Mountain bike around Malaysia's highest peak

April 5, 2011 - PRLog -- Issue date: Tues 5 April 2011


Mountain Bike Around the Highest Peak in SE Asia – June and October Trips

An international expedition company, better known for its adventure training and for providing rigging support to camera crews filming in the wilds of Borneo is offering explorers, nature lovers and adrenaline seekers the chance to mountain bike around the highest peak in SE Asia.

This eight day trip, starting and ending in Kota Kinabalu Sabah, includes one day skills preparation, training and a warm up ride, followed by a five day attempt to circumnavigate Mount Kinabalu experiencing jungle trails, ferocious rivers and isolated villages as well as rural market towns and deserted beaches.

With an extensive background in exploratory and remote expeditions in Borneo the UK based Fieldskills have researched a new mountain bike route around South East Asian’s highest peak in Malaysia. The two expeditions in June and October are aimed at encouraging more people to venture into trying something new, unique and a very long way from the beaten track.

Simon Amos from Fieldskills said; “We’ve tested out this route twice, in 2005 and then last November when we made the ride unsupported in four days, carrying all our food and camping gear and we discovered a new section to the route which took us through primary rainforest and saved us many hours on gravel roads.  Now we are looking for a small team of keen bikers to join us on another attempt at this great journey which takes in a greater diversity of fauna and flora than the Amazon, allows us to meet local people, ride through traditional villages, stay in a traditional Long House and ride through Sabah Tea Plantation.”

The expeditions take place in June (18-26) and October (1-9) and cost £1450 (people will need to organise their own flights). The price includes: full support 24/7, jungle training, qualified guides (local and international), accommodation (hotel, camping, traditional), 6 days mountain biking, all food and drinks*, four wheel drive backup on route, your gear transported to each day’s location, mobile base camps, rider transport from Kota Kinabalu airport to accommodation upon arrival and departure*, riding support during each day’s ride, mechanical support, qualified medical personnel.

For information and booking details:
www.fieldskills.com/adventures. Email: admin@fieldskills.com. Or ring 0845 293 7296

ends

for media enquiries please contact Emma Dewhurst 015395 64193 (PR) or Dominic Hall
from Fieldskills Ltd P: 0845 293 7296 ¦ M:07759 833849



1/2 more follows – details of trip and leaders
2/2 mountain bike trip around highest Malaysian peak
Notes to Editors

Day 1: Arrive Kota Kinabalu, meet for dinner and introductory briefings.
Day 2: Transfer to Fieldskills survival camp in Kiulu for some acclimatisation, rafting, jungle skills and warm up ride.
Day 3: (Ride Day 1) Transfer to start of the ride with hilly gravel, forest and river riding to get to the first night camp at Taginambur village. 35 - 40 kms - very hilly, very bumpy.
Day 4: (Ride Day 2) After a mean 3.5 km climb after breakfast we get to spend the day on tarmac enjoying small villages along the river to the market town of Kota Belud and on to the beach where we will be camped. 40 - 45 kms mostly gentle hills on sealed roads (there is an off road alternative if people feel hardcore!).
Day 5: (Ride Day 3) Day 5 - things get tough, despite being mostly on sealed roads, a lot of gentle but long hills in remote countryside with amazing views of the north side of Mount Kinabalu and the heavily forested Tambuyukon. After 45 kms or so we enter the forest and lose the ability to ride the bikes, for the next 5 kms or so we have to work as a team to get ourselves and our bikes through hilly, primary forest with many streams to cross. We emerge at Kampong Bambangan and small village with a 5 km dirt road descent to the camp site, a National Park substation with crystal clear rivers to swim in.
55 - 60 km, 45 km sealed road, 10 km gravel, 5 km jungle.
Day 6: (Ride Day 4) Today we face some hills... over 1000 metres of climbing on dirt road for the first 21 km with the mother of all downhills to tangle with after that. Vehicle support will be sketchy if at all possible. 22 kms, steep, long, hot hills, mental descent!
Day 7: (Ride day 5)  A much less taxing day on medium sized hills with great scenery to finish at Poring hot springs and a big long soak. 36 kms on gravel, dirt and sealed roads with an overnight in longhouse at Sabah Tea.
Day 8: Transfer to Kota Kinabalu.
Day 9: Depart

If you want to extend your stay to see more of what Borneo has to offer we are happy to advice or organise a package for you – here are some suggestions:
Climb Mount Kinabalu - after riding round you might fancy nipping up at the end... 2 days
Wildlife safari - see the orangutans at Sepilok and boat safaris on the Kinabatangan River... 2 to 3 days.
Snorkel and dive off Kota Kinabalu or on the world class resort of Sipidan.

Borneo MTB Expedition Management Team

Riding Guide (Australia). Justin Riedy (Dip. Fine Art, SMBLA, TCL)* Justin has 16 + years experience in the international bike industry; is an elite bike mechanic; has raced road and mountain bike at elite levels; and has 7 years experience teaching bike skills, leading, managing, and organising school, corporate, and public, mountain bike tours/expeditions in Australia & Borneo. Justin holds Senior and Remote First Aid.

Expedition Leader (Director, Fieldskills, Borneo). Simon Amos is a qualified nurse, internationally renowned rigger, and has spent a life time leading, managing, and organising expeditions all over the world. Previously based in Belize, Simon and Christine Amos now live in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, and run Fieldskills - SE Asia’s leading mountain bike centre. Bike Beyond and Fieldskills have worked together since 2004.

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Fieldskills: First Aid, Expedition, Fieldwork & Travel Safety Training for individuals, expedition companies, universities, fieldworkers & businesses. We use our heritage in outdoor pursuits & expeditions to help others complete safe & successful ventures