The trails at the newly reopened Bukit Timah Nature Reserve are now
safer for users, thanks to the non-slip trail surfaces and
boardwalks that have been added.
When The New Paper visited the reserve on Tuesday and Wednesday
morning, many middle-aged joggers - some part of walking groups -
were seen exploring the reopened reserve.
Mr Tan Wee Yeow, 57, the founder of walking group W4F (Walking For
Fun, Fitness, Food with Friends) who organises weekly walks every
Friday, told TNP that he appreciated the changes made to the
reserve.
The retiree said: "It's much safer now. There used to be some muddy
stretches, big roots of trees and we would have to navigate around
them, and it would be slippery.
"Some parts were also not protected by the rope and railings we see
now. The pavement was quite worn down with soil erosion, but now,
there are the reinforcements of steps, which makes it easier to
walk on."
Bukit Timah Nature Reserve was fully reopened last Saturday after
being closed since September 2014 for restoration works.
The reserve was closed due to the badly eroded trail network.
Mr Wong Tuan Wah, director of conservation at the National Parks
Board (NParks), told TNP that they noticed people straying off the
trail often.
He said: "They would try to avoid certain puddles of water, so
they'd walk off the trail and on the soil. Over time, this caused
the trail to widen and hinder plant growth. Soil erosion also
occurred."
Rope handrails along some stretches of the trails have been added
to keep visitors on track.
Other new features NParks added were boardwalks over swampy areas,
a non-slip trail surface made of a porous mixture of soil and a
synthetic polymer that allows rainwater to reach roots
underneath.
Weak slopes have also been reinforced using micro piles driven into
the soil and biodegradable geotextile netting covering the slopes
that allows plants to grow through.
Visitors can also learn about Singapore's natural heritage and
biodiversity conservation efforts at the upgraded visitor
centre.
NParks' director of central nature reserve, Ms Sharon Chan, said
that since the agency took over the management of Bukit Timah in
1992, the number of visitors annually has increased from fewer than
100,000 to 400,000, thanks to successful outreach programmes.
However, some visitors prefer the way it was before. A visitor who
wanted to be known as Mr Alvin, 52, is an experienced climber who
has been climbing mountains for three years.
He said the trails at the reserve do not feel as "natural" any
more.
He told TNP: "I climb mountains in Malaysia and the environment
feels natural. I can't really get that here.
"Here, the steps aren't really nice. They're very steep and will
hurt your knees especially if you're going downhill. Serious
climbers won't like this kind of setting, but it's good for people
who climb for leisure."
NParks' Mr Wong said intermediate steps were added at some areas to
make climbing easier.
He said: "Some people like the challenge of high steps, but we give
them the option of intermediate steps as well."
But visitors were appreciative of the efforts made by NParks.
Mr Tan said he liked wide variations of terrain from the gentle
slope of Serapong Link to the challenge of steep steps at Rengas
Path and those in between, like the Dairy Farm Loop.
He said: "The steps at Rengas are most challenging. They're very
steep and it gets your heart pumping. In the past, where there were
steps, they were actually much higher, further apart, and sometimes
irregular.
"I prefer it much more now that they've added more steps and kept
them at more regular intervals, which is important for runners, the
very old and very young hikers."
"Here, the steps aren't really nice. They're very steep and will
hurt your knees especially if you're going downhill. Serious
climbers won't like this kind of setting, but it's good for people
who climb for leisure."
- A visitor who wanted to be known as Mr Alvin, an experienced
climber
TNP
