2009 Rainforest Challenge - Malaysia

[XTREME MMM]

Please be advised that the new date is: 5th - 14th December 2009.

I will be competing with Alex Driscoll (Desert Rose Photography),

I expect to load vehicle early November (xBrisbane) to arrive in time.

Any interested parties who dream of attending the RFC please contact:-

David Metcalfe
info@xtreme4x4sport.com.au or call 0418 745 830

Cheers
David (MMM) Metcalfe
RFC Representative

[cicak]

wahooo dude your coming back.

Your RFC 4x4 TAXI from last year is stll in the hospital due out this FRIDAY.

[XTREME MMM]

wahooo dude your coming back.

Your RFC 4x4 TAXI from last year is stll in the hospital due out this FRIDAY.

Hi Gecko, Yes my 10th year. 4 years as Competitor with my own vehicle and 6 years playing official in someone else,s except for 2000 when I had my own vehicle.

Make sure it is out of hospital so it can act as my support vehicle.


We are looking forward to it.

Cheers
MMM

[cicak]

MMM

Your taxi is out of hospital and its bad and straight out evil and running 21PSI (1.5bar) of boost into the turbo haha and runs very well so well it only needs 2WD HI. A little prod n the gas peddle and the the turbo sings and the wheels spin and grip ooops tread lightly and the vehicles behind just dissappear in the mirror ..

So well I don't think your YELLOW NISSAN toy can catch it haha.

Looking forward to the comng invasion - as you can see I have been getting real winching practice.

I think you need to bring a few slabs of VB in the 3 fridges you will be bringing over oh yeah we will keep 6 xxxx cans cold for you and the coke if you can catch us each nite at camp . I wll be with the MEDIA this year in RED and YELLOW bringing those foreign journos around in style to see all the action no matter how tough it gets to be.


Setting up for the winching




Winch cable set hahaha and for extra pratice I had 320kg of rice in the rear just to keep the front in the air



Here is pic of the view on the way up to the point I got stuck at 700 meters we are above the clouds.




Watch out the ozzies are coming Watch out the ozzies are coming to Malaysia

signed K1W1.

[XTREME MMM]

Make sure that you leave some space for some extra gear that I hope you can carry for me etc:- fuel & some extra spares (Malaysia is not the place to get a Nissan part in a hurray) In 2007 I did not require to use anything, apart from swapping winch from front to back. When I got it home after the 2007 RFC all that was required was an oil & grease. But we will not talk about having to repair every body panel, repaint and winch brake shaft.

Mate am really looking forward to it. This will be my 10th RFC.

We have also sorted out our miss above idle and am running a full "Gigglepin Winch" fitted with 40% gears. Still no where as fast as the PTO's. Hope to be able to complete the full trip this time and not have to leave vehicle in Jungle.

By those photo's it is very dry over there now, not like what we get in November, "Monsoon Season". It would be great to do an event in Malaysia during the dry part of the year, it would be great to see dust as you drive over there. And think how much the SS would stand up and not go to sh-t after the first couple of 4wds.

Bring on the "DRY RAINFOREST CHALLENGE", people would love it and to see the jungle then, would be great.

Take care and say hi to all.

Cheers
MMM

[cicak]

Make sure that you leave some space for some extra gear that I hope you can carry for me etc:- fuel & some extra spares (Malaysia is not the place to get a Nissan part in a hurray) In 2007 I did not require to use anything, apart from swapping winch from front to back. When I got it home after the 2007 RFC all that was required was an oil & grease. But we will not talk about having to repair every body panel, repaint and winch brake shaft.


Cheers
MMM

I wish the RFC was in this period then no problems crossing anything and more to see and do rather than just get wet. Also more marketable. Pahang challenge next year is international and 8 days and is in APril its dry then .

Is that all we had the roof to straighten out in RED and change the oils.

I broke the winch cable which has been on RED since 2007 RFC last weekend finally

What Nissans GU/GQ/ etc? Mate they are as rare as rocking horse shit. Only see the IFS pickups and they don't count (no IFS counts when the going gets tough haha) for me here

[XTREME MMM]

Just save me space in your 2 trucks. Possible 4 jerries of fuel, and a space case (900x400x400mm) with spares which is stuff I know I cannot get there.

Cheers
MMM

[cicak]

Just save me space in your 2 trucks. Possible 4 jerries of fuel, and a space case (900x400x400mm) with spares which is stuff I know I cannot get there.

Cheers
MMM

Crikey where are the fridges going to go? Remember fridges fridges fridges and cold tinnies and vodka jelly babies.

