Reborn Runner Chronicles: Road Report: North-Eastern Wetlands & Trails Adventure (22 April 2011, Friday)

Last week, on Good Friday, a combined meeting of Punggol Runners, SGrunners.com, Team Fatbird and CJ Runners met up at Kovan Hub for an exploratory run into the wilderness of Sungei Serangoon and the Lorong Halus Wetland. These areas had recently been discovered and introduced by a handful of runners, including the initiator of the trip, Francis 'Kayano' Chia, on the SGrunners.com forum.

The run was a fresh experience for many who have probably done much trail running on the more popular grounds of MacRitchie Reservoir Park. In comparison, the aspect of this route that made it challenging was the lack of overhead vegetation cover which means runners had to endure the blazing sun in the open. They also had to ran through areas of rocky trails, muddy puddles (due to rain the previous day), occasional oil slicks and some small hill slopes. The rate of elevation, however, is not as high as MacRitchie.

The run ended about 2 hours later with many runners concluding the trip at Punggol and Sengkang while the rest ran all the way back to Kovan Hub for a good rest and breakfast.

North-Eastern Wetlands & Trails Adventure, 22 April 2011, Friday

(Click on image for a larger view)

Route Log (Refer to number markers on map above)

- 000 -

Members and friends of Punggol Runners, Team Fatbird, CJ Runners and SGrunners.com met up at Kovan Hub (former Kovan Bus Interchange). Kayano gave route briefing. Runners depart from here for run.

Kayano's Briefing

Group shot at Kovan Hub

Departing from Kovan for run.

-001-

Running along Tampines Road.

-002-

Another section of Tampines Road just before turning to the Sungei Serangoon area.

-003-

Entering the Sungei Serangoon trails.

-004-

Running Sungei Serangoon.

A 'sweeper' (left, in white shirt) on the look-out for 'back-pack' runners.

-005-

Runners negotiating a trail puddle.

-006-

Under the Buangkok Drive Flyover.

-007-

...before approaching Tampines Expressway Flyover.

-008-

Reaching Tampines Expressway Flyover.

DO giving the thumbs-up.

About to move under the Tampines Expressway Flyover but not before taking a picture.....

...and getting into the bushes...

-009-

Lorong Halus area: Yet another puddle to pass by.

Shootings at the other end of the 'river'.

Ashley (right) helps to marshal runners past the puddle.

(photo courtesy of DO & Team Fatbird)

-010-

Lorong Halus area.

Runners on the other side of a monsoon drain which links to Sungei Serangoon River.

Crossing over the monsoon drain.

The monsoon drain.

-011-

At this point of the adventure, runners ran up this grassy hill slope...

...and into the open...

...then going downslope here...

.....flanking past this rusty, old fence...

...before heading their way towards the New Water Park.

-012-

Runners arrived at the New Water Park. Toilet breaks and water top-ups. Some sight seeing and flora-gazing. Group photo taken. After about 10-15 minutes of rest, run continued towards the Sungei Serangoon Dam.

-013-

Kayano (front, left) leading the pack towards Sungei Serangoon Dam.

On the way to the dam...

-014-

Arrival at Sungei Serangoon Dam. More sight seeing and photo-taking. Another group photo. Departed from the dam for the (former) ferry terminal near Pasir Ris Coast Industrial Park 6.

Personally, one of the highlights of the run was a coincidental meet-up with my former platoon friend, Kelvin (middle, in black tee) whom I had not seen for years since I left my first unit during my NS days. Beside him was his friend, Serene (left, in blue tee).
(photo courtesy of Kelvin Sng)

Departure from the dam.

-015-

Arrival at the former ferry terminal.

A disrepair gate blocks our way to the terminal but there's always a way around it.....

...sneaking through a hole in the fence.

The former ferry terminal. In Anthony Sum's (aka Dream Runner) words:

"I could almost feel the hustle and bustle of those early days when that must be a busy pier where ships and boats anchored for loading/unloading of goods and people."

The final group photo.

Notice: a) the building behind us with a sign that reads, "PASIR RIS AGGREGATE TERMINAL".

b) The man lying in the middle of the group.

-016-

Pasir Ris Coast Industrial Park 6

Kim Lai (right) and friends climbing over a road block. Notice the fading "NO ENTRY" sign.

-017-

Heading to Punggol Park Connector via the Red Bridge near the New Water Park. Along the way, many runners dispersed to the Punggol and Sengkang areas. The rest continued towards Kovan Hub.