The iconic 39m wide Imbak Waterfall.

FOREST ranger Jasrin Gindar, 28, remembers that day in late 2010 as if it were just yesterday.

He recalls feeling a rush of exhilaration as he and a group of rangers stumbled upon magnificent cascades of water rushing down in twin falls deep in the unchartered forest of Imbak Canyon Conservation Area (ICCA) located in the heart of Sabah.

“We stood there, at the foot of the waterfall, watching in awe,” he said.

“Then we snapped photos, took the coordinates and rushed back to our makeshift camp to break the news to the others,” he added.

The waterfall is now known as Kuli Waterfall in conjunction with Gunung Kuli, the name of the mountain where it was found.

Three weeks earlier the group had set out from Tampoi Research Station, located on the central-eastern fringe of the conservation area, in search of waterfalls around Gunung Kuli, one of the key areas in ICCA – a 30,000ha of undisturbed forest now being conserved under the Yayasan Sabah-Petronas Imbak Canyon Conservation Partnership.

Moving upstream along the Imbak River, the group traversed through the dense forest, slogging through rushing rivers, and climbing up slippery slopes and rocks, all the while listening to the sound of the forest for any clue that a waterfall could be nearby.

Jasrin recalled that the search for waterfalls was difficult given the challenging nature of ICCA’s terrain.

The conservation area is hemmed in on three sides by sandstone ridges. At their highest point the ridges exceed 1,000 metres, with the highest reaching 1,120 metres.

“We had to find places for shelter when the sun set. Back then, there were no proper base camps in Gunung Kuli like what we have today,” said Jasrin.

In a span of about a month, the group found over 30 other waterfalls in various heights and shapes, and some exist only during the rainy season.

The Kuli Waterfall cascades down over a gradual series of eight granite tiers, often creating a mist that dissipates into the forest canopy. At certain angles, when the sun is bright, one can see a rainbow forming in the misty spray of the waterfall.

To reach there, one need to take a four-wheel drive vehicle ride from the Tampoi Research Station, followed by about one-day of uphill trekking towards Gunung Kuli.

The Kuli Waterfall is about 19km from the research station, currently the focal point for any expedition in the conservation area.

Gunung Kuli also houses another waterfall, which is yet to be named, but is often referred to as Maya Fall, following the visit by Malaysian actress Maya Karin to ICCA in 2013.

It is located about 1.3km from the Gunung Kuli Research Station which was built in 2010.

Imbak Canyon is also the home to the iconic Imbak Waterfall. Measuring 39 metres wide, it is the most accessible waterfall in the conservation area as the access road leads right up to its edge.

Apart from its rich flora and fauna, Imbak Canyon also serves as the water catchment area for the 560km Kinabatangan River, the longest river in Sabah, said Yayasan Sabah’s Conservation and Environment Management Division head Dr Yap Sau Wai.

“It must therefore be preserved both for its function as a gene bank as well as in helping to protect the quality of Sabah’s river system,” Dr Yap added.

Visitors going to the Imbak Waterfall will pass by the site of the RM77mil Imbak Canyon Studies Centre (ICSC) funded by Petronas under the Yayasan Sabah-Petronas Imbak Canyon Conservation Partnership.

Currently under construction, the 27ha centre will strengthen the position of the ICCA as a centre for learning in biodiversity conservation and sustainable use of natural resources, as well as for gene bank conservation and exploration for pharmaceutical and biotechnology potentials.

Petronas has to date contributed a total of RM83mil under the partnership, which started in 2010, to conserve the last remaining undisturbed forest in Sabah.

The ICCA was originally part of the Yayasan Sabah concession area.

In 2003, Yayasan Sabah voluntarily designated Imbak Canyon as a conservation area for research, education, training and recreational purposes.

The legal protection for the ICCA was further fortified in 2009 when the Sabah State Government accorded it a Class 1 (Protection) Forest Reserve.

To date, only about 20% of ICCA has been explored, promising more journeys of discovery for rangers like Jasrin and many others who have grown fond of the conservation area’s pristine heritage.