OK OK OK will make room in YELLOW for you. Yellow will be a two seater only this year with full roll cage and harnesses and the rest as per we indicated hehehehe it will ROCK.

YELLOW will have the 8274 moved aside to allow for PTO also and hopefully running a GIGGLEPIN shaft and drum and will also hopfully have a PTO running front and rear for the RFC this year. wow so many jerry cans I will only have 1 and a small one for the baby chainsaw - we not going across the outback you know.

[XTREME MMM]

Jungle + Rain + Mud + Water + 4.8lt Petrol at high revs = lots of petrol needed.


So make room!!!


Cheers
MMM

[cicak]

Jungle + Rain + Mud + Water + 4.8lt Petrol at high revs = lots of petrol needed.


So make room!!!


Cheers
MMM

FMD I need a frigging donkey or a mule or a camel or a wagon train just for your fuel where does your fluffy teddy bear fit in all this? ahaha

Ok Ok I make some room

by the way 13B-T in Landcruiser for 170K in the jungle =35 litres over 3 days includes winching me and other dudes and pulling bull bars off JEEPS and a can of Guiness Special stage which I had 3 runs at and steep hills all in HIGH range = bugger all fuel.

HInt Hint clint get a OIL BURNER hahaha

[XTREME MMM]

FMD I need a frigging donkey or a mule or a camel or a wagon train just for your fuel where does your fluffy teddy bear fit in all this? ahaha

Ok Ok I make some room

by the way 13B-T in Landcruiser for 170K in the jungle =35 litres over 3 days includes winching me and other dudes and pulling bull bars off JEEPS and a can of Guiness Special stage which I had 3 runs at and steep hills all in HIGH range = bugger all fuel.

HInt Hint clint get a OIL BURNER hahaha[/quote]




By the way TB48 in my Patrol for 170 k in the jungle = 50++ lts. So there you go, Toyota get beaten by Nissan yet again.

Cheers
David

[cicak]

Wanna sample the RFC

2008 RFC the first nite in the jungle we camped below the 1st obstacle which many teams were taking 1 hour plus to climb. Our marshal group including that troublesome Ozzie MMM and Hobsie and Peter Taylor we stopped from going up and ordered to go set up SS's somewhere else. Since then I have wanted to go back. Last weekend I did with a bunch of Toyota's we went back for a 3 day trip. If you want to see some Malaysian jungle and what the Biggest Tree in West Malaysia looks like here it is.

WHen I got back to town there was an message waiting for me on facebook -

"U will break your cars driving up the chengai tree. The track is bad. Nobody been across for a long time not even RFC boys as marker could be seen hanging in the middle of the track above your head"

Haha read my blog to see if we made it.

http://geckoadventure.blogspot.com/

MMM hope you enjoy the story.

FOr those who read the story RED (Or MMMs taxi from RFC 2008) is not a stock Toyota its running a modified 13B-T (modified 14B-T fuel pump) with 1.5BAR of boost (21PSI) and a modified TURBO and a few other goodies (including 14B-T timing gear etc) - it does go very very hard on road or jungle tracks.

SOrry boyz not many NISSAN PATROLS here maybe 10 in the hole of west malaysia - Navaras they just wouldn't make it to the tree and neither would any other IFS vehicle.

[SHAYNE]

Thanks for that, Awesome trip report and photos, id love to get there one day!

[gqpete]

Thanks for that, Awesome trip report and photos, id love to get there one day!

x2, its on the gotta do list. just gotta make it happen

[cicak]

Don't worry I will be tempting you guyz with more trip reports on my blog soon.

I am also assembling a couple of trucks for hire over the coming 12 months.

[gqpete]

Don't worry I will be tempting you guyz with more trip reports on my blog soon.

I am also assembling a couple of trucks for hire over the coming 12 months.

hmmm, for hire

[krimnl]

Don't worry I will be tempting you guyz with more trip reports on my blog soon.

I am also assembling a couple of trucks for hire over the coming 12 months.

hmmm, for hire

Pete, Just pay the money and ship your car over!!! We went back in 2000 and was well worth the money spent. Wish i had the time to head back over.

[MUD EMPIRE]

Pete, Just pay the money and ship your car over!!! We went back in 2000 and was well worth the money spent. Wish i had the time to head back over.

That's all well and good for Pete but he won't be taking the comp-comp car. He will have to put up with the green one

[cicak]

Pete, Just pay the money and ship your car over!!! We went back in 2000 and was well worth the money spent. Wish i had the time to head back over.

