A saunter in the Southern Ridges, not!

On the day the country celebrated its 44th year of independence, we decided to haul our fat butts off our cosy beds and attempted our second Southern Ridges hike at the height of the noon sun and amidst a smoky shroud of haze.

We started off at Marang Trail – a daunting flights of steps cutting through the jungle and leading to the cable car station at Jewel Box. With the sun baking our backs, we heaved and puffed our way through some 800 m of steps which cover an elevation of 70 m or the equivalent of a 24-storey building. I could feel my cholesterol-clogged arteries about to burst, as each agonising step led us nearer to the Jewel Box, the recreational enclave atop Mount Faber.

Outside Jewel Box, we snapped some photos of the breathtaking view of the sea and the Southern Islands. Too bad, the haze had obscured much of the brilliant scenery and it was with a tinge of regret that we packed our cameras away and continued on our hike. Trudging onto Faber Trail, we saw trees, foliage and more foliage – it was like NS all over again for us, sans helmet, SBO and rifle.

Henderson Waves, the bridge with its rib-like curves was next. The highest pedestrian bridge in Singapore, Henderson Waves towers 36 m above Henderson Road and connects Mount Faber and Telok Blangah hills. We rested under one of its curved ‘ribs’ cum shelters to have a quick lunch of potato crisps and bread. Artist-wannabes (or vandals) had scrawled graffiti on the balau wood used to construct the shelter. Perhaps it was the spirit of National Day resulting in a surge of patriotism through my veins, but I felt indignant that a civil engineering wonder like Henderson Waves should become the canvas of vandals.

Stomachs sated, we moved on to the Forest Walk where more marvels of civil engineering awaited us. The steel bridge we were on hanged over the forest canopy providing us a bird’s eye view of the thick jungle. We were looking out for macaques and other creatures of the wild, but were disappointed not to see any.

Crossing from Forest Walk, we reached Alexandra Arch, the bridge with its unique curved deck and tilted arch. Below us, the rumble of traffic along Alexandra Road continued unabated as we took photos galore. Alexandra Arch links to HortPark, a 23-hectare flora hub. Science students would surely have a field day traipsing through the Park, and learning about the names of flowers and plants of all shapes, sizes and colours.

The HortPark is connected via Canopy Walk to Kent Ridge Park, our final destination. Walking through groves of Tembusu trees, we ended up at the ‘Reflections at Bukit Chandu’ Museum. It seemed odd to bash through thickets of green and had a quaint-looking building materialise in front of you. With the afternoon sun hanging at its highest point, some air-conditioning was what we needed, so we fled into the museum. As it was National Day, the museum offered free entry.

Bukit Chandu or Opium Hill was the scene of one of the greatest battles ever waged in the prelude to the Japanese invasion of Singapore. On 14 Feb 1942, the Malay Regiment fought valiantly albeit fruitlessly to safeguard the hill from falling to the Japanese. The valour of the Malay soldiers was commemorated through a short theatrette screening, glass-plated encomiums, and artefacts. ‘Reflections at Bukit Chandu’ was an educational pitstop in our Southern Ridges hike and all of us came away feeling a renewed sense of patriotism.

After more than 9 km and four and a half hours later, we finally reached Kent Ridge Park, our final destination. Hot, sweaty and feeling like a dried raisin, all that was on my mind then was Coke on the rocks and a scrumptious dinner.


Sidebar: Some pointers before attempting the full 9 km of the Southern Ridges

• Wear a good pair of sneakers or hiking boots. Slippers and Crocs flip-flops are more suitable for the beach, as the writer found out.

• Slather on plenty of sun block if you are foolhardy enough to try the hike at 12pm.

• Bring water bottles. A couple of water coolers are available on the trail for refill.

• Bring insect repellent if you must, although the writer and friends were not bitten. Mozzies on National Day hols?

• Get along some light snacks to nibble on during the hike.