Facing the long hard journey to Long Pasia

WHAT is it that makes people push their limits and go into the extreme ... to go where others might not choose to travel. These questions popped into my head as I saw about 16 monstrous four-wheel-drive vehicles during a recent briefing held at Premier Automobiles Sdn Bhd showroom in Beribi.

The rugged Ford vehicles were all equipped and ready for their latest expedition.

The expedition was a 500-kilometre journey from Brunei Darussalam to Long Pasia, Sabah. The journey was organised by Premier Automobiles Sdn Bhd especially for the proud owners of the Ford four-wheel-drive vehicles.

A total of 58 people participated in this expedition.

There was a look of blankness on my face as I struggled to find the rationale of why would someone choose to use their vehicles instead of just taking a commercial flight to their destination.

"It's the challenge! The feeling of excitement!" said Hj Asmali Hj Mohammad, one of the participants of the expedition.

An enthusiast, he and his Ranger have travelled many a kilometres going through rugged terrains.

Hj Asmali stated that a four-wheel-drive expedition does not only challenge the vehicles but also the minds and stamina of the drivers.

"We have to learn to be patient ... to think out of the box and most importantly, to always be prepared," said Hj Asmali to The Brunei Times. "Moving in a convoy also helps us to develop both our organisational and communication skills," he added.

An important aspect of the expedition is the preparation. "We have to prepare for anything especially for the worst," Hj Asmali noted.

Their to-do list was well thought of, including the importance of packing essential equipment and stuff. "All items should be arranged so that it would take the least amount of space ... the items packed should not be fragile and the items should not pose any danger to passengers if it should dislodge," said Hj Asmali.

They even have specific rules on how to arrange them such as stacking items in trays and boxes with those frequently used items on top for easy access. "Items stacked should be fastened with ratchet tie-downs, bungee cords and rope. Most importantly, fuel should always be stored outside the passenger compartments," said Hj Asmali.

"Items to bring along include spare items ranging from motor oil to duct tapes and of course a map, a compass, portable stove and a close-range two-way radio to coordinate and communicate with other participants of the convoy. "Preparation is everything," said Hj Asmali.

"So that's all to the preparation?" I asked. Hj Asmali responded, "Well ... the difficult part for this trip however is that we are bringing along our family members who are not used to the long hard journeys," he said with a smile.

He added, "Anyway, we get to do a bit of sightseeing and camping notably at Eko Resort Long Mio."

In the end, Hj Asmali explained that the feeling of triumph comes after the accomplishment of mastering their vehicles and the triumph of conquering the obstacles along the unfamiliar hard and bumpy road to Long Pasia.

The Brunei Times