LEG-2 Bangkinang - Berastagi
Welcome to the 2nd Leg! The earlier long tarmac road of 600 km was the first of series of challenge and it was what all off-roaders hate the most. Boredom. Everyone understands very well that after off-roading the cars would most likely have problems. Especially when on tarmac. It was way from tarmac 40 years ago. It would be still dirt roads not even hardened and that was the only road connecting one city to another. Can you imagine going on those dirt roads 40 years ago during rainy season? It would be a 600 km of muddy tracks.
Morning in Puncak 2000, Siosar. Moments before entering the off-road section in Siosar forest.
Not many participants experienced problems on tarmac, but there were some. They were given two days to reach Siosar, their next destination in North Sumatra. In the middle of the journey they will spend a night in Sipirok, because the 600 km is not a freeway/toll road. The route is a combination of bigger tarmac road and small roads between villages.
Small roads in between villages. With many holes all over the road, the convoy can only travel 30-50 km/h.
Group photo in Sipirok Hotel before leaving for Siosar.
For safety reason the group were driving slowly, because there were many cliffs on either side. Sometimes they also stops because you are not sure whether there is a turn or what is it ahead of you. It was in the highland, the weather is cold. Camping that night was accompanied by a bonfire near each group’s tent to keep it warm.
That night they arrived at Puncak 2000, Siosar around 21.00. Fajar from the Attorney General’s Office and friends from Fionk had been waiting there. They had suggested that the group spend the night there, because the entrance of the route was not far from there. The road going up to Puncak 2000 at night was extraordinary but rather in a negative way. It was so dark that night we could barely see anything at all. Because besides having no road lamps at all, the fog is amazingly thick. Visibility maybe only about 2 meters.
That night they arrived at Puncak 2000, Siosar around 21.00. Fajar from the Attorney General’s Office and friends from Fionk had been waiting there. They had suggested that the group spend the night there, because the entrance of the route was not far from there. The road going up to Puncak 2000 at night was extraordinary but rather in a negative way. It was so dark that night we could barely see anything at all. Because besides having no road lamps at all, the fog is amazingly thick. Visibility maybe only about 2 meters.
For safety reason the group were driving slowly, because there were many cliffs on either side. Sometimes they also stops because you are not sure whether there is a turn or what is it ahead of you. It was in the highland, the weather is cold. Camping that night was accompanied by a bonfire near each group’s tent to keep it warm.
“Good morning guys, how was your rest last night?” Fionk asked during the morning briefing at Puncak 2000. “Cold!”, the participants replied. Last night was cold indeed. That morning they will start entering the Siosar forest. This is the last off-road section of the series. Honestly, the Siosar forest was not included in the Camel Trophy route. Then why come here?
Thick fog in the morning. Most of the participants still tucked inside their sleeping bags.
There were 4 doctors joining the event. From left to right : dr. Ahmad, dr. Erry, dr. Galuh dan dr. Iqbal.
Remember Sinaga? The teacher at Tigalingga who helped with the survey activity? This Tigalingga track should be the pinnacle of the off-road section in this second leg. After the survey was completed there was heavy rain and caused severe landslides on the motorbike route that residents used as shortcut. Likewise for the teacher, from his house to school. After the landslide, the local government stepped in and saw that there was a better track to repair. That better track was the route that Fionk and his friends from Aceh last surveyed. They used bulldozers and excavators to repair the track. Since then the roads can be traversed easily by residents, it’s just that it was still a dirt road.
Fajar brought 2 big baskets of local orange. That didn’t last long.
The young doctors that can cover most jobs during the trip. Taking care of the participants, cooking, help fixing broken vehicle, etc. Keep up the spirit!
Several weeks before the event started, Sinaga informed Fionk of this happy incident. In the end, his dream of getting a proper shortcut to his school has come true. Of course this is exciting news as well as confusing. It’s exciting because the residents finally got the new road that make transportation easier for them, especially for activities that support their economy. It was confusing because it was impossible for the Sumatra Tribute group to pass through once more. Let’s be logical and realize that if several tens of cars pass, the road will definitely be destroyed like before. How dare we? Certainly we won’t. We want to enjoy our trip, but not on others’ suffering.
Finally, the official Sumatra Tribute team tried to find another solution and changed the route a bit so they could still get a cool off-road section where the forest was still in natural condition. It’s not as hardcore as the Tigalingga route, you could say. The characters of the trail were different. The Tigalingga route required lots of winching because of the ruts and large rocks, while the Siosar forest required lots of winching because the soil is very loose and muddy.
At the beginning of the Siosar forest, there was a river which was quite time-consuming. The track was very slippery and there were many large stones scattered everywhere in the river. Going down into the river, the participant’s car must be winched from behind.Whilst going up, the winching point was quite far and nothing straight. The car will definitely lean to the right when it starts winching up from the river, because the winching point was far to the right.
