Summary:
Rating: 7/10
Difficulty: Hard
Distance: 17km
Terrain: Trails, Roads
Topography: Mainly flat, one very large hill in the middle
Closest MRT Station: Botanical Gardens
Description:
This route came about because I wanted to find a way of incorporating the Rifle Range link into a circular route. Doing this is difficult for several reasons, mainly because the part of the central catchment area directly north of the link is off limits (including the mysterious Woodcutter’s trail, which I’ll talk about in another post) and because any route south of Upper and Lower Peirce Reservoirs necessarily straddles the PIE.
The first half of the route is mainly forest trails, including a section of running on wooden boards around Macritchie, which should be familiar to many runners in Singapore. The second half is a winding route through the leafy suburbs north of Bukit Timah/Dunearn Road. Overall it’s an enjoyable and challenging route, although there are a couple less pleasant stretches around Adam Road and Vanda Link.
Anyone wanting to access this route by public transport should take the Circle Line to Botanical Gardens MRT and then start the route at Adam Road. If you’re driving you can park at Greenbank Park like I did, and then start closer to Rifle Range Road.
Detailed Directions:
1. Exiting Greenbank Park, turn right up the hill to run along Jalan Kampong Chantek. This track will take you all the way to Rifle Range Road. Depending on when you run, you might see guys parked along the side of the track. They’re picking durians in the nature reserve on your left.
2. Once you reach the gates to Murnane service reservoir, skirt around the fence on the left and descend to the road. Turn right onto Rifle Range Road. (NB. the pipelines you see in front of you go all the way to Woodlands, and the tracks alongside them are incorporated into several other routes I’ve tried).
3. Run along Rifle Range Road, crossing the BKE. Chances are you’ll see some macaques. You’ll also pass the facility with the big satellite dishes that is visible when driving on the PIE.
4. When you get the end of Rifle Range Road, join the track directly ahead. Run along the track until you reach a signposted junction.
5. To follow the route outlined above, take a right here towards the Jelutong Tower and ranger station. I couldn’t resist following the unsignposted route to the left, which takes you up a manmade waterfall towards Upper Peirce reservoir. You get quite a nice view at the top, but there’s no obvious way through. I might explore this area further in the future.
6. Anyway, assuming you went right at the previous junction, follow the trail to a second junction when it joins the main Macritchie loop. You’ll have to cross a (very) small stream and pass the Dillenia Hut. At the junction you can either turn right (to do a shortened version of this route) or turn left to head towards the treetop walk, where you can do a demanding loop via the treetop walk.
7. Follow the Macritchie track as far as the ranger station. There, you need to turn left to head up towards the treetop walk. I confess I didn’t actually do this myself as the treetop walk is a one-way route and I entered via the wrong side. This being Singapore, there is actually someone who is employed to stand there and enforce these rules, so I was forced to turn around and go back. Anyway, there are no side paths so just follow the route back down towards the Macritchie loop. You will rejoin the track a little further up from where you joined earlier.
I would definitely recommend doing the treetop walk segment. It makes for a more challenging route and the view from the top over the reservoirs is fantastic. Be warned it’s pretty high, so maybe give it a miss if you don’t like heights.
8. When you reconnect with the Macritchie loop, turn right and follow the track back the way you came earlier. You will follow this track all the way to the Sime Road exit from Macritchie. The route takes you close to the SICC golf course, and is pretty scenic. There’s a lot of variety underfoot in this stretch, including wooden boards, earthen trails and proper paths. After 2.5km you’ll reach another junction, where you should go straight ahead into the forest rather than following the reservoir round to the left. (NB. You also pass the Jelutong Tower early on. If you feel up to it, this is definitely worth climbing as the view from the top is excellent).
9. Follow the track for a short distance until you reach the exit. Cross Lornie Road using the overpass and turn back on yourself before taking the first right (Kheam Hock Road). This takes you through past what used to be the entrance to Bukit Brown Cemetery, goes under the PIE, then enters a housing estate on the east side of Adam Road.
9. Turn right onto University Road, then keep going until you reach Chee Hoon Avenue. Turn right again, and run the length of Chee Hoon avenue until you rejoin Adam Road. Cross via the overpass, then head north back up Adam Road until you reach the junction with Arcadia Road just before the PIE. (NB. Adam Road is probably the best place to start the route if you’re taking public transport).
10. Turn left onto Arcadia Road, and follow it all the way until the end. There’s a small pathway that allows you to head onto Greenpark Avenue.
11. Turn right onto Greenpark Avenue. At the junction, turn right onto Greenwood Terrance, left onto Greenwood Lane, then left onto Greenwood Avenue. Follow Greenwood Avenue until you reach the junction with Sunset Avenue on the right. Turn right head up the (deceptively steep) hill, then once you reach the top follow the road round to the right. Turn left onto Pine Walk, then left onto Linden Drive when you see the park directly in front of you.
12. Cross the road and turn right onto Vanda Avenue. Follow Vanda Avenue, which eventually turns into Vanda Road, all the way to the junction with the main road. Cross Eng Neo Avenue, then run down Vanda Link to the junction with Turf Club Road. Here you can either turn right to go via Turf City, or turn left to run a shorter (but less pleasant) route along Bukit Timah Road. Assuming you go the shorter route, turn right onto Bukit Timah Road and then run until you reach the turning for Swiss Club Road on your right.
13. Turn right onto Swiss Club Road, which veers off to the left then right. Follow this road all the way to the end, then turn left onto Swiss Club Link. This joins Jalan Kampong Chantek, which indicates you’re nearing the finish line. Turn right, then follow the road under the BKE to the finish line at Greenbank Park.
Run Different SG 