Pictures From Gunung Bunder Trip

These are some pictures from our last trip to Gunung Bunder. To see more, please click here.

The photos are taken by Gita Sapta Adi, Darren Alderson and Dany Darwis.

Tread Lightly!

Tread Lightly! is a non-profit organization offering educational material, training courses, restoration opportunities, communication pieces and a variety of tools to help arm recreationists with a set of outdoor ethics.

Tread Lightly! offers specific ways to minimize impact when four-wheeling, off-highway motorcycling, mountain biking, geocaching, riding an ATV, hunting with an ATV, snowmobiling, camping, fishing, boating, hunting, horseback riding, backcountry skiing, hiking, sand duning and using a personal watercraft. Click here for some quick tips.

Tread stood for some outdoor ethics as follows:

Travel and recreate with minimum impact
Respect the environment and the rights of others
Educate yourself, plan and prepare before you go
Allow for future use of the outdoors, leave it better than you found it
Discover the rewards of a responsible recreation

In Indonesia, similar efforts are being built by 4-Wheel Adventure Indonesia to pioneer the Friend of Nature program so called the "Sahabat Alam" in Bahasa Indonesia. The effort would initiate a nationwide nature preservation movement related to outdoor lifestyle of people in Indonesia.

Your support in the Sahabat Alam program is appreciated. For info on how to make your support, please visit the web page here.

Gannet's Unique Homebuilt CJ-3B

This is the picture of Gannet's unique homebuilt CJ-3B. He rebuilt the off-road machine from scratch with off-road ability and comfort in mind.

The Jeep CJ-3B is an old Civilian Jeep version made during 1950-1970s. It is the predecessor of the Jeep CJ-5 which production started in 1972. CJ-3B production was also outsourced under license to the Japan Mitsubishi company which continue producing the units until 1983 with various engine models, diesel and gasoline.

CJ-3B originally came with Jeep L-Head engine so called the Devil as used in some of the military Jeep M-38. It has 2.2 litre displacement with around 60 horse-power capacity. The original transmission was produced by Dana Spicer (I am still trying to find the types on this) which moves the front Dana 27 and rear Dana 44 axles. The Jeep CJ-3B is a quite successful Jeep production with mostly used by the Japanese military and government as utility vehicle.

Gannet rebuilt the CJ-3B with a totally upgraded performances from engine to transmission. His green cute CJ-3B is fitted with a Toyota 7K 1.8 litre engine which power is sent to Toyota automatic transmission commonly found in Toyota Kijang (Indonesian version of Toyota van) or Toyota Cressida. Well, with such automatic transmission he surely could perfectly control the vehicle's traction on the trail, and leave his left foot to rest.

For the 4-wheel drive function, he couples the Toyota automatic transmission with the transfer case taken out of a Suzuki SUV (not sure which type), with a 1:2.8 low range ratio. This gave him a total crawl ratio of 40% combined with the final drives of 1:5.38.

The car is equipped with a Warn 9500 winch and 31" Super Swamper tyres. I will post a complete report on the vehicle soon.

Pictures taken by Gita Sapta Adi at Gunung Bunder.

A Wonderful Trip

Last weekend we made a trip to Gunung Bunder. There were 8 cars altogether, mine (CJ-7), Gita Sapta Adi (CJ-7), Ganet (CJ-3B), Darren Alderson (CJ-7), Yuri Kusweri (Suzuki Vitara), Indra Riana (Suzuki SJ-410), Erce and Abduh (both Suzuki Vitara).

We left Jakarta on Friday 25th August midnight, in two groups. One group (mine) starts from Pondok Cabe gas station, taking the Parung route, and the other group led by Indra Riana which took the Jagorawi toll road. Indra's caravan was already arrived at Gunung Bunder when my caravan arrived at around 2am on Saturday 26th of August.

We have decided to start hitting the trail that early morning, so after a short break and preparation at around 3.30am we head to the trail entrance. Ganet led the way with our local course masters Imang and Sa'id. After Ganet lined up the Suzukis, then Gita's CJ-7, Darren's, and my car as the tail, also acting as sweeper.

The Entrance

The entrance is what we called the Ace Point, a short climb of around 45 degrees inclination with slippery soil and some rocks on the way. It is only around 100 meters long altogether, with the hardest part is the last 50 meters where the ruts are quite tricky and ended by a small river. Ganet's and the Suzuki's were winched up since they were using smaller tyres, while Gita's and mine could pass the challenge with less difficulty for we were using larger diameter tyres. On the climb, Gita's front right tyre went flat due to too low pressure. So we try to fix the problem for almost an hour, using hi-lift jack and air compressor.