Finally, the official Sumatra Tribute team tried to find another solution and changed the route a bit so they could still get a cool off-road section where the forest was still in natural condition. It’s not as hardcore as the Tigalingga route, you could say. The characters of the trail were different. The Tigalingga route required lots of winching because of the ruts and large rocks, while the Siosar forest required lots of winching because the soil is very loose and muddy.
Event Director, Greefion Kamil, giving instructions to speed up the river crossing process.
All participants passing through this obstacle safely, except for Iwan Sakri’s car. It seems that the car already had problems before. Since this track got heavier and heavier, the damage worsen everytime. The car had problems around the gearbox and transfer case, elements that are very important in off-roading. “This is still the beginning of the trail, it’s better to turn around and return to the initial campsite than to be totally broken further down, it’s gonna be harder to get out later,” said Bule while trying to convince Iwan Sakri. Indeed, entering a hardcore off-road section like this, is not about prestige or being cool. One must be wise and self-aware whether the car and the person are fit to enter or not. If you’re not sure, you better not.
Iwan Sakri agreed to the advice. They first winched the 109” long and heavy Land Rover up from the river, turned it around, then off to the river and up again, ready to return to the campsite. This process was not instant either because Iwan Sakri’s car was in an half working condition, so help / assistance from the cars in front of him was very important. To help pull, hold and others. It was really a solid teamwork.
Iwan Sakri decided to turn back to campsite. It’s better to have fun in the campsite than fixing a broken car in the mud.
Rahadian helped winching out Iwan Sakri’s car down to the river.
Iwan Sakri returned to the camping ground escorted by 2 cars, Bule’s car and Haji Minto’s car. We heard the news on the radio communication, that they had arrived safely just before dark. However, Haji Minto said that he and the crew intended to re-enter and join the group. Fionk tried to convinced him that there was no need for rejoining. It’s not easy to convince and old man to do something against his will. Haji Minto still insisted to join. Finally, to ensure that Haji Minto was not alone on the track, Fionk contacted another group at the rear end of the convoy, Rahadian and Musni Hafas. They were willing to wait for Haji Minto since their position was not too far away.
The group continued to move further in through the Siosar forest. It was truly an endless winching. The soil, which was loose and easily collapses. When passed by a few cars, it collapses even more so that the track for the wheels gets deeper. Moreover, our tires were not huge, it was M/T 235/85 R16”. As a result, it was like a turtle when its chest gets stuck and its legs try to move. Very difficult. The tires spun but the axle and others got stuck. Only winching can help. The winches worked really hard in the Siosar forest. That night they camped on a hill surrounded by lots of trees. The air is cool but the wind didn’t penetrate, so it’s quite comfortable to rest.
The next day was the last day in Siosar. The trip was more or less similar to the first day. Even so, it still resulted in some broken winch and other problems in the vehicle. But it didn’t matter, everyone kept their spirits up because today everyone had to leave the Siosar track and head to the Kubu hotel. The antique hotel that used to be the base of the 1981 Camel Trophy.
Because it’s full winching, besides winching hard, the crew and navigator also work extra hard. Even a little free time after lunch they use to rest.
Because it’s full winching, besides winching hard, the crew and navigator also work extra hard. Even a little free time after lunch they use to rest.
One by one, the participants started to leave the Siosar forest. Some came out during the day and some came out at night. Only one thing remain the same, they were all heading to the same direction, Hotel Wisma Bukit Kubu!
The group continued to move further in through the Siosar forest. It was truly an endless winching. The soil, which was loose and easily collapses. When passed by a few cars, it collapses even more so that the track for the wheels gets deeper. Moreover, our tires were not huge, it was M/T 235/85 R16”. As a result, it was like a turtle when its chest gets stuck and its legs try to move. Very difficult. The tires spun but the axle and others got stuck. Only winching can help. The winches worked really hard in the Siosar forest. That night they camped on a hill surrounded by lots of trees. The air is cool but the wind didn’t penetrate, so it’s quite comfortable to rest.
One by one, the participants started to leave the Siosar forest. Some came out during the day and some came out at night. Only one thing remain the same, they were all heading to the same direction, Hotel Wisma Bukit Kubu!
What a fine night to celebrate the success of those safely returned from re-tracking the route of the 1981 Camel Trophy! The event that night was held at Hotel Wisma Bukit Kubu. Tired for sure but there’s nothing more fun than celebrating a personal / team achievement. The celebration was a simple one. “From Us to Us!” was the title of the celebration that night. The event was quite casual combined with jokes and laughter from the participants.
Talking about following the route of the Camel Trophy, you could say that at that moment they had finished it. Because the Camel Trophy started in Berastagi and finished in Jambi. But there was one more agenda for this group, which was an invitation from the Ministry of Tourism to come and explore Lake Toba. The prehistoric Lake that is the pride of North Sumatra, now has become one of Indonesia’s main tourists destination.
Mr. Bangun, now the manager of Wisma Bukit Kubu came over to the group when the convoy arrived. He seemed to be watching the vehicle carefully, then approached and pointed at the Range Rover Classic. “This is the car, I remember very well!”, he claimed. Mr. Bangun is a living witness when the Camel Trophy Sumatra started from the Wisma Bukit Kubu hotel in 1981. At that time he was probably around 20 years old and he was not yet a manager.
