NTU ODAC Magazine 2006

AY 2005/06 NTU ODAC ANNUAL NEWSLETTER explore . discover . experience

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Greetings to all and welcome to NTU Outdoor Adventure Club!

Firstly, a big THANK YOU to everyone in NTU ODAC, Regardless if you are a committee member, mem.ber or a trip participant, your presence has made a difference to many people and to the club itself. I hope that your involvement in the club has allowed you to be more familiar with the outdoor adventures and in the process get to know everyone in the NTU ODAC family.

The past three years in ODAC has been very fulfilling and rewarding for me and I will strongly encourage everyone, especially freshies, to take the first step forward in getting yourself acquainted with the outdoors.

ODAC meeting. Back then I did not know the three years, I was involved in not only of the course During people me. around most of the other school discussions. many also but planning activities, the ODAC of all the

It still feels like yesterday when I attended my first

When people ask me why lenge."

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keep going trekking, my answer will always be,

"It is for a new chal-

To me, every trek is a new challenge because of the unpredictable weather and the unforeseen dangeis. Challenge yourself and you will be richly rewarded with the satisfaction of having conquered another mountain!

However that is not all, what is truly worthwhile are the many friends gic feeling when I look through past photographs'

I have met and the nostal-

Everyone has a place in ODAC, from beginners to stalwart adventurers. To all outdoor enthusiasts, do not ponder anymore. Come explore and discover the essence of adventure with us.

Finally let me leave you with one of my favourite quotes. ..In the wilderness, I find something more dear and connate than in the streets and villages"' - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Kelvin Kuah President NTU ODAC 10th committee

CONTENTS

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http://www.ntuodac.com

Outdoor Adventure

NTU

Club

the committees

mt kina

special projects

ba lu

Wetl, one year hos passed ond I anrst say il'wat very futfilting to be in flre ,rrain commil'tee. t have tearnt alot from leading fiips, managing an ODAC's p"bticil'y erer$ and designing publications.

OUIDOORS is lte club onnuat newsletter detailing sorne of tlre trips tfie main co,rnmil'fee has organised and all our Jpec;al projecfs in the parf yeac 1'll tihe fo tlranh-all ffi65s who have contrihuted photographs and arfictes fo ,rnake ttis inferesting.

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unung Stong boasts the highest and largest waterfall in South EastAsia. Besides the majestic waterfall, there are interesting happenings throughout the mountain.

To kick off the day, sunrise at the base camp was enlivening. We saw a "glowing white sea" formed by clouds, with sun rays shining upon it. There

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was only silence while enjoying the view. Then along the trek, our guide introduced us to a new fruit, telur puyo. Despite it being a wild fruit, we all tried it and it was surprisingly sweet and delicious.

The best part uvas during the trek down the mountain to visit the various interesting "checkpoints". First, we went to the 7 Wells waterfall. lt is very special as there are seven well-liked structures formed naturally. Two of the "wells" are deep enough to contain a human. We all had a taste of the natural "well" dip.

Then, we went to the natural "waterslide". We could not believe that one can actually slide down it. lt is a gigantic smooth rock, which is four to five storeys high, and is also very steep (approximately 60-70 degrees incline). Only a few people had the guts to experience the thrill of going down. Still, the fun was not over! At the last "checkpoint", everybody dived down a two-storey high rock.

Gunung Stong is truly great, as one can really explore how exciting naI Text I Tan Kawei

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he scene at the Woodlands MRT station was full of the usual bustling crowd on the evening of 13th SePtember 2005. What made this particular evening a memorable one was that in a corner of the station, eighteen individuals huddled together making final checks to their traveling documents.

Upon reaching Kuantan terminal, we transit to our four-wheel drive to the designated start of trek. A short hike brought the group to a camp site shrouded with dense vegetation on one side and a view of the first waterfall on the other side.

With much anticipation, the trek started at a leisure pace as the group made their way towards the seventh waterfall, which is aptly named the "blue lagoon". Participants spent their time taking quick dips or simply taking in the moment at the rest points along the seven cascading waterfalls.

Time tickled by briskly and the waterfalls were getting more impressive as we climbed higher upstream, things were looking promising.

Eventually the "blue lagoon" appeared before the group as it lay like a gleaming gem in the heart of the forest. Without any prompting, the grouP was in the l;. \

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water enjoying the magnificent spectacle of the three cascading waterfalls before them.

The afternoon was spent exploring the different parts of the pool or simply lazing in the shallows of the pool while other photography enthusiasts captured precious moments and sights. lndeed within this natural sanctuary, an intense sense of peace and contentment descended uPon us.

As the saying goes that all good things must come to an end, the grouP had to make the return journey back to campsite.

At night, an unexpected visit by a heavy torrent of water threw the camp in temporal upheaval. Everyone rushed for shelter only to discover that some tents were already wet. lnstead of having their spirits dampened, many of us cramped ourselves together in tents to play games or continue with our incessant chatter. Guess it is true that adversity brings bonds closer r

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ahan, in Malay, means endure. This is what Gunung Tahan is all about. lts weather and terrain varies greatly, offering us wholly different and challenging experience.

We left Singapore on l Bth June 2006 to catch a night train at Johor Bahru. This trip is unlike the usual treks because it is a form of transverse trekking, instead of simply trekking up and down via the same route. lt would take us seven days

and six nights to complete the entire trek.

When we reached the park's headquarters, we unloaded our barang barang and registered at the office. The trip began with a four-wheel drive, in which the first 12km was like a roller coaster ride. Then, we trekked all our way to Camp Kor on the first day, while the second day's campsite was at Bukit Botak. which is near the summit.

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was a dark but energetic night when we begin our journey. Though it was already 11pm, we were all equally I excited to explore the 248 million-years-old topical rainforest in Malaysia.