The air temperature was very cold at around 23 degrees Celcius, plus a very strong wind, really chilling up to the bone. That 100-meter entrance took us around 3 hours to finish, could you imagine that? Really challenging and fun. After everybody passed that first obstacle, we headed to the first camp site at around 7am on Saturday, a flat field of pine trees where we stop for resting. Everybody fell asleep instantly because we haven't had enough rest that night.

At around 9am, Gita waken up everybody to have breakfast. Yes, that is the good thing about 4-wheeling on Gunung Bunder, we could order for breakfast, lunch or dinner prior to entering the trail to the local tavern. They will send the food to any point on the trail. We had white rice, fried chicken, soya cake and tofu for breakfast... mmm... yummy...

Country Road

After breakfast, at around 10am we start moving for the country road, a 3-kilometer jungle trail. The trail is really challenging with tricky ruts and slopes we have to overcome. It was really slippery at some parts, where your car would slide just anywhere out of control if you are not careful enough. Fortunately what we have along the route was only fun, and fun and fun!

At the point we so called 'Point of No Return', there were 3 lanes, the left, center and right lane. The level of difficulties are heavy, moderate and lighter on the right (still difficult though). So everybody started taking the right lane, which required serious winching and controlling the traction at the same time. I was, however, curious and attempted to try the far most left lane, which looks easy although it's not. Well, the temptation grew so big and I took that left lane. Smooth ride in the beginning until my front right tyre make a successful climb over a root, and after that the car stucked, bellying on the root until it could not move at all. I ask Dany, my co-driver to arrange a recovery strategy, because winching alone is not a solution. The car's transfer case cut into the big root almost half, the front tyre stuck in thick mud, while the rear tyres did not have enough contact to the ground for a good traction. Firstly we tried a single line pull to a tree in front of us, it didn't work at all. So, I told Dany to go on double-line pull using the snatch block. The effort provides us an around 5 centimeters progress! What a trouble! It feels still very hard for the winch. So, we try one more effort on a triple-line pull using two snatch blocks, again, not much progress because the transfer case was cutting into the root.

So, Dany came to the idea of lifting the car with a hi-lift jack. At first we were arguing where to jack the car, near the root (at the right side), or at the back. We then tried jacking the car on the right, but it didn't work as planned because the space was too tight to work with the jack. So, we tried lifting the car's rear. Jacking and winching at the same time and, it works! The car started to move bit by bit. We move from one winching point to another to gain best pulling direction and less obstacle. After about a 30-minute fight with this obstacle, my Jeep successfully recovered and a very deep satisfaction was all around my body. What a challenge! The rest of the group was watching the recovery effort while giving some help. A real off-road brotherhood there is.

At the final of the Point of No Return, we found Darren was quite upset that his winch was broken while trying to get out of the right lane. The bar that holds the drum was broken in pieces because the wire rope was bulging at one side and no one realized that. Poor Darren, he also got a leak in the radiator. Fortunately I brought some wire and radiator stop leak so we could fixed the troubles. The winch didn't really fixed, only a very temporary fixing because to fix it would require moulding a new bracket. We tied the winch with wire as temporary effort.

Exit

It was around half past noon when we finished the Point of No Return challenge. We then head to the rest of the trail until we reach the Charlie intersection at 1.30pm. At this Charlie intersection we could choose 3 routes with 3 levels of difficulty. Because we haven't had lunch and some of the party has had enough adventure, we then decide to head for exit, taking the less difficult trail. We found a broken pine tree with quite a large diameter. Ganet with his automatic CJ-3B managed to go over the trunk without much trouble. Our friends with their Suzukis decided to move the trunk from the path since their cars weren't using runner guards. So they move the trunk out of the way using winch, before we continue to head for the exit. Near the exit, there was another small challenge, a slippery downslope with tight trees formation which required us to carefully manouvre.

At 2.30 pm the whole party has made the exit and we took our rest and lunch at the base camp. It was really an adventure, everybody satisfied I hope. For me, I am very very satisfied... really a nice trip.

4-Wheeling Basics: COPING WITH MUD

By David Lovejoy, extracted from Difflock.

