We knew our trip was reaching the end stages. With an average of a flat every single day, our spare tubes were more than well-utilized and scarred with patches. I was not even confident the patched tubes would not leak and none of the bike shops we passed carried spare tubes of the correct sizes or types. Furthermore, the irritating “loose nut” problem on my Dakar had occurred again and I suspected all the long descends had done my rear hub in since the nut was out of place.
After a good night’s rest, we went hunting for breakfast. The food in Penang was good and we stopped at several stalls to try the “delicacies” they offered. Our plan was to spend the day touring Pinang (Penang) and the two places I wanted to visit were Penang Hill and Batu Ferringhi. We also planned to stop by the express bus terminal at Sungei Nibong to check out our options.
Our first stop of the day was Penang Hill. Dad wasn’t really in a condition for another climb so we agreed that I would meet him at the foot when I was done with the climb (should he not be able to join me at the top). At 750m (which totally puts our Bukit Timah and Mount Faber to shame), Penang Hill is about 150m higher in elevation than Gunung Pulai but definitely pales in comparison to Genting Highlands and Cameron Highlands in terms of altitude. In fact, I should not be saying “pales in comparison”! (You will get what I mean later!) Anyway, the elevation of the hill qualifies it to be a “gunung” (mountain) but I guess it had always been known as a “hill” historically.
The fact that Penang Hill had an elevation of 750m with a 5.1km climb did not really register in my mind (Gunung Pulai is 654m high with a climb of 6km). I thought I had seen the worst on Gunung Brinchang and I was dead wrong. I had been to Penang Hill as “recent” as 2008 and I had seen a couple of mountain bikers attempting the ascend. They were in great pain obviously but nothing beats experiencing the real thing yourself.
On this attempt, I met a couple of mountain bikers on the descends. To date, I still wonder how many people can actually cycle up Penang Hill! On the first 1.5km, I “woke up” to the realization that this was no easy feat. There seemed to be little “flat grounds” and only steep ascends for the first few hundred meters but I was fresh and pedaled with an easy cadence. Then, the gradient became steeper.
It was the steepest tarmac (paved road) I had ever pedaled on in my life. The slope had reached an astounding 30%, which explains why only SUVs and motorcycles are allowed up the hill via the road known as the “jeep track”. A mountain bike can take a 30% climb. The problem was that the climb extended to more than a kilometer long and I had no idea when it was going to flatten out. I was drenched in sweat (almost the wettest I have ever gotten on a dry day!) and pedaling out of saddle on my lightest gear (22t – 34t). At that point in time, I was wishing Shimano made an even larger gear range! Anyway, pedaling up such a gradient was definitely way more inefficient than pushing the bike up.
That morning, I was defeated by Penang Hill. A lack of experience with the surroundings as well as the energy expanded over the past few days of hard riding found their toll on me. My lungs were bursting and my vision was totally blurred out by the sweat and subsequent condensation on my shades. I felt my calf muscles were under too much strain, almost to the extent of cramping, which would be disastrous to the expedition. I had to bail out and on really wobbly legs, pushed the few meters to the outer section of a turn (where the gradient would always be less steep). There happened to be a rest hut and I was more than grateful to stop and catch my breath.
The hiker whom I had passed earlier caught up and continued his trek up the hill. We exchanged smiles when he passed. This was going to be a tough day. I had slightly less than 4km to go. If the rest of the climb was going to be like what I had just experienced, I wasn’t sure if I could make it up. I thought of aborting. It was already noon anyway.
I pushed on and I was glad I did. The gradient was unforgiving but the climbs became shorter with more turns (flatter sections). I took a couple of opportunities along the way to rest and take photos – captured images which I believe will become a part of unforgettable memories in time to come =)
The view from the peak was rewarding. I was just glad to have completed arguably the most challenge climb I have ever faced yet. I took quite a few pictures (with the help of some kind tourists) and treated myself to a very expensive bottle of 100-Plus (RM3 to be exact, the touristy prices have not changed since my last visit!). I recognized the stall vendor and according to her, the train had ceased operation and was currently undergoing an overhaul (to make a dual carriage-way).
The skies were threatening to pour when I made my descend. Forget modulation. Just hold down the brakes. My already faulty brakes didn’t do much to slow me down and I was just holding the levers down as I threw the bike around the tight corners. An SUV ahead was descending way too slow and was forcing me to apply a lot of pressure on the brakes. I was glad for an opportunity to overtake the SUV when the road widened.
My rotors were crackling. It was amazing that the weather was burning when I reached the foot. Linking up with Dad, we proceeded in the direction of Batu Ferringhi beach, stopping for lunch along the way. Penang Hill exhausted me. We decided to head “home” after Batu Ferringhi.
Cycling lanes in Penang? Yes. They were not all that well-designed, comprising mostly of road shoulders but it was a great start to raise awareness of cyclists on the island.
Batu Ferringhi is a pretty nice beach to just chill out. I went swimming, jersey and all, and it was close to 5pm when we left for Georgetown. Back in the comfort of our room, I washed my sandy jersey and really enjoyed the shower. Dinner was again found on the streets and we explored the new Komtar Walk thereafter. Before retiring for the night, we just couldn’t help treating ourselves to another local delight. Satay!
Total distance: 45km
Money spent: RM114
Participants: LSH, Dad
