Report: Coasteering Cape Rachado (event code: PF49u)
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| Group pic at start of trek |
Brief 2nd March 2025
Turn-up rate: 86.4% (showed up at meetup point) N1
Initial start rate: 94.7% (those started hike vs arrived) N2
Completion rate at altar, Pantai Keramat: 100% N3
Completion rate at Pulau Intan: 100% N4
Completion rate at Monkey Bay: 77.8% N5
Final end-to-end success rate at Blue Lagoon: 66.7% (measured against number of persons that started the hike/walk) N6
Team: Total 22 registered (17 paid, crew excepted); 19 showed up. See accompanying notes below. Team organiser and guide: Jimmy, facilitated by Chan (assisting hike lead), Lee (in between), and Alan (sweeper and assisting cliff climb).
Climate: Weather was punishing and heat was overwhelmingly hot
Access: We entered via the park as Pantai Cermin is no longer accessible (per Perhilitan) at the main gate before reentering forest with a strenuous climb initially before exiting to beach.
Raptors: They were seen throughout the coasteering walk, mix of arrivals from Pulau Rupat, some preparing for northbound flight and some warming up to food hunt in the evening.
Team health: A few suffered from heat exhaustion, likely due to lack of or insufficient body-conditioning workouts, one had a heatstroke symptom and another suffered from leg cramp.
Overall time spent: 5.5 hours. Normally the walk will take 5 hours over 5 km but due to obstacle above, we spent half an hour extra.
Tides: Lowest at 0.02m at 2:34 pm. At 5 pm, it was obvious to see it rising in to the Blue Lagoon beach and to the mangrove roots while waited for the last, swept batch of hikers to arrive; we were still able to walk out dry!
Notes
N1: Three unable to join the event.
N2: One did not participate the walk due to him on recovery from food poisoning but delivered his promise to ferry other hikers all the way from Klang Valley.
N3: From Pantai Cermin to Pantai Keramat, the energy was strong with the team despite the hike up the forest hill.
N4: Beneath the end of the promontory ridge after Pantai Keramat is a section of beach-less boulders and rocks that require careful treading. This is the first test of endurance; at this point, everyone made it, but four had to quit prematurely. The next leg of the journey began with four fewer people.
N5: Monkey Bay is usually where many would quit after a tiresome walk over more boulders and rocks plus a cliff climb. Final decision on “push the last leg of end-to-end journey” was decided and two more person decided to quit.
N6: At 5 pm, the last batch of hikers reached Blue Lagoon; 12 made it end-to-end.
To view the pics and short notes, here over here!
Report by JC