Mud varies so much in so many places, sometimes it is a beneficial surface and at others a blessed nightmare, this is also why no one tyre type can be said to be the best.

Remember, always Stop & Check before you got stuck in the mud! Put on your boots and walk around in the mud. Most small and medium sized four wheel drives exert a similar ground pressure to the human foot (some even less with wider tyres). So if you get stuck walking, what is going to happen to your vehicle?

Look for a route through, gauge the situation and ask questions (people think you are mad anyway so talking to yourself matters little) like "do I need to drive through here, can I go around?" Always remember Tread Lightly - in other words try to make as little impact on the microenvironment as possible. Huge 'rooster tails' of liquid mud, twenty feet in the air, make for good anti-off road public relations and in the long run don't exactly aid to drive train longevity.

When you have no choice but to go through (say, for example its almost closing time or your tea is on the table) pick your route using the following criteria:

1. Remember mud is like a city, it doesn't just start, it has its slightly soft suburbs and a potentially bottomless center, with varying districts in between.
2. Stay out of ruts deeper than the height to the bottom of your diff casing to avoid bellying out the vehicle.
3. Avoid mud or water you don't know the depth of; it's a world of trouble.
4. Always start off your approach in a suitable gear i.e. one you can change down from if you need to (deep mud saps power like a thick blancmange).
5. Do not 'floor' the throttle, use gentle amounts of power - too much momentum reduces the amount of control you have over the vehicle and generally you just end up stuck further away from hard ground, thus further from easy recovery by the friend you brought in the last episode.
6. When you start to lose traction immediately do two things, feather the throttle (lightly) and move the steering wheel slowly side to side from lock to lock.
7. When you grind to a wheel spinning halt don't just sit there spinning, dip the clutch, select reverse and slowly and gently attempt to reverse out of the situation you are in - remain calm and collected, remember, despite all those people taking photos and laughing, you still have your pride.
8. When reverse has no motive result STOP, now is the time for recovery - once again remain calm and collected, this makes you appear very cool in front of your public :)

Picture shown is Ruby, courtesy of Jejelogy.Com

Tyre Sizes Explained

By David Lovejoy, as extracted from Difflock Web Magazine.

Many of us often curious about differences in how people measure a tyre size. Some says their tyre size is 31/10.5x15, some says 205x75x15. Also, why there is an increase in gearing when tyre is changed from a 30" diameter to 31" diameter.

Tyre sizes are basically measured by the outside diameter, width and diameter of wheel rim. The measurement itself generally using 3 known universal systems: Imperial, American, and Metric.

Explained:

• Imperial (7.5x16), meaning a tyre 7.5 inches wide fitted to be fitted on a 16 inches wheel.
  
• American (31/10.5x15), meaning 31 inches diameter, 10.5 inches wide to be fitted on a 15 inches wheel
  
• Metric (205/75x16), meaning 205 milimeters wide with an aspect ratio (sidewall height) of 75% of the width, to be fitted on a 16 inches wheel.

So, why gearing should be considered when changing tyre sizes? Very basic, it is because you change the rolling circumference of the tyre. Circumference changes as soon as you increase the diameter (or height) of the tyre.

Explained:

Say you are changing your vehicle's 205/75x16 tyre to a 31/10.5x15. The 31/10.5x15 is 10.5 inches wide, whereas the 205/75x16 is a shade over 8 inches wide (205mm). The 31/10.5x15 is approximately 31 inches high. To work out the height of the 205/75x16 follow this sum:

First find out 75% of 205mm (to get the aspect ratio), this is 153.75mm, double this figure (you have two aspect ratios) to get 307.5mm, then divide by 25 (25mm is 1 inch) which will give you 12.3 inches. Add your 16 inches from the wheel diameter to the 12.3 inches of total aspect ratio. This will give you 28.3 inches of total height or diameter.

To get the percentage you have moved up from the original gearing divide the diameter of the new tyre with that of the old. You will find that you have increased the gearing by almost 10%. This isn't a great deal if you have a V8 but it makes a hell of a difference to your average tyred 2.5 diesel engine! To obtain the same power/ torque, you should increase your final gear ratio by at least of that 10% increase in gearing. So if your OEM final gear ratio is 3.5, you should replace it with a 3.85 ratio to obtain the same power like when using the original 205/75x16 tyre.

Have fun trying!