That's all well and good for Pete but he won't be taking the comp-comp car. He will have to put up with the green one

Don't worry trucks will be quality. LC II LWB same as my RED beast WIth either 1KZ 3.0 DIesel or 13B-T and lockers and either modified 8274 winches or PTO and XD9000 or 9500 with ALbright solenoids and serious batteries and 35" XT sneakers. RED will also be available for hire and I will use the YELLOW TROOpy.

West MAlaysia's Biggest and possibly oldest tree 1300 years old and 11 meters around from bottom to the first branch about 40 meters up - truley impressive. From the route from last years RFC which they failed to get to.

[cicak]

MOre stuff to tempt people haha this is a part that the RFC 2008 never got to.

This is from the 11.2k mark where the camp site was to the 1300 year old Chengal Tree and back to the camp a distance of 5.5k each way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpP9GqUcVQA

Other clips from the trip and also available by searching in YOUTUBE for adventuregecko.

My poersonal belief is this trip is much nicer to do in the dry season for scenic and achievement and relaxing purposes. In the wet season its just a slog the whole 11k to the camp and impossible to cross the river by foot or vehilce due to the water being at least 1meter higher and probably fatal trying to cross it.

MMM the space in your container is it booked? Can we drop a 16ft TINNIE on a trailer into the container? Send me a PM and we can discuss.

I heard the K1W1's are coming back to RFC 2009 haha the trans tasman trophy can be held what an idea maybe I will donate a cup - let me think more

[XTREME MMM]

MOre stuff to tempt people haha this is a part that the RFC 2008 never got to.

This is from the 11.2k mark where the camp site was to the 1300 year old Chengal Tree and back to the camp a distance of 5.5k each way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpP9GqUcVQA

Other clips from the trip and also available by searching in YOUTUBE for adventuregecko.

My poersonal belief is this trip is much nicer to do in the dry season for scenic and achievement and relaxing purposes. In the wet season its just a slog the whole 11k to the camp and impossible to cross the river by foot or vehilce due to the water being at least 1meter higher and probably fatal trying to cross it.

MMM the space in your container is it booked? Can we drop a 16ft TINNIE on a trailer into the container? Send me a PM and we can discuss.

I heard the K1W1's are coming back to RFC 2009 haha the trans tasman trophy can be held what an idea maybe I will donate a cup - let me think more

Hi, mate at the moment I am up the Cape back on deck Monday 14? July.

Container space is still available. But will talk when I get home.

Cheers and look forward to 2009 RFC. If you have anymore details about RFC send to info@xtreme4x4sport.com.au

MMM

[cicak]

Dude the day you turn up you will be in the jungle 2-3 hours later we are taking you out and whoever arrives in the plane with you for a welcome to malaysia here is a fun track to play on for a tough little day trip.

[cicak]

Hey MMM dude onlly 3+ weeks till your jeloppy is shipped hahaha and not one pic of it posted comon get off your arse.

MEantime here is a quick update

YELLOW is off the road - legal dispute I hope to have it reregistered this week. Roll cage to be put in soon after and the lockers at long last no more RFC with open diffs hahaha.

RED is READY to run the rebuilt engine is just a terror with 21psi of BOOST and maybe a front locker to be fitted.

This is a shot of RED just before the winch cable snapped in Tera Tak Track early august. The 36" sneakered volvo axle boyz have wrecked this hole meaning winching is compulsory.



BLUE - Peters taxi is about to get its engine transplant not saying what to but it will be adequate - PTO also ordered for same time.

Meantime I have been out in the wilds and not doing much 4x4 stuff

Instead been fishing:


and from my Kayak this little report

Hari Riya weekend went over with a "freebee" agent to take them SAILFISH fishing and Bottom fishing for a day each. So Monday I was free and had already packed my Kayak on the on my trusty stock LC II . Red is still waiting for new rear DISCS after the last mud trip :(

On the trip over to the "other side" of Malaysia I could barely get 102K out of the old girl (Peters Taxi) I guess with 351,000K on the odometer her old stock 3L is starting to get tired.

After Monday breakfast with the freebee's I then dropped them in the tusty hands of an employee to take them back to KL while I went Kayak fishing by myself for my favourite fish the TOMAN or SNAKEHEAD. I had not been to this dam for 3+ years so I had fun finding it as all the directions given to me by 'know alls" turned out to be totally incorrect. Eventually following my nose and my memory bank I found the DAM however suffering from a dose of food poisoning this was going to be fun.

Here is the pics of the DAM as you get there - a great site a underwater LOGGING accomodation barge.



