Since the RFC first took place in 1997, the organizers have made it a point to run the courses on existing jungle trails that are usually used in the dry season by the locals. Because of the heavy monsoon rains during the time of the year the race is held, those trails become virtually inaccessible. As a testament to how tough the terrain is in the RFC, two years ago I joined an X-men car, which is one of the official scouting team vehicles in front of the competitors' cars, and it took us more than 12 hours to cover 5 km (3.1 miles). However, the jungle's power is so strong that within a few weeks after the event, nature takes over and the terrain is back to what it was before the start of the competition, thus ensuring an equally challenging race for the next year.
What counts here in the jungle is not the size of the engine but the driver's experience, toughness, and ability to handle a vehicle in extremely harsh jungle conditions. In other parts of the world, I have learned that desert drivers are the modern version of a Bedouin and his camel. Here in the Malaysian rainforest, I have met the equivalent species of off-road creatures whose natural habitat is the jungle. They specialize in driving in extremely muddy conditions with slippery terrain and minimum traction. They are also extremely experienced in using winches, building makeshift bridges out of logs, crossing deep-water obstacles, and clearing old trails with chainsaws, axes, and machetes. For most of the westerners taking part in the event, it is basically unknown territory, which is probably why Malaysian drivers have won the event almost every year. What counts here even more than the capabilities of one's vehicle is experience and familiarity, which the locals have plenty of.
After a long and exhausting flight to Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, followed by a six-hour press-bus ride toward the east coast, we ended up outside Cukai, the starting point of the 2005 RFC. Cukai is a small town located in the state of Terengganu on the beautiful east coast of the Malay Peninsula, next to the South China Sea.
The following morning, the two days of Prologue events began with a colorful opening ceremony. Like most events of this kind, the Prologue section is an introduction to the event itself for members of the media and the general public who are unable to follow the competitors into the jungle. Following the opening ceremony was the first of five Special Stages (SS) for the day. While the RFC course does traverse a considerable amount of territory in Terengganu, it is the SS events which punctuate the trek that are the real meat and bones of the competition. Essentially, the RFC is a series of these Special Stages. The SS events consist of many difficult obstacles such as stone walls, steep side-angles, huge logs, and boulders.
Toward the end of the first Prologue day, camp was set up on the beach in preparation for the final SS of the day. There was no time for either the competitors or the members of the media to rest. The day's final SS didn't appear to be a difficult test for the abilities of the teams since it was more or less just heading toward a campfire and back. However, what the competitors did not know was that the fire was lit on a tiny island surrounded by water, not far from the beach. This challenge was not as easy as they had thought! One team got lost in the dark just outside the camp. All of this before even heading into the jungle - not exactly a spectacular start!
The X-men teams broke camp before the end of the first night and were to spend the next three days ahead of the competitors setting up the upcoming Special Stages.