Jeep Launches Safety Edutainment Game

Jeep recently launched the "Go 4x4 Trail Rated Challenge", a new online edutainment game that teaches consumers about on-road and off-road Jeep vehicle safety features and safety driving tips.

The online experience is certainly unique for the automotive industry. Jeep develop this game with the Organic, Inc., an interactive design company in Detroit and New York, USA. The Go 4x4 Challenge presents you with a line-up of different Jeep vehicles and a variety of driving scenarios, within a gaming format, to teach Jeep vehicle owners and in fact all 4x4 enthusiasts about how to manouvre safely through challenging on-road and off-road conditions such as deep water, snow and sand.

If you want to try the game, no matter whether you are a Jeep vehicle owner or not, try it by clicking here.

Trail Rating: Ruby's Rubicon ****

I went to Ruby's off-road playground last Saturday with my wife. We visit the place for two reasons: a Landy event and to rate the trail there.

Ruby is a friend of ours that own a 25-hectare piece of land in Jonggol area (GPS coordinates: S 06*36.052' E 106*58.537', altitude 1,050 meters asl), West Java. He named the place as Rubicon Trail 4x4 because the place has challenges like the Rubicon in the USA.

Well, the trail is really challenging and provides lots of 4-wheeling fun. It has a steep hill climb, deep Vees, water lines, and some men-made obstacles. I ran the whole trail for about 3 hours in dry condition, and, believe me it would take at least 12 hours when rainy. Really fun!

Here is my rating for Ruby's: Overall: 4-star (****)

- Distance from Jakarta ***** (could go for one-day trip)
- Accommodation ***** (lodge and camping ground)
- Public facility ***
- Workshop/ Garage facility ****
- Trail *****
- Safety **** (some of the trails are not for novice and require winching)

Well folks, go and try the trail! You will love it. I'd love to try it when wet... :)

To see some of the pictures, click here

Running On Beta Blogger

I am start using the beta-blogger today. Hope the new features works well and satisfying. I post this just in case you experience unexpected changes.

Links To Winching & Hi-Lift Jacking

So now you have winch and a farm jack or hi-lift jack on your vehicle? Make sure you understand how to use them wisely for safety and durability. Both equipment could save your life as well as dangerous if you use it improperly.

Make sure you have read the instruction manual included in the packaging, or if you have lose it, you can find them in the following links:

Winching Instruction by Warn Industries, click here.

Jacking Instruction by Hi-Lift Jack, click here.

Recommended Readings

For those who wanted to know much about 4-wheeling, I would recommend Difflock, the ultimate 4x4 web magazine as a reference reading. It is really an outstanding job. David Bowyer is one of the contributor/ editor.

4-Wheeling Basics: ALWAYS ON THE LOOKOUT

You should always lookout to where you are heading. It is strongly advised that you have a co-driver to assist you giving directions on the trail.

Exercise some hand signals with your partner so both would understand each other by just using hand signals. Shouting will not work well in off-road situation due to the engine noise, wind and other noises.

When traveling to new areas that you don't know, find the trail master to give you directions. Even an advanced off-roader would find locals that really knows the area when opening new trails.

So, shift into 4x4 once you start hitting the trail. Shifting to 4x4 when you are already stuck is not a wise thing to do, it will be far more difficult for you to get out of the obstacle. Engage into 4x4 Low Range is strongly advised since in this mode your vehicle is much easier to control and you get more traction whether on dirt, mud or rock.

It is so important that you don't put your thumbs inside the steering wheel, between the spokes. Your wheel might suddenly turned when hitting an obstacle and I can guarantee you will crack the thumbs if they are inside the steering wheel.

Stop n Check! Whenever you are facing an obstacle and you are not sure what is inside and after that, stop the vehicle, engage the parking brake, get out and see the obstacle. Try to figure out how to overcome the obstacle. If you think it is too difficult, might break the car or too dangerous, try to avoid it. Usually your gut will tell the right thing to do. Discuss the obstacle with the rest of the party so everyone knows the recovery plan when things go wrong.

When driving, always scan the course you are taking, sweep your view like a radar scan, from side to side. Don't just put attention on one wheel, say the front right wheel. Remember, when doing this, avoid placing your head outside the car's protective body, you might be hit be a tree trunk or rocks. Always fasten your seatbelts, rollover might happen anytime.

Enjoy the ride the right way and you will experience the real fun. Safe driving!