This dam is only 22meters or less above sea level so its low and shallow. The best way to tackle the Toman is Kayak or a long tail Thai styled boat else you are pulling weeds from your prop every 20 seconds.

Once on the water its full of stumps both above and below the water unnerving yup but thats adventure fishing.

THis is the scenery from the water - erie and wonderful,












Seeking out rises (Toman are air breathers like us) I paddled along and eventually found one but the mum ignored my lures except for one missed strike and I ended up hooking this baby damn they are cute until they grow up.




then I came upon another rise and once again struck nothing but also no sign of mum but I was seeing rises from single adults.

The bubbly water is the baby TOmans rising



Not long after taking this shot I realised the weather was closing in and I had to find shelter I remembered a fishing hut from the 3+ years ago and started heading for it



I had barely arrived and got the Kayak out of the water and got out the snacks when it started raining




Then it really started to rain. So I snacked out on biscuits and peaanuts and still feeling like crap.

By 2:46 still some 45 minutes after it started raining it was still thunder and lightening so I sms'd my GPS co-ordinates a few friends on the other side of Malaysia just in case I had any problems since I was by myself.






3.14 PM and the weather cleared or did it - I noticed the wind had gone 180 degrees and there was still thunder and lightening in the hills and sure enough I waited and the storm came back :(



I waited and fell asleep on the floor of the floating hut and woke up it was all quiet and 3 hours had passed but it was now clear.





I paddle across the other side and into the place I know Tomans abound amongst all the vegitation islands



Then I missed a rise no parents haha but then first cast into another rise I got lucky and was rewarded with a REEL suddenly spooling out and having to put my hand on the spool and just fight the damn Toman through the weeds


My reward was a 2KG toman on the end of a popping lure made my day.




Ok feet out the way.




I also hooked a Seberaru and another baby toman but nothing else.

being about almost sunset and I had 2k to paddle back to the trusty LJ77 I elected to paddle slowly and fish all the way back admiring the wonderful sunset. Then I had the 4+ hour drive back to KL to recover from the food poisoning.



With memories of giant kingfishers catching fries all around me , barking deer in the jungle and monkeys and eagles screeching I will be coming back to this little jem.

My new longer kayak I hope arrives in the next week (I splashed out and bought 3 as a new part of the business kayak fishing) . First big test will be hooking a sail on it.

If you have never beeen kayak fishing by yourself then try it its quiet - challenging and I enjoy it just me and my skills against the TOMAN no guide nothing your skills only.

NExt report when I go back again for a day in Late October just before your jelopy is put int he container.

Regards
gecko.
[/img]

[Pajero 4D56]

LooKs like you're having so much fun in that Rain Forest Challenge....Feels like wanna to take my Pajero to there

But she is in a quite stock condition ,needs sometime to mod her 1st before can really takes the Challenge:roll: .....maybe will be at there at RFC 2010

[cicak]

Dam

just realised MMM Mean Mr MEtcalfe arrives in 8 days. That mens the RFC is only 15 days away.

TIme to panic sand start preparing my 3 marshal trucks and the food etc oh yeah and this year we have 3 fridges coming in the container from OZ finally. 2 for beer and one for ICE and Meat for the BBQ.

ANy way the OZZIES are coming.

THe KIWIS and coming

the Philipinos are coming

the RUssians are coming

The poles are coming


OMG we are being invaded.

I gotta go and put a lock on my two fridges at home in case MMM drinks all my XXXX beer.

See ya soon MMM.

[XTREME MMM]

Dam

just realised MMM Mean Mr MEtcalfe arrives in 8 days. That mens the RFC is only 15 days away.

TIme to panic sand start preparing my 3 marshal trucks and the food etc oh yeah and this year we have 3 fridges coming in the container from OZ finally. 2 for beer and one for ICE and Meat for the BBQ.

ANy way the OZZIES are coming.

THe KIWIS and coming

the Philipinos are coming

the RUssians are coming

The poles are coming


OMG we are being invaded.

I gotta go and put a lock on my two fridges at home in case MMM drinks all my XXXX beer.

See ya soon MMM.

What do you mean Gecko - "DRINK ALL YOUR BEER".

I am the one that gets it. We have 10 cartons coming wrapped in paper (cheap) from local team and I might have packed a carton or two in the container.

Those fridges better work.

Don't forget I have got Larut Hill the first weekend if we get vehicle out on Thursday. Philip (ORE) has supplied lower suspension, we can fit at his workshop, plus has smaller tyres if we are lucky to make the top 20. Jason is getting (I hope) rims for me if we make the finals.

See you in 8 days.

Cheers
MMM