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Unlike the usual trips where we would rest at the train station upon reaching too early, we managed to persuade the officers in letting the group rest at the Endau Rompin registration office for the night! All thanks to the two smart and resourceful trip leaders, Nike (that's me) and Kawei.

The next morning, we took a bumpy but fun 4WD ride to our campsite where we stayed in a "native-style" jungle hut. lt was definitely a wonderful experience. After settling down, we started our adventure into the mystic jungle.

After an hour of jungle trek, we came to a relatively small but beautiful waterfall, Takar Pandan. Then we continued trekking for a couple of hours to Takar Beragin, a magnificent waterfall which looks like an amazingly high vertical wall. We then had a quick lunch and continued our journey in search for the highest waterfall in Endau Rompin.

After another two hours, we finally reached the great waterfall, Takar Tinggi. All of us jumped into the water and swam. We even managed to catch some fishes using out shirts!

We continued our journey early next morning to visit the last waterfall, Takar Tempang - which was a totally'leechy'experience. Not a single person escaped from leech attacks!

So, we took revenge by .... (oops, cannot reveal)

There is definitely a sense of achievement when we are presented with a certificate of the tour. After all the pains in walking, it is absolutely a worth while experience r Text I Nike Yeo ouTDooRS AY 05/06 | P 11

Like parents who watch their baby grow up, the whole committee is proud to witness the birth of ATC right up to it being able to craw! and then walk. By Grace Suen

,1\ dventure Trail Challenge (ATC) ended third year on the 4th June 2006. From

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strangers to friends, the ATC committee forged friendships through numerous late-night meetings, rushing of deadlines, recees and dry runs. Without the effort put in by everyone, we would not have materialized an adventure race that spanned over mainland Singapore, right into the heart of Pulau Ubin.

The planning and preparation began about a year ago. Everything started from scratch, from publicizing to getting of sponsorships to charting out the race route and the securing of logistics items. We were proud to be the pioneer in setting up an abseiling station at Century Square, where participants abseiled down the four-storey shopping centre among the curious

afternoon shoppers.

The weather was extremely favorable on the day of the race. As the morning sun shone immensely upon the tents outside Tampines Mall, participa nts of the inter-varsity, nter-school, open and mixed open categories geared up for an intensive race ahead of them. i

They raced past Sun Plaza Park, made catapults at Bedok Reservoir, constructed compasses at Pasir Ris Amphitheatre, abseiled at Century Square and headed towards Pasir Ris Seasports Club where they kayaked all the way to Pulau Ubin.

Visitors of the little island off Singapore were treated to an interesting sight of adrenaline-

Ad.venture BraiI. Challenge P 14 I OUTDOORS AY 05/06

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rushed particrpants bashing through bike trails, orienteering themselves up Puakka Hill and traversing at a fish farm. Participants were also treated to a 'mud bath'when they had to wade through thick mud at the traversing station as the tide was low. ln this race against time, the teams of participants had to outrun and outlast all other teams before kayaking back to mainland Singapore.

Novice adventure racers toughened themselves up as they raced alongside experienced racers, many being international racers themselves.

Smiles were plastered all over the faces of the teams (as well as ours) as they crossed the finishing line at ihe field area outside Tampines Mall. They were treated to ice-cold cans of Redbull as well as a yummy buffet spread.

Everyone at the finishing line continued to cheer right up to the last team that returned, applauding their endurance and determination. ATC 2006 was also very honoured to have guest-of-honour Mr Ronald Susilo to grace the prize-giving ceremony.

As the blue skies darkened and night fell, the exhausted but satisfied participants were finally able to make their way home.

It has not been easy to organize and run the entire race. We started with nothing but we accomplished so much. Nothing beats to receive words of gratitude from satisfied participants telling us "thank you for the race" r

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The Freshmen Overseas Orientation Trip (FOOT) has always been the highlight of NTU ODAC. lt is no exception this year and was even widely anticipated by many before the actual event. By Tan Yali

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eginning on 17th July, we warmly wel-

L-lcomed all fifty-two participating freshmen

the winner of the cooking competition. Their yummy claypot dce simply blew the judges

into the NTU ODAC family.

away.

Fun and exciting ice-breakers and stations games were played in the first few hours of the camp to break the ice between the participants before a long six-day programme began. During the camp, the participants were exposed to various outdoor activities such as night cycling, dragon boating, rockclimbing, overseas trekking and canoe polo.

The fourth day after breakfast, the participants started their trek up Sungei Pelepah.

Everyone took turns to play with the water at the different waterfalls during the trek. Many photographs were also taken on the way to bring back as memories.

One of the highlights was night cycling which proved to be a whole new experience for the participants, experienced and inexperienced alike, who were treated to a beautiful night view as they cruised down the roads of the unexplored West side of Singapore.

The other highlight was overseas trekking in Malaysia. lt started with a high note as all participants gathered at the grandstand of Sports and Recreation Centre for a good breakfast before departing for Malaysia. Endless songs and cheers were sung throughout the bus journey, but they had to be cut short as the buses arrived at our destination.

As night fell, all four groups competed in the cooking competition with their own specialty to win the hearts of the three judges. After a long discussion, Ozarks was finally declared

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After everyone arrived back at the campsite, they prepared for the campfire night during which cheer fights and Miss Panti pageant between each orientation group were held.

The last night of the overseas trip was a night of fun and laughter as everyone enthusiastically participated in camp cheers and songs.

As the campfire night came to a close, many participants were reluctant to go to bed and continued singing late into the night under the starry sky.

FOOT 2006 ended with an entertaining retro night on lhe 22nd July, but for some, it was the start of many friendships r

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NTU

Adventure

explore . discover . experience