4-Wheeling Basics: BE PREPARED

I will start posting about 4-wheeling 101 lessons here. I pick the content from my own experience and other sources like Jeep.Com, About.Com, and other sites.

Lesson # 1: Always Make Good Preparation before hitting the trail.

Yes, it is the boyscout first thing to remember. Always be prepared. Make sure your vehicle preparation is well done, from checking the fluids level, fuel, tyre condition, battery, all the way to fastening all bolts and nuts. It is wise to bring spare spark plugs, spare v-belts and other fast moving parts that could turn the fun into a nightmare if trouble happens in the journey.

Aside from preparing the vehicles, of course you don't want to miss the fun in off-roading. So, don't forget to pack some foods and drinks, camera, sunblock, raincoat, tool kits, tents and things you normally bring when going for an outdoor adventure. Travel light, but don't sacrifice the must bring items.

Lesson # 2: Never Go Alone!

No, going 4-wheeling alone is not a smart decision at all. No matter how good are you, dealing with the outback situation would require traveling together with other vehicle. The best is going in a caravan of 3 vehicles. When your car stuck, there are 2 other cars ready for towing.

Assemble your team, do some equipment check with one another to make sure you know what your buddy's vehicle capable of, or the equipment that could be shared, so you can travel light the smart way. Also it is advised to know each other's physical condition for specific illness or allergy, so you won't be shocked when your buddy suddenly fainted maybe because of being bitten by an ant. This happened many times.

I will continue in separate postings.

Indonesian Made On-Demand Posi Locker

Some creative young Indonesians have designed and made a cable operated on-demand positive locking differential. Until recently, 4-wheelers in Indonesia still mostly purchase posi lockers from overseas, commonly from the US.

This Indonesian made posi locker provides 100% differential locking when operated. I haven't seen the stuff, but I think it is almost similar in principle with the US made Ox Lockers.

For further info on this stuff, please correspond by e-mail to Mr. Irevino, the fabricator.

Independence Day

We will be celebrating our 61st Independence Day on August 17 this year. Remembering those forgotten, those people that gave us this independence 61 years ago, hundred of years ago...

It's going to be a very long holiday this week, beginning August 17 until 21. So, we better plan what to do this weekend then!

I will be 4-wheeling around Gunung Bunder on Friday and Saturday, come back to Jakarta Saturday afternoon straight to Ancol. Yes, there is an Independence Day off-Road event in Ancol on Saturday and Sunday.

A bit far from Jakarta, you may join the Bandung Off-Roader Reunion event. They will be traveling for 3 days (off-road of course) from North Bandung to the Sumedang area. I smell a heavy adventure in that trip.. haha... better don't miss it folks! The recent I am not going to that event is just a matter of other plans in Jakarta.

Well, so many off-road events this month... just curious which one to join... Cheers and MERDEKA!!

Gunung Bunder Adventure

Interested in jungle 4-wheeling? Try Gunung Bunder! Call me for directions.

Where To Go This Weekend?

4-Wheeling:

For those looking for hardcore 4-wheeling, try joining the Seren Taon event at the Southern Banten Cultural Kingdom (Kasepuhan Adat Banten Kidul - Ciptagelar) on Mount Halimun. Check out the trip plan at the 4-Wheeler Group Page or Indonesia Off-Road Group Page.

Other place of destination nearby Jakarta would be Bukit Adventure Park Camp Bravo at Gunung Bunder, Bogor (call me for info). Forest preservation fee would be applied at Rp.150,000 per vehicle for the weekend (Sat-Sun).

Or, you could try the Bukit Sentul International Off-Road Park (BSIOP) at Sentul Selatan (take the Jagorawi Toll Road heading for Bogor, exit at Sentul Selatan ramp located about 500-meter after the Sentul Rest Area).

If you are visiting Bandung, West Java, you could try the Oray Tapa off-road playground. Please call IOF Komda Jabar (West Java Region) or visit www.iofkomdajabar.org for info.

Very near Jakarta, try Hills Adventure Zone in Pondok Cabe. It's a small park though, not much challenge but still okay. The park is catering mostly dirtbike players.

Flying:

The weather forecast for the weekend would be lots of sun. Expect excellent thermal for paragliding or hang-gliding. Head to Puncak area to find the flying spot there. There are tandem flight operators such as Get Airborne Asia. Call them for more info.