“All the memories came back, I remember the faces of those guides, my friends one by one starting to come to mind,” he said. Then he pointed at an old building with rooms. “They used to sleep here, and when they came, they brought suitcases of money with them. In the past there were no ATMs so their suitcases were all filled with cash. I still remember very well they ordered bottles and bottles of beer”, said Mr. Bangun while staring at the building, as if he was trying to remember what happened at that time.
Sumatra Tribute 2022 convoy lining up in hotel Bukit Kubu awhile before leaving for Lake Toba.
Mr. Bangun, now the manager of Wisma Bukit Kubu came over to the group when the convoy arrived. He seemed to be watching the vehicle carefully, then approached and pointed at the Range Rover Classic. “This is the car, I remember very well!”, he claimed. Mr. Bangun is a living witness when the Camel Trophy Sumatra started from the Wisma Bukit Kubu hotel in 1981. At that time he was probably around 20 years old and he was not yet a manager.
“All the memories came back, I remember the faces of those guides, my friends one by one starting to come to mind,” he said. Then he pointed at an old building with rooms. “They used to sleep here, and when they came, they brought suitcases of money with them. In the past there were no ATMs so their suitcases were all filled with cash. I still remember very well they ordered bottles and bottles of beer”, said Mr. Bangun while staring at the building, as if he was trying to remember what happened at that time.
Picture taken at one of the hotel room’s terrace in 1981. The photo was taken from the book Camel Trophy The Definitive History by Nick Dimbleby.
Participants of Sumatra Tribute 2022 at the same terrace as the picture above. As seen in the picture the terrace still similar to the above picture. Only the furniture and the drinks are different.
Convoy of Range Rover Classic 2-door Camel Trophy 1981 lining up in wisma Bukit Kubu. Photo taken from the book Camel Trophy The Definitive History by Nick Dimbleby.
Convoy of Range Rover Classic 2-door Camel Trophy 1981 lining up in wisma Bukit Kubu.
Participants of Sumatra Tribute 2022 at the same terrace as the picture above. As seen in the picture the terrace still similar to the above picture. Only the furniture and the drinks are different.
The trip to Lake Toba is a true touristy trip, no off-road what so ever. The group remained the same as Alpha, Bravo and Charlie and were given their own paths to go to Samosir. The goal was for all of them to see Toba from a different angle. There were those who took the Ferry from the port of Ajibata and there are also those who go overland via Pangururan. Of course the scenery varies and some say that their journey were better than others. It didn’t matter, that was the goal. Feel the different experiences between one group and another.
Grup Alpha
This group consists of mostly Range Rover and Discovery
- Saeful Hasyim – Range Rover P38 – Group Leader
- Mufti Oksana – Series III 109” – Medic Support
- Musni Haffas – Defender 110”
- Harry Oktavian – Series III 109”
- Firman Wahyuni – Rang Rover Classic
- James Budiono – Defender 110”
- Rahadian Mahendra – Range Rover Classic
- Hendra Margono – Stage One 300tdi
- Juta Wijaya – Series III 109”
Grup Bravo
This group consists of mostly Hybrid Land Rover
- Syamsu Setiabudi – Series III 109” Hybrid – Group Leader
- Haji Minto – Series III 88” Hybrid – Mechanic Support
- Iwan Sakri – Series III 109” Hybrid
- Erry Dewanto – Series III 109” Hybrid
- Noor Hudaya – Series III 109” Hybrid Media Support
- Pontas Sitanggang – Series II 88” Hybrid
- H. Anas / D. Fajri – Freelander Hybrid Medic Support
- M. Zulham – Freelander Hybrid
- Dedi Suherman – Range Rover P38 Hybrid
- Dedi Utama – Discovery Hybrid
Grup Charlie
This group consists of mostly Defender and Series Land Rover.
- Andiman – Defender 110” – Group Leader
- M. Natsir – Discovery – Media Support
- Johan Awaluddin – Defender 110”
- Sjahrial Oesman – Defender 110”
- Dedy Mulyadi – Defender 110”
- M. Nur – Defender 110”
- Harry Kristianto – Defender 90”
- Budi S Halim – Defender 110”
- Tony Raharjo – Stage One V8
- Samie Zacky – Discovery Medic Support
- Nanan Sukarna – Discovery
- Heri Setiawan – Discovery
- Deni Fidiata – Defender 110”
- Yan Najib – Series III 88”
Officials
Official Vehicles that move around in different group to make sure everything goes well all throughout the journey.
- Land Rover Discovery – Bambang Pratesa, Greefion Kamil (Event Director), Budi Karyo
- Range Rover Classic Diesel – Matu Adam, Don Seco (Creative Director), Rudy
- Land Rover Series III 109” – M. Senut, Heryunan Syah, Novi Abdi (Journalist)
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