Sunday, July 13, 2008
A trip to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. (9th - 12th July)
The plan to climb up Mount. Kinabalu was first initiated a year ago. After months of planning and planning, we finally executed it! But too bad, Chan Hoe was not following us due to some unforeseen reasons.
Everyone around me was trying their best to tell me how difficult it is…
“Huh? Are you serious? Not easy to climb up one lah! You know what, my friend… blah blah blah…”,
“I was half-dead climbing up a small hill at Kuantan last time, now you are telling me you want to climb up Mount. Kinabalu?”,
“Aiyo… I heard very difficult to climb up one lah…”,
“You sure you want to do it? Hmm… alright…”,
“Have you ever heard of spirits in the mountain? They exist!”,
“I climbed up before but I only able to reach Laban Rata. We were not allowed to push to the peak as it was raining at night… But I can tell you my legs were “paralysed” soon I back to KL!”,
“You got so much time and money to waste is it?”,
“Are you doing some stamina training one month before the trip? If not you better quit it!”,
“Mount. Kinabalu? One of the tallest mountains of southeast Asia ah? OH MY GOD!”,
“Did you watch one of the Astro’s programmes where the artistes climbing up Mount. Kinabalu… Well, you should have watched it and you won’t be thinking of doing it.”
And my replies were...
“If gals can do it, I can do it too!”,
“Aiyo… hike up only ma… they got a trail one… not that hard I think.”,
“Spirits? They won’t kacau me if I don’t kacau them lah…”,
“Stamina training? Hmm, yup but it’s one week before the trip. I’m going to jog at Bandar Tun Razak. At the mean time, I’ll use staircase whenever possible…”,
“Are you exaggerating?”,
“Don’t scare me lah… Anyway I’ve paid and I must do it!” and etc…
Well, I have underestimated the difficulty level of climbing up Mount. Kinabalu…It was one of the most difficult “tasks” in my life so far… Anyhow, I’ve made it to the peak! YES, I MADE IT TO THE PEAK!!! (I know it sounds unbelievable to some of you… LOL)
Day 0 – Took the delayed AirAsia flight from LCCT to Kota Kinabalu (KK) airport. Reached KK at around 1am and spent a night at TuneHotel located at 1 Borneo.
Day 1 – Woke up damn early to go to KK Park. After paid for the permit and so on, we took our packed lunch at Balsam Café and took the minibus to Timpohon gate. We started to climb at 10am.
Ben, Me, Min Jie and Yew Chan at Tune Hotel. Ben just could not live without chocolates.
Min Jie, Yew Chan, Ben and Kien Meng (MJ's cousin brother). We supposed to be on top of the mountain behind tomorrow morning.
Ben, YC, me and KM at Balsam cafe.
I really salute these godlike humans...
Timpohon Gate.
Our guide - Primus Suati (the man facing camera) briefed us on the summit trail.
MJ, me, YC, KM and Ben at waterfall.
Five of us at Pondok Kandis. I'm sorry for the middle fingers pose. Parental guide needed.
KM 1.0. No problems at all...
Me and KM. He was my best companion of the day as we were known as the "turtle" brothers as we climbed relatively slower, as compared to the other three "rabbit" friends.
KM 1.5. Still okay...
Posers.
KM 2.5. "Huh? Still got how far to Pondok Layang-layang?"
KM 3.0. "What?! Walk like hell only 0.5KM?"
KM 3.5. "0.5Km more to Pondok Layang-layang..."
KM 4.0. "Pondok Layang-layang is not far!"
We had our packed lunch at Pondok Layang-layang... Another 2KM to Laban Rata. These 2Km were more challenging than the previous 4KM.
Now you see why it is more challenging?
Quoted from WaiKit Handbook of Signs and Symptoms: Altitude sickness can be found at an altitude of 3000M, where the individual tends to suffer from weirdo-ism. S&S may include act cute with protruding tongue, imagine him/her-self as Sunsilk model, and "swim" in the forest. Obviously my "rabbit" friends had it! LOL.
Alpine tree, only can be found at an altitude of approx 300om.
Five of us on a rock.
One of my "rabbit" friends got his leg muscle cramped.
KM 5.0. I was exhausted.
KM 5.5. I was half-dead back then.
Laban Rata! Thank God I can have a good rest soon...
It was 9.3 degree C at daytime.
After taking dinner, we rest at 7PM and we were required to wake up at 1AM on the next day to push to the peak.
Day 2 – Woke up DAMN early in the middle of the night, 1am and got prepared. Both my thighs were in deep pain and so I’ve applied some analgesic cream. We started to push to the peak at 2.30am. Climbing in the dark was not easy at all, where the trail becomes more and more steep. Most of the times we need to hold on to a rope in order to climb up the naked granite rocks.
As you may predict, Kien Meng and I were left out by others again but finally we both made it to the peak! I guess I just did something beyond my (human) limit... and I should feel proud of it!
At 2.30am, before another torturing 2.7KM to the peak!
Sunrise... it was beautiful.
WE MADE IT TO THE PEAK!!!
Descending from the summit was faster and easier but extra care need to be taken as not to slip or fall. We took approx 5 hours to descend to Timpohon gate.
Soon we got back to Tune Hotel, we got ourselves prepared as we were going to meet YC's friends from Sabah - Claudia and Alfred. They both are very friendly. They took us to a lounge bar at KK town and we had some beer. After that, they brought us around KK town but too bad I fall asleep in the car. LOL. I was just too tired...
Day 3 - I woke up in the morning with both my legs "paralysed" and so i applied analgesic cream again. We took our breakfast at 1 Borneo before heading to KK town.
1 Borneo, the most high-class shopping complex at Sabah so far.
Can you spot a small signboard written "Ampang YongTauFu"?
KK Town.
Five of us at Filipino market.
Snapped by paparazzi Poon at MongKok Restaurant. The bracelet on my left hand is a souvenoir from KM - a guy who bought the whole Filipino market back KL (I'm exaggerating =P).
After spending a day shopping and eating, we took the flight back KL at 8PM... with my "paralysed" legs...
* post-mountain-climbing muscle-aching & losing weight *