Anyone interested of Skydiving? Too bad, we have not found a jumping club nearby that service tandem jumps on weekend. Go to Singapore and you'll find it there. If you have info of any skydiving clubs nearby Jakarta, please drop me an email.

Water Sport:

I think tsunami threats has passed and so you could start playing at the beach again, or do island hopping at Kepulauan Seribu of Jakarta Bay. Go to the Jaya Ancol wonderland, head for the marina and get the information there. Don't forget to bring your sunblock, sunglasses and camera of course.

Thinking of diving? You could try the Panaitan island at Ujung Kulon, West Java, or the Kepulauan Seribu. Call your dive operators for more info.

White-water rafting would not be so exciting at the moment due to dry season. The rivers would be dry.

Ok folks, have a nice weekend to you all!

Southern Banten Cultural Kingdom

The picture was taken sometime last year at the Southern Banten Cultural Kingdom, Mount Halimun, West Java.

Seen in the picture, at the background seat is Mr. Abah Anom, the cultural king at throne. The cultural kingdom is a preserved ancient tradition of the Banten people. They are living in a closed vicinity which moved every 7 years (nomad people). The people are mostly farmer and they produce rice for their own consumption. They have their own traditional school, entertainment, totally isolating the culture from modernization. The king has two 4-wheel drive vehicles though... :)

They have a crop harvest tradition called the Seren Taon event. This year event will be conducted this weekend of August 4-6. Visit the Indonesia Off-Road or 4-Wheeler group page for info on joining the event.

Have a nice trip!

The Team In South Sumatera

The picture shows most of the team member. We were at the 2004 National Adventure Off-Road Championship in Pagar Alam, South Sumatera.

Member Pictures

Dany Darwis, Jono (our helper), Ipam Soesilo and Adi Soerja. On an excursion to the Southern Banten Cultural Kingdom, on Mount Halimun, West Java

Member Pictures

Botek (Agus Budi Kurniawan), wearing sunglasses, and Acoy (Andy). These crazy bears were using Botek's Willys in a racing event. What a crazy son of a gun!

Member Pictures

Agung, he is a mechanic at Ford Indonesia.

Member Pictures

Idris (Ahmad Idris) and Denny Moha. Being a runner-up in a racing event. Idris and Denny are both our crazy drivers... :)

Member Pictures

Haji Is (Moh. Ischak Thohir), wearing black shirt, and Yana (Marsudi Joko Triyono), wearing white shirt.

Pictures taken in a fun racing event.

West Papua - Manokwari Country Road

Here are some pictures of the country road in Manokwari, West Papua. A really challenging trail. Courtesy of IOF Komda Irjabar (West Papua Region Indonesian Off-Road Federation).

Off-Road In West Papua

We just received some very interesting pictures of 4-wheeling in the West Papua Region (Irian Jaya Barat).

Great pictures, great trail! If you are interested of going, try to call the following number:

IOF Komda Irjabar (West Papua Region Indonesian Off-Road Federation)
Mr. Wawan Kurniawan
CV Awani Kurnia Citra
Jl. Pasir Pasar - Wosi, Manokwari
Irian Jaya Barat
Tel/Fax. +62 986 213 911 or 0812 2489 0113

Pictures are courtesy of IOF Komda Irjabar

Where To Go This Weekend?

Off-Road

My choice would be Gunung Bunder, Bogor and Ruby's in Jonggol.

If you want hardcore 4-wheeling, you should go to Gunung Bunder in Bogor. There are 4 tracks there with distance from 2-km to 6-km. The trip would require winching (strongly advised to have good winch on your rig). Gunung Bunder (alt. 990 meters ASL) is a secondary forest. The place could be reached in about 2-hours drive from Jakarta, heading south to Bogor's Darmaga area. The place has complete tourist facility, from camping ground to cabins. Off-road entry fee for forest preservation is Rp.150,000 per vehicle. Maximum of 10 vehicles only allowed in one day. Don't forget to bring tree trunk protector, snatch blocks and your camera off-course.

For light off-roading, try Ruby's Trail in Jonggol. It is an off-road playground around a wooden villa. You should contact Ruby the owner before going. E-mail me and I'll pass your inquiry to Ruby.

If you just want to warm-up your vehicle, you could try Hills Adventure Zone in Pondok Cabe, Tangerang. Located inside the Villa Bukit Raya housing complex, the 23-hectare playground offers some sophisticated special stages for 4-wheel test drive. Entrance fee Rp.75,000 per vehicle.

