She was more concerned about family and friends worrying about them.  

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 

In 1999, Tham Yau Kong 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.  Tham advises trekkers to stay calm and think positive. Leave markers on the trail as you try to find your way out to ensure you’re not going in circles. 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.  

Azirin Aziz, an instructor from Outward Bound School based in Lumut, Perak, 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.  

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. 

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.  

Experienced trekkers can lose their way if they are overly confident and didn’t leave any markers. 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.  When you’re with a group of friends, it’s easy to let your guard down. Always see where you’re going, know where you are and stay alert.  

Survival basics

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  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. 

WATER 

The average person can survive for three weeks without food, but only three days without water. Common symptoms of dehydration are dizziness, lethargy and disorientation. If you’re lucky, you may be close to a stream or river. Otherwise, collect rainwater, dig in the dry streambeds or look for rainwater in bamboo, hollow stumps or pitcher plants. Vines are a good source of water, but vines with milky sap is poisonous, Tham Yau Kong of TYK Adventures says. Use your bandanna to blot the dew from plants at dawn and wring it into your mouth. Or, tie a plastic bag around a leafy branch and evaporation from the leaves will produce condensation in the bag. 

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 and insects are a good source of protein if you can get over the squeamish factor. 

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. 

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.

(Sources: Wiseman, John Lofty SAS Survival Handbook; Harpers-Collins Publishers, 2003 and Hattingh, Garth The Outdoor Survival Manual; New-Holland Publishers, 2003. This is an adaptation of an article that was published in The Star)