Monday, September 25, 2006

Malaysian Version of IMBA Trail Care Crew @ Batu Dam Trail


My first interface to the mountain bike trail care was trough International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) website, which is popular with their slogan ‘Long Live Long Rides’ which I hold till now. Since then, I am always imagined that one day I will do the same thing as what there are doing on making a new trail and the maintenance of the existing trail.

On 30th March 2003, the day I’m waited so long came when I joined 8 others PCC Trail Care Crew fully equipped with parangs, hand chain saws and even a gardening tool making their way towards Batu Dam for a mission of trail maintenance.

Most of MTBikers should know already about the single track trails that wind along the Batu Lake shore. Beautiful scenery, fast descents and challenging climbs under the canopy of primary forest that Batu Dam Off road trail has to offer. Therefore, I decided to write a simple report on Batu Dam Off road Trail to give a different view and as a reference to all the trail users on the importance of trail maintenance.

The followings are the Trail Maintenance & Condition Report for Empangan Batu (Batu Dam), Gombak, Selangor Darul Ehsan.

TRAIL SECTION NAME: Batu Dam Offroad Trail (Reverse) or Speedo’s Trail
TRAIL CARE CREW: 9 PCC Trail Care Crew
TRAIL DISTANCES: 14.55 KM

TRAIL INSPECTION & MAINTENANCE CONDITION & ACTION
i) Trimming Done (Minimum 2m wide & 2.5m high)
Nothing much has been done. Maybe due to the frequently use by other trail user that make most of the trail can be seen through in front.


ii) Tree Debris & Trimmings Cleared Well Off Trail
Due to the rainy seasons lately, most of the trail section was covered by fallen branches, stick and bamboo stem.


iii) Fallen Trees Cleared
We have to make two major pit stop due to the fallen trees was found along the trail towards the second stream crossing. Maybe it is due to the rainy seasons lately that make a loose tree near the wall cannot fix to the soil anymore.


iv) Hazards Cleared (Dead Limbs, Leaning Trees, etc.)
Two sections along the trail after river break were found to have leaning trees. After taking into consideration that the leaning trees did not causes any harm to the trail user, we decided to leave it as it is. It shall make the trail more challenging and exciting.


v) Stiles and Bridges Safe, Abandoned Trails Very Well Blocked.
It is almost a year since PCC done the so-called bridge construction on wide gap slope near the river. It seems that the bridge cannot stand it anymore with some of the log already fallen. A suggestion was made to close the bridge and re-route the trail to the side.

Overall trail section still ride able except the terrain near the river where the old bridge has collapsed and need a re-routes. Maybe in the futures when the crew is large enough to support the trail maintenance then the new bridge can be build.

Maintenance shouldn’t substantially change the character of a trail or diminish user experience. Just as a good trail appears to have always been there, good maintenance should be almost invisible.

“The principle of trail maintenance is simple: Keep the user on the trail and the water off of it”. Taken from ‘Joey Klein, Subaru / IMBA Trail Care Crew’.
Pictures Report can be found at the following path:- http://aradweb.tripod.com/images/BatuDamTrail.jpg

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