Marine Sport, nice, but watch out for tsunamis :(

My choice would be the Thousand Island resorts in Jakarta Bay. You could go scuba diving, ocean kayaking or jetskiing there.

Other places would be in Bali, Menjangan Island or Tulamben wreck. If you like surfing, go to Uluwatu beach.

Flying

Try paragliding at Puncak area, west java. You could do tandem flights with certified tandem masters there. Or, if you are a paraglider, try your aerobatic skills. Excellent thermal at the moment.

Hunting

Try the Gunung Sadon Hunting Resort near Sentul. Take the Jagorawi Highway and head for Bukit Sentul (use the Sentul Selatan exit, Rp.4,000). After exit, follow main road towards the Bukit Sentul housing complex and ask for further direction at the security station.

I'll be home this weekend, too much off-roading already in the past few weeks.
HAVE A NICE WEEKEND FOLKS!!

It's Earthquake Season!!!

Earthquake hits my country almost everyday now, really an amazing phenomena!

Scientifically the quakes are explained with all the theories and facts. But when we think further, deeper into our heart, we will be faced to the truth that God is doing something on us at the moment... Does He angry? Or merely controlling world population? Or what?

Let's pray for the world...

Team Picture

The team, almost everyone were there... We were at Mount Halimun for a cultural excursion.

Calendar of Events

July 28-30:
Djarum Super Real Adventure Off-Road (DSRAO) off-road competition, first round, in Kudus, Central Java

August 12-13:
BNR Night Off-Road Challenge, fun off-road competition at Bogor Nirwana Resort, Bogor, West Java

August 4-6:
Crop harvest festival (Seren Taun) at the Ciptagelar village, Mount Halimun. Normally heavy off-road involved

August 19-20:
Fun off-road competition at the Carnival Beach, Ancol

August 18-20:
Djarum Super Real Adventure Off-Road (DSRAO) off-road competition, round two, in Bandung, West Java

August 20:
Ford Fun Rally in Bali, for Ford owners.

Indonesia International Motor Show

I went to the Indonesia Motor Show last night with great expectations. Unfortunately, it was not like expected, not many sophisticated cars being displayed, the products were not too many. I think it is one of the worst motor show I ever visited.

The only interesting exhibition was the hybrid truck displayed by Mitsubishi, called the Canter. It is really a fantastic medium-size cargo truck which used hybrid power plant, electric and diesel. The truck designer are really thinking of comfort this time since the truck run on automatic transmission, electronic control dashboard, airconditioning, ergonomic seats, etc. I really like that Canter truck. Mitsubishi also displayed a concept truck called the Concept. It looks like a space craft. Fantastic!

Well, the rest of the show was quite dissapointing from my point of view. If you want to see the show, it will be open until this month end.

IOF Peduli & Global Rescue Network Into Action On Pangandaran Tsunami

IOF and Global Rescue Network team at site.

IOF base station in Pangandaran

IOF/GRN flying station in Pangandaran.

Pictures are taken by Nuri.

Pangandaran, After 17 July Tsunami

Pictures are taken by Nuri

Report From Pangandaran

Nuri, our team member has arrived and conducted her duties as IOF volunteer delegate in providing aid to the Pangandaran tsunami victims.

Together with the IOF Jawa Barat (West Java Region Indonesian Off-Road Federation), the team has swept a distance of around 80 kilometers along the Pangandaran beach. Along the way, they found 20 refugee camps. The swept areas are Cipatujah, Ciparanti, Legok Jawa, Madasari, Batu Karas, Batu Hiu, Pangandaran Western Beach and Pangandaran Eastern Beach.

Recovery of bodies are conducted from 09:00 until 6:00 every day. Victims with heavy injury were sent to Banjar Hospital, Ciamis Hospital and Tasikmalaya Hospital. Low injury victims were treated at local health stations in Pangandaran, Ciparigi, Cimerak and Cijulang. The local authorities had also prepare a mass burial at Bulak Laut to bury unrecognized victims.

IOF team in this mission work together with the Rotary Club, Global Rescue Network, Radio Republik Indonesia, Bank Rakyat Indonesia and local authorities.

As reported by Nuri

Jakarta Earthquake Reads 6.2 Richter Scale

This evening earthquake read at 6.2 on Richter Scale according to detik.com

The epicentrum is located at the Sunda Strait with depth of 54km. The quake could be felt strongly in Lampung, Jakarta and Bandung. Indonesian Meteorological & Geophysics Agency (BMG) warn people around coastal area of tsunami alert.

