Introduction → Race Tracker → Meet the Teams → Leg 1 → Leg 2 → Leg 3 → Leg 4 → Leg 5 → Leg 6A → Leg 6B → Leg 7 → Leg 8 → Leg 9 → Leg 10 → Leg 11 → Leg 12
Leg 21.05 – “You intentionally dropped your nuts on my face.”
During the Pit Stop, teams are transported to the Sepilok Nature Resort. From here, teams will depart for the 5th Leg of the Race.
Teams must find a feeding station in the jungle. Choosing a durian fruit, teams must cut it open themselves and prepare some durian for a new orangutan friend. After then eating four pieces each themselves, the orangutan will hand them their next clue.
Teams will choose a 2021 Kia Sportage and drive themselves to Trushidup Palm Oil Plantation in Sandakan where they will find the Detour: Chop or Haul.
In Chop, teams must use local tools to chop down 20 palm nut branches and stack them in a pile. They must then search for a tree with their next clue to chop down one final bunch.
In Haul, teams must use a wheelbarrow to transfer 40 palm nut branches to a corresponding truck. When the truck is fully loaded, it will drive away to reveal the clue.
After the Detour, teams must drive themselves to Gomantong Caves in Kinabatangan where they will find the Road Block: Who wants to hang out?
For this Road Block, one team member must climb a rattan ladder, normally used to collect bird’s nests, to grab a pair of headlamps from a basket hanging above.
When the teammates reunite, they can use the headlamps to search the caves for their next clue.
That clue directs teams to the Poring Orchid Conservation Centre in Ranau where they will find a Double Road Block! And it is one of the Race’s most infamous Switchbacks! Eyes or Ears.
For this Double Road Block, teams must identify 10 different orchid species. Both team members will have to work together, however. The team member who will use their “ears” will be blindfolded as their teammate who will use their “eyes” will describe each orchid flower to them along with their name. The blindfolded teammate must memorize the orchids using only their partner’s descriptions. When ready, that teammate will head to a different area, remove their blindfold and correctly identify the orchids to receive their next clue.
This is also the Trigger Point for this Leg of the Race. If any team can complete the Double Road Block after exactly two attempts, the U-Turn or Yield will be activated on the next Leg.
After the Double Road Block, teams can make their way on foot to Kipungit Waterfall in Poring where they will take a 20-minute hike to the Pit Stop.
The first team to check-in here will win P200,000 courtesy of Shell V-Power Nitro+.
The last team to check-in here WILL be eliminated.
.
.
“Director’s” Commentary
Yes. Like last week, this Leg is also 90% recycled from TAR4 as well. lol
I mean, we’re in Borneo. Might as well have two Legs here. And of course, Google scouting has us not only recycling an entire realTARUS Leg, but also including a TARPHDME Switchback too. Lol
Anyway, we do have some modifications to fit with TARPHDME’s style and format. And to make the originally simple, straightforward Leg a bit more challenging.
First, we start teams off at the nature resort just for logistics purposes. And also make the Fast Forward into a regular Route Info task with the added task of having to deal with durian themselves.
Teams will still depart according to their Pit Stop arrivals last Leg. So teams won’t depart on a set interval. That means we need to make sure this Leg is designed well enough that teams can still have a chance to catch up.
The driving alone could be a challenge for the teams. And we hope it is! Getting lost while driving yourself is high drama on TAR.
The TAR4 Detour was fine. But we have teams get a bit more physical on both sides of the Detour than the original on TAR4. Teams will have to put in the work regardless of which Detour they choose.
The Road Block is also basically the same as TAR4. But to switch it up, we can have teams actually collecting bird’s nests like the locals do. Having teams searching through the caves is just another extra thing for them to do.
Looking for something else to add on this Leg, I decided on this classic TARPHDME Double Road Block which has already been Switchbacked to at least once, I think. The task itself is “inspired” by TAR Canada’s infamous Road Block. But I like it better as a Double Road Block and with orchids. It’s a crazy task that at the end of the Leg will definitely bring about some drama between team members and between teams. We hope!
Finally, teams hike to a waterfall for a beautiful 8K UHD drone-worthy Pit Stop! After a hot, exhausting day, this could be very exciting.
Overall, an okay, recycled Leg. But certainly lots of opportunity for good competition and drama. Especially with nine teams left.