Got a call mate 6 trucks needed for a video shoot (17-20 December) big stars cannot tell you their names rate is BAD but it will be fun. The TV program is for Nat Geo Shell Helix Driven to extremes.
Ok I’m in I give you BLUE to Drive I take Yellow and we got Kantha (KK) to drive RED. Then it dawns on me damn I have another event also the weekend before.
15-16 December Had a 34 PAX Corporate team building trip camping and rafting to do with all 3 of my trucks plus friends. Blue had a brand new HEAD installed. YELLOW was a last minute finish to fit the REAR seat and rip out the CARGO barrier. RED as usual had nothing wrong with it. For the record YELLOW stacked 34 camp Beds, Cooler and TARPS and 5 passengers into it easily and never once protested.
We Finished the Corporate trip Sunday night 7.30pm arrived home unpacked and then went for dinner 9.30pm help arrives David and then KK turn up we turn 34 PAX bed kit into 3 of us plus spares makes 10 set of kitchen kit , beds etc
By 12.00am we are ready packed and everything done. Arise 3.30am to wait for them to turn up.
Driven to Extremes, they drove to the coldest inhabited place on EARTH. Then through the GOBI desert in China and then to Malaysia to the easy trail of ULU Sidili. This whole thing is sponsored by SHELL HELIX oil the budget is huge.
Day 1:
Convoy order
Yellow
Blue
Red
The long drive to Johor 4.0 hours away to a village called KAHANG which is the primary entrance to ENDAU-ROMPIN national park.
We arrive 8.30am after a not so incident free drive accidents and then we WAIT and wait. We have breakfast and find a long road and redo all the winch cables and then wait and wait and eat and wait again.
Finally 12.45PM they show up damn we coulda slept in at home till 6am.
The stars wagon - a 4.2 NISSAN NA Diesel running 32" Simex XT's - this car is going to have fun
The old support vehicle from the first two days easy track is dispatched and the kit loaded into YELLOW 12 BEDS and emergency kit. Blue gets the life resuscitation kit and all the executive kit. WE are assigned CONVOY number I get 8 RED 4 and BLUE 10 (Last). I get assigned Jono from Singapore as my winch wench. David in RED gets Johnny and KK is luck he gets the 3 Shell Extreme executives. We also get a SHELL driven to extreme hat to wear.
We rollout way past ENDAU-ROMPIN National Park 45k away and the rough dirt road beckons after a serious briefing. The guy in charge is a serious ex military guy as are a couple of others.
The stars truck is completely GOPRO'd out inside outside amazing setup and I never took a pic of it.
The briefing (using 2009 RFC track)
We get to the Sungai (River) Sidili turnoff and as the thunderstorm rolls closer we end up driving in a 5k loop - oops. Then the right track camp is no idea how far away small obstacles about on the slightly we track and the never ending Johor FERNS.
Then there is spot of bother in the looming darkness and the inexperienced stars almost drive off a slippery log bridge - JIMMY in the Mahindra does the rear slide off as the fronts hit terra firma and it rears up in the air as the lockers pull it out before the SHELL executives could raise a scream.
The vehicles on this trip we should now describe:
SHELL trucks 2 NA 4.2 straight 6 NISSAN Patrols 32" Simex XTs one is driven by the STARS MIKA SALO (Yes ex F21 Ferrari driver and Adrien Brodie (Predator and Pianist)) and the other by Paul Marsh a vehicle setup expert.
Jimmy in the MAHENDRA with 35" XT's
Scorpion Lee in the Toyota BJ74 with 15B-T, Volvo axles and 35" XT's same config as RED engine
Wong in the Toyota BJ74 with SUPRA 2JZ and 35" XT's Chipped and few other goodies
Chuck wagon Range Rover with 35" XT's
Me in Yellow 13B-T powered Toyota BJ75 with 35" XT's on their last trip
David in BLUE with 35" MAXXIS BIGHORNS Toyota 1KZ Auto Landcruiser II
KK in RED with 35" MAXXIS XTs Toyota 13B-T Landcruiser II modified to hell
Pajero with 35" XT's barely can move stock engine
A sudden unseen log bridge which is collapsing in the darkness also causes chaos and is a gentle reminder of experience counts here.
Finally a long downhill with a tricky crossover and 50 meters further on we are at camp. Oh MAN the heavens open and we are getting wet. The tarps are finally erected and I offer the stars a chair a COLD beer and then a Hot Milo all are gratefully accepted and instructions are then done.