The earthquake is not related to the 17th July's, it's a fresh new one they said.

Java Quake & Tsunami Info

For updated info on the recent earthquake and tsunami that hit Java southern coastal area, visit http://poskojabar.blogspot.com.

Damage assessment map sourced from http://poskojabar.blogspot.com

Big Tremor In Jakarta

At 17:57:20 local time (GMT+7), Jakarta is shaken by a quite heavy tremor (earthquake). This is a continuation of the series of earthquakes recently hits the island of Java.

For information of recent earthquakes, visit www.bmg.go.id

Off-Road Experience For First Timers!

Experience off-road fun and thrills with us! Come and visit Belanova Country Mall on Sunday 23rd July 2006 and gain your first time off-road experience.

Only Rp.10,000 per passenger including refreshment. All vehicles are driven by experienced off-roader and well fitted safety equipments. Off-road trip to Bukit Sentul International Off-Road Park, off Sentul Selatan toll exit.

Supported by Belanova Country Mall, Bukit Sentul International Off-Road Park and Bukit Adventure Team.

Where To Go This Weekend?

21 Jul - 30 Jul: Indonesia International Motor Show 2006 at Jakarta Convention Center
23 Jul: Belanova Country Mall, Bukit Sentul, shop and play at Bukit Sentul International Off-Road Park

Our Team To Assess Quake Victims Condition

Today one of our team member, Nuri, is going to the Pangandaran disaster area to assess the situation together with IOF team. The group will map locations where off-road rescue would be required.

In this journey, some donations from volunteers will be handed to local authorities and or NGOs to aid the victims.

Good luck to you all!

Police Chopper Down At Pondok Cabe

Today at around 14.00 an Indonesian Police helicopter down at Pondok Cabe air strip, Tangerang, Indonesia. Eyewitnesses said that 3 crews were burned in the incident and sent to hospital.

Pondok Cabe airstrip which is operated by Pertamina Aviation has a complete aircraft accident emergency facility.

Reported by Nuri over SMS

Bukit Off-Road Rescue Team On Standby

Our off-road rescue team are on standby status to be deployed to aid earthquake and tsunami victims in West Java disaster.

We have prepared 2 off-road vehicles and rescue volunteers with complete equipment and logistics to provide emergency assistance to the victims.

West Java area are not too difficult to access and there are plenty of resources for disaster management. Therefore our team are in standby mode just in case our resources are required. The government and other NGOs from around the disaster area has been scrambling since the first alarm to aid the victims.

If you want to donate, please send to the following account:
Bank : BCA Cabang Bona Indah, Jakarta - Indonesia
Account # : 608-016853-3
Account Name : Rendra Hertiadhi

We will forward your donation for rescue team operations fund and for victims aid.

Earthquake Hits Java Southern Coast

On Monday July 17, 2006, several earthquakes hits the southern coast of Java causing tsunami tidal waves.

The first earthquake with 6.8 Richter Scale intensity hits at 15.15 Western Indonesia Time (08.15 GMT) and causing a 7-meter tidal wave that hits the areas of Pangandaran (West Java), Cilacap, Bantul, Gunung Kidul and several other areas in Central Java.

Casualties are being observed. Death toll expected to be more than 100 lives.

IOF Peduli Aid For Yogya - Closed

Last Sunday (16 Jul), the IOF Peduli Aid for Yogya Quakes task force has been disassembled. Thank you for all your support during our last mission.

The volunteers are now on standby for other call of humanity duty.

Bukit Adventure Team has been actively involved in the Indonesian Off-Road Federation humanity mission on natural disaster recovery since the Aceh 26th Dec 2004 tsunami disaster, until now, and in the future. It is our committment to the community.

Off-Road GO!!!

First Post

Previously our posts were accessible at www.bukit4x4.org. However, now we switch to blogger.com for simplicity.

Bukit Adventure Team is an independent organization of outdoor activities enthusiasts. We love adventure, on-road, off-road, tropical forests, river rapids, the sky, depth of the ocean, just anywhere, beyond roads and concrete forests.

We admire God creations, and for that we travel. We want to preserve the nature, for that we travel. We are not going to conquer the nature, but to love it and be part of it without distance.

So, enjoy our adventure...