I went to explore the newly opened Tree Tops Walk at Macritchie Reservoir today.To see the pictures click
here
I went to see the new Tree Tops Walk (TTW) at Macritchie today.The trail is about 10.3 kilometres in total from the reservoir itself to the bridge and back again. I had planned to complete the entire trail but in the end I took a slightly less tedious route which amounted to close to 7 kilometres (not that it was any less taxing).
I started off from MacRitchie near the Little Sister's of the Poor along Upper Thomson Road. I managed to find the route without much difficulty. I had read in the papers of people getting lost and going the wrong way etc. The route was well signed all along the trail.
I was fortunate (read:blessed) that it was a cloudy day and did not rain. Through most of my trip, I was alone. But as I was moving at a brisk pace I managed to catch up with those in front in no time and also encountered joggers going in the opposite direction.
After over 3 kilometres of walking I reached to the area near the Island Country Club (ICC). From there the route went along the road parallel to the golf course and then round the perimeter of the Bukit Kalang Reservoir which is atop a hill. From there you have to scale Bukit Pierce to get to the TTW. TTW spans between Bukit Pierce and Bukit Kalang ,the 2 highest points in Macritchie. I have no idea how long it took me to reach there. I approximate about an hour plus.
From the suspension bridge you can see to Senoko or even beyond on a clear day. The view is breathtaking. The only other view that comes close in my view is the view from Mount Faber.
The height from the bridge to the forest floor is about 25 metres (about 12 floors!). As traffic across the bridge is one way from Bt.Pierce across to Bt. Kalang, so hikers have to make a long detour round the trail to get back to the other side (Bukit Pierce). The added distance is approximately 2 kilometres. The worst part was the trail back to Bt.Pierce consisted of several uphills and downhills. So it is definitely the most ardous part of the trail.If overcome by fatique or due to lack of concentration one may find oneself tumbling down a flight of stairs. No wonder they advise against the elderly and kids taking part.
After making my way successfully back,I opted to return home via ICC towards Island Club Road instead of making my way back to MacRitchie proper. Although it was still a long trek, at least it was less taxing and provided a change of scenery. The old route was kinda dull as you were literally surrounded by trees most of the way. When you have seen one tree, you have seen them all.
In retrospect, it woulda been more enjoyable if I had driven to ICC and parked along the road instead of taking the bus to MacRitchie and making the long hike to TTW. You live;you learn.
As I had made my way to Upper Thomson Road I decided to walk home instead of taking a bus. That added like another 2.5 kilometres(maybe less) to my walk.
And that was the end....