Camp is on a slope not flat and the river 30 meters below camp. The COOKs in undies now commence to cook dinner standing in the stream bed with 2 cookers. This sets the trend for the rest of the trip the cooks in undies serving up Chinese meals shrimp, fish etc.
Day 2: Tuesday
Mika Salo having a Mango
Breakfast
Parade time
Arise and shine military timing and a parade yes the producer gets 20 pushups and then the boss macca for a uniform violation 20 pushups also. Then the morning briefing the convoy changes Scorpion Lee and Wong and the chuck wagon head off early to get lunch ready. I am in convoy 2 at the front spotting for filming spots with the other vehicles way behind doing the filming. We know it’s going to be a bad day the first mud hole 20 meters past the stream we all ace it with lockers in and the stars truck is hopelessly stuck they take over 30 minutes to extract it and then the spare vehicle also gets stuck.
We continue on and a small slope causes’ fun take it wrong and the rear of the truck slides into a TREE.
Following scorpion lee
200 meters later it’s all over Wong is sitting with his feet up in a chair. The river he says - I say where’s my lunch. I ask how deep 5feet minimum too dangerous. The river is a WINCH down 45deg and then one car length across and up a 45 deg bank. Too swift one mistake and the vehicle is over. We elect to turn around and go to the other end of the track and come in. We could cross this river but if it rains there is another and if it rains no one is going home for days.
We turn around shoot a chainsaw scene and then it’s the mud hole before the stream Yellow turns the corner and drops in and STOPS DEAD - it now fits the mud hole perfectly out with the winch and slowly extract myself.
Finally Yellow is out and its BLUE's turn It does the same cannot move. We wind the winch cable out and BANG a flash lights up the jungle then the winch is DEAD - DAMN overrun has shorted the winch out. I race up get YELLOW and drive into the mud to extract BLUE. Rescue over and reverse across the mud hole and the stream. Eventually the whole convoy makes it across. And then it’s the tricky cross gully from last night. Yellow makes it as does BLUE then RED gets stuck wheels spinning locker useless. It winches BLUE backwards. Only one solution YELLOW I reverse back down the hill hook up a 20 meter winch extension to BLUE and PULL we slip and slide then traction and both vehicles are pulled up the hill to safety.
No more incidents the log bridges are easily passed. Out and down to the other end of ULU Sidili track. Wow devastation the last 5k of the jungle flattened to become oil palm right up to the PARK border so much for a difficult drive.
We elect to camp at the park exit on the safe side of the river.
Yellow is setup as the CAMP anchor the stars get the riverside camp.
A visit from a friendly scorpion excites the tourists
Day 3
Rise and shine today we venture back into the ULU Sidili trail to finish shooting
YELLOW stays behind only BLUE, RED, Scorpian Lee and Jimmy are going in along with the two SHELL NISSANs
Trip is easy until the NISSANS make a beginners mistake they stray a little of the track straight into softer mud and they kept driving slowly into what we knew was trouble
Simple attached REDs GOD winch to it and winch it out nah it stays put eventually we let them self rescue.
Then the mother obstacle 30-50 meters of ruts and mud the right track is out will take them all day took me 30 seconds to descend this in 2009 not now left track is easier
One hour of winching and hard work sees them travel 30 metres as the NISSAN drags itself belly down wheels up the slope.
Then it’s all over and the come back down. This time they get into a mess they make a risky manoeuvre to prevent a rollover.
Then it’s back to camp filming over and ULU Sidili remains unconquered by these guys. But they are happy they are exhausted and realise how difficult the jungle can be to get through.
Me, David Lee and KK in front of the Extreme Nissans
All that remains now is the final night party ad we get to sample British military rations mmmmmmmmmm nice.
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The Camp pole I made to hold the other end of the tarp up anchored to the remains of the bridge.
This was all jungle 3 years ago and up to a month before the trip - sigh now its OIL palm plantation.
The Driven to extremes Crew and stars.
Now to get these guys back to the HOTEL and the planes so they can be home for XMAS.
Convoy out
Our trucks free of KIT
The crew
Me, David Lee and KK with Mika Salo
Me, David Lee and KK with Paul March the builder of the NISSANs
Then it was back to Kuala Lumpur but on the way back we drop into the AMADA service centre and get REDs rear shocks rebuilt.
Home 10pm after a wonderful 4 day trip. Blue is parked in the drive and left its overheating I started it in February 2 cracked pistons sigh and a new engine installed in April.
I gotta get the Volvo finished it would have aced the whole trip and all the gear not in 3 trucks but just in the Volvo.
OK I'll bite, what's a pinch bar.