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For those of you who want to take...
One lap around Jim Thompson's Grave
Home >> Trailguide >> Jim Thompson Loop | Map of JT Loop
All right, I don't know where Jim Thompson's Grave is, but neither does anyone else, and it makes a spiffy name for a ride, don't you think? (FYI, Jim Thompson is the American who single-handedly resurrected the Thai Silk Industry after World War Two. In 1967 he came to the Cameron Highlands for a holiday, went for a hike, and was never seen again. Spooky stuff, kids. Call Agent Mulder, it's gotta be them aliens again.)
The ride is a 47 km loop through the Bertam Valley and Boh Tea Plantations of the Cameron Highlands, half on tarmac and half on rough doubletrack. It features an hour-long descent on doubletrack (half an hour for the insane), river fording, bamboo bridges, orang asli villages, a two to four hour ascent through more tea than you are ever likely to see again in your lifetime, another 30 minute descent on narrow, twisty tarmac and a final 15 km of secondary highway back to the start point. If ridden hard it can be done in under six hours, but better to allow 8+ for the whole ride or arrange an auto-shuttle to knock off the 15 km of tarmac.
Coming from the north (Tanah Rata), take the left turn for Secondary C167 to Lembah Bertam just as you enter Ringlet. After approximately 2 km you will enter Lembah Bertam. This paved secondary takes a right turn through the center of town, past all the vegetable warehouses. There is no sign to indicate this, but Lembah Bertam doesn't have many streets so don't panic. Tarmac in a varying state of repair continues for another 9 kilometers where it stops and the doubletrack starts. This is the trail head (km 0). Park about 500 meters back from this point to avoid the huge concentration of flies by the fertilizer stockpile, and to give yourself a bit of a warmup as the first section of doubletrack goes steeply uphill.
The first 4 kilometres undulate sharply passing several small farms. At 4 km you will pass through the center of a small farm and 50 meters past this you will encounter a fork. Take the left fork. The right fork is rumored to continue for approximately 10 km to Pos Lemoi and after 1 km degenerates to a challenging singletrack. Another day!
From the left fork the trail goes sharply downhill, a 400 meter descent in 4 km to a river fording followed by a bamboo bridge. Kodak moment here. It continues gradually downhill for another 3 km to the village of Pos Mensun. This the lowest elevation point of the ride, the crossing of Sungai Bertam at Pos Mensun at 550 metres above sea level, km 11. Immediately after the Pos Mensun school take the left fork in the trail. From here the trail again undulates sharply, lots of short steep ascents and descents, gradually gaining elevation. At km 14 you will pass through Kampung Kuala Boh. Just past km 17 you will cross Sungai Boh and encounter an ideal spot to stop and have a cooling dip in the river. Good idea! A nice place to have a snack as well. Please don't leave any rubbish behind. Ever, for that matter.
By km 20 you will be into the Tea Plantation proper and encounter a fork with tarmac in both directions. Take the left fork. The rough tarmac continues to climb, passing through an estate village just past km 22. There are a couple of stores here, so take a break, have a Coke. Nothing better than cold Coke from a long necked bottle, and so cheap! The tarmac continues to climb steadily until km 25 or so. The Boh Tea Store (shuts at 4pm) is at the summit, 1400 meters above sea level, and from here to km 31 it's all downhill. Watch out for the tour buses coming uphill to visit the store. An encounter with one of them at speed will likely be your last. No one coming up this hill is going to expect a bicycle flying downhill so be careful on blind corners. Also eye protection is a good idea for the tiny flies you will encounter during the descent. They fit right in the corners of your eyes and hurt like hell.
You will reach Highway 59 at Habu just past km 31. Take a left here and head down the Highway. If you have done the auto shuttle from the Lakehouse you are 1 km from being home and dry. If you are doing the complete loop you will continue past the Lakehouse 3 km to Ringlet, left on C167 to Lembah Bertam, and the 11 km back to the trail head. The descent into Lembah Bertam is great fun but you will pay for it over the final 4 km to the trail head. Amazing how much steeper the roads are on a bicycle.
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