I am happy to report back to you guys that I have finally made it on my 3rd attempt and let me present you with this awesome picture before I describe the solo expedition.
Knowing what laid ahead after the boulders is the only reason I had to keep going. I had exhausted all 3 different routes to get over the boulders on my 1st and 2nd attempts and deduced that the only access across these gargantual boulders will be the right most route of the boulders. Hence, I name this route the Hornbill Route
because as I was climbing and hanging on precariously onto the boulders, wild hornbills were flying to a tree above me and it was simply spectacular. I had to use a rope to haul up my bags using this route so you can imagine how difficult it was.
The description in my map showed a huge pool nearby and here's a video of the discovery. I felt like Dr Bob Ballard when he discovered the Titanic or Hiram Bingham when he found Machu Picchu.
I took a break in this enormous deep pool to have lunch and also to have a look around. A huge tree provided me with some well needed shade as the sun was blazing. I thought my ordeal was over with the boulders but what I saw next made my heart skipped 3 beats. There lay in front of me on the sandy banks
Alamak, not only tiger paw prints but fresh tiger paw prints!! Words cannot describe the fear that vibrated every bone in my body. However, as an adventurer and a solo adventurer I might add, I was prepared. I knew I was in a tiger infested zone and I came prepared. Although these were extra weights but precaution and safety is the most important part of my expedition. I brought along a toy gun that makes a RAT-TAT-TAT sound when you pull the trigger(RM5.00 from Toys R Us), a high pitched alarm device, firecracker(Pop Pop), parang and a flame thrower(a lighter and a can of spray). I wanted to wear a face mask at the back of my head but that only applies in the Sundarban, Bangladesh.
Tiger or no tiger, my objective was to reach the remote waterfall because simply it is there, quoting from Mr Mallory as to why he wanted to climb Everest. Anyway, my map showed that there was another enormous pool on the north east direction and straight on from there would be the remote waterfalls. Again, I had to climb over boulders but these were not as tough as the earlier ones. However, I have to be careful with boulders because some of these boulders are loose and may just crush me if I took a wrong step.
True enough, I came to another awesome pool with a landscape to die for. Photography time and eventhough it was hot as hell with the sun rays bouncing off from the ridge's surface onto my body, the adrenalin rush just engulfed me. I love my adrenalin rushes.
Half an hour later and a constant lookout on my right hand side(A tiger may pounce out from the jungle fringes), I finally arrived my remote waterfall with a deep large pool as a bonus like what the map showed me.
After 2 attempts with challenges such as 2 storey high and loose boulders, inpenetrable passages, crawling under rocks to get to the other side, hanging on a washed down log so that I don't get swept away by rapids and tiger threats, I am glad to say that .. I finally knocked the bastard off.
