How wrong could I be after all it was Friday 13/5/2011.
Friday (Black Friday 13/5/2011 - oops)
We decided to on the way home drop in and collect RED from the workshop and park it at home. At the workshop we meet Paul (DAFFY 1KZ Powered Hilux Surf) and he is fitting the new 120AMP alternator before scooting over to our place to join the trip.
Packed and ready to rock we wait for Paul and Tappa to turn up.
Paul rings I'm going to be late the brand new alternator is not working they have to get another.
Ok so off to the ice cream shop to wait.
5pm rolls around and we are now 2 hours late in leaving soon its a lot later and Paul turns up and we depart Kuala Lumpur 6pm right in the middle of rush hour. In our trucks we don't care we just bully our way through and reach the Chenor turnoff by 8.30pm and then its a refuel at a little known place called Jengka and only 30k to the trailhead from here. A quick meal and a hot drink and its time for the road.
So its DEATHSTAR (me), DAFFY (Paul and Tapa) and Green (Steve and Sharon from Oztralia)
Roll into the trailhead 10pm air down and lock the hubs and give the Aussies a demo of how GREENs 4x4 system works.
The first 20k is logging truck road - uneventful until I run into a herd of Elephants and the screams of Elephants off both sides of the track can be heard - and monkeys alerted by the screaking from the Elephants. Engines off we sit quietly for 10 minutes then move off quietly.
After 20k we come to the massive cleared area from a previous logging camp and then the track narrows to what we expected.
Suddenly the road in front dissappears and the first obstacle a washed out bridge and a drivearound is available - feet wet crossing time.
Destination is River crossing 1 for tonite's camp and finally we reach it damn camp is being used by University Malaya so we cross the river and camp on the other side. Erect the jungle hilton and it time for a coldie a quick meal and then a well earned rest.
Deathstar is the chuck wagon also.
The slightly yummy licious meal.
Saturday
Saturday morning the mist is alive with a chorus of birds.
Breakfast after doing the dishes - yum ommelettes and sausages and milo or tea.
The dawn mist in the Malaysian jungle.
Then 10.30am on the road, the track is easy then the first obstacle a mudhole and DEATHSTAR gets stuck twice (then GREENS winch fails rescuing DEATHSTAR) before I decide enough is enough and use brute force to clear the mud out.
Then we climb the uphill bridge which is now gone and its down past the left/right fork the left fork leads to Gunung Ais and Sungai TEkai and the right more adventure - we head right and soon is the second river crossing which we find out later is called Sungai Song.
Then the WAR ZONE 100 meter descent on the crest of drop offs big ruts and and the bottom is a 1/2 log bridge its aptly named. DEATHSTAR promptly breaks the bridge and is inches from disaster and I drive out.
Green cruising the easy jungle tracks.
Daffy playing tail end charlie.
The black rock pass.
Disaster as GREEN almost topples into the gully.
Rescued by DAFFY.
Bridge being repaired.
Lunch point at Sungai Song.
We repair it and GREEN with the Ozzies is in a lot of trouble the main log collapses and GREEN is left precarious for 20 minutes while we fix it then winch GREEN backwards. We repair the bridge again and retry - yup it breaks again and GREEN is across. Then we repair it and DAFFY crosses - same result CRACK. Damn rebuild when we return.
slippery uphill then its Sungai Song and we decide time for lunch in the shade back on the other side. However DAffy decides to try the lockers out and climb the bank he ends up with a bent up rear and whacked updoor before giving up.
Lunch is filled with the sounds of birds and Johnny Cash. Post the pasta meal its time to dive back into the river and head into the wilds aagin, Soon we encounter a blockage in the track manmade
I walk past it so does Steve however Paul walk over it and is rewarded with a steel wire round his foot and is pulled of his feet DAMN a TIGER TRAP. The 5mm steel wire is freed and the wire and trap put into GREEN for handing over. TrAck cleared we carry on
A long uphill climb slippery and rutty is followed by the stinky Elephant crap log bridge crossing it really stinks. Then its the first of the 4 gullies easy one to warm up second a little harder and the 3rd then the toughy the 4th a tree root across the track on the other side is the only winching point even with lockers front and rear its a tough climb.
The tiger/Tapiar trap after Paul got snared
Daffy with the broken steering in V-gully 4.
Convoy at the start of V-Gully 3
DAFFY goes first so I can winch off him and then pull GREEN up. We don't get there DAFFY Snaps the steering arm on the SURF winching up. Recovery takes and hour and a lot of hard work by DEATHSTARS 8274 eventually DAFFY is secure - help is needed we do not have a spare steering arm it was a brand new piece fitted

Satellite phones out DAMN Paul has no credit and mine has gone FLAT. We decide to empty DAFFY and head back to Sungai Song at least one hour away and then drive out in the morning for parts to be driven up from Kuala Lumpur we know where the spre part is and one sitting on a Hilux Surf in the workshop.
The return journey takes us into the night and 90 minutes later we find outselves at Sungai Song setting up camp and a late dinner of curied chicken, vegs and rice.
DEATHSTAR climbing V-Gully number 3 on the retreat.