MNS Pathfinders: [REPORT] Coasteering/Circumnavigating Cape Rachado 2025

Finishing point Blue Lagoon

Quick Summary

Overall completion rate (measured at Monkey Bay): 66.7%

More measurements and accompanying notes at our main branch site.

Circumnavigation Sections

There are 3 sections (or legs) when we do end-to-end circumnavigation:

From the entrance down the hill to the shore (no coasteering yet) and till the altar/well (Perigi Hang Tuah) at the end of Pantai Keramat (once known as Teluk Rubiah in historical documents). This is rated 1:2 (out for five) for level of difficulty:risk.
Trek up into the forest ridge where the promontory-lighthouse trail is and hike down the slope to the shore, and trek a short distance over only boulders and rocks and joins the beach leading to Pulau Intan - this latter trek is the test of coasteering 'capability' including leg stability and stamina; this leg is often the part we will know if any trekkers are capable of continuing to the third leg. Trekkers may quit here and walk up the stairs and back to the lighthouse and descend back to car park safely. Difficulty:risk is 4:4.
From here till Blue Lagoon is the longest stretch that covers a few bays often with rocks and boulders, and cliffs. This leg also passes attractions like freshwater pool from underground, getting across cave tunnel (only "opens" during low tide), climbing high cliff and boulders, passing the narrow gap, lighthouse sighting, Monkey Bay beach and lastly, Blue Lagoon and its mangrove trees. Difficulty:risk is 5:5.

The route generally covers a distance of 5 km and we need to complete the trip in 5 hours - and normal walking or trekking pace can complete it with short photography sessions included. Long than that will mean the tide will start to come onto the shores. The risks involve injuries from getting cuts from sharp rocks, falling and slipping (wet rocks and those with algae on the surface), fatigue, and heatstroke - very often the event takes place during afternoon and mid-afternoon. Pathfinders usually conducts this trip in conjunction with the annual Raptor Watch (RW) albeit many times they were not held on the same weekend as RW due to unfavourable tide timings. However, migrating raptors can be seen most of the times.