Day 1:
It is finally here! The long awaited climb! We booked it in April, after a few changes in the dates, and we were finally fixed on 20-24 August 2010. First time i was on a trip whereby i did not plan anything, only pack my bag and go!
We flew from JB Senai airport as it was cheaper, and also 2 of them were staying in JB, so it was more convenient. We touched down at Kota Kinabalu airport around noon, and the guide picked us up to the town for lunch, before embarking on a 3hrs journey to Mt Kinabalu. Lunch was at a local restaurant, 7 courses, decent food, though nothing to shout about.
KFC Nasi Lemak - My breakfast at the airport. There is something special abotu KFC in Malaysia, it just taste different. Either it is the air, or the food that the chicken eat!
Sambal Prawns
Braised Tofu
Calarmari
Look at how clean my shoes were before the climb.
After lunch, we started our approx 3hours drive to Mount Kinabalu (Mt KK). We finally reached our destination, the foot of the mountain, and we need to register at the visitors center. We saw this young woman, who was walking as if she has sprained her leg..So we started to wonder if we would walk like that 2 days later! After registration, we checked in to our hotel, more like resort. Each hut has 3 rooms, so 7 of us shared to hut, very spacious. It started to rain in the evening, and we had to brave the rain to walk to the restaurant. But it was quite satisfying to have steamboat dinner on a rainy night, whereby the temperature was about 17 degrees!
Day 2:
The challenge has began! We woke up at around 0615Hr so that we could get ready for breakfast at 0700Hr and the set off at 0730HR.
I was so happy to get 007 as my number :-)
Some of the bags. The main one will go to the porter, we will just carry our day pack. My bag came in 2nd at 8.5kg, the champion was Tee's bag at 10kg, partly because of his tripod! Really admired the porter for their strength.
The map. We took the Mesilau trail, it was a 8km trek to the rest stop.
The group just as we began the trek. The walking stick cost RM$3, and it was the best thing that RM$3 can buy! Without it, I probably could not make it to the top!
0830HR:
We started the trek. I was wearing another fleece jacket, but after 15 mins walk, it was getting so hot that I had to take it off. Nice weather for 2 hours, and it was a nice trek.
1030HR:
It started to drizzle and we had to stop to wear our rain gear. One hour later, it started to rain more heavily.
1230Hr:
We finally made it to our rest stop to break for lunch. It was a nightmare to walk through wet jungles, slippery stones and rocks, puddle of muddy water. My pants wasn't water proof and the poncho was not that great. I got my fleece jacket back from the porter to fight the cold. Packed lunch was simple far: Sandwich with a piece of cheese like looking thing, two hard boiled eggs and a piece of fried chicken which taste as hard as stone. However, i realised that i can eat anything as long as i am cold, wet and hungry!
1300HR: Ah Teck and the rest set off, while Tee, Helen and I waited for a little longer for the rain to stop. However, it did not seem possible, so we set off 15 mins later, in the rain. It was much tougher than i imagined to trek in the rain. The road was slippery, and there was mud everywhere which made the road more slippery. As we progressed, I was finding it tougher and tougher, because my heartbeat was going faster, and I was finding difficulties in breathing. To make matter worse, I was having a terrible headache. Tee was having difficulties breathing too, his gf helen was very nice to accomodate us and we made quite a number of rest stops.
1730Hr: The rain finally stopped, and we were able to appreciate the scenary around us. It was breathe taking (Partially i was also out of breathe). And we managed to take some photos, though I was not the one taking, as I was too tired to bring out my camera.
1855Hr: We finally reached the Laban Rata, with multiple rest stops and many prayers. Laban Rata was where dinner was served. Dinner was buffet style. Rice was hard, roast chicken was even harder. I wonder if the chickens did a lot of exercise that they have so much muscles. Vegetables were soaking in oil, only the noodles were acceptable. Nonetheless, i just piled up my plate with them, and had the 100 plus which the porter has helped me to carry up the mountain. 100 plus was cold (Imagine the weather), and it never taste soooooooooooooo good.
2000Hr: We finished dinner and have to walk another 100m to our dorm. The dorm was a non heated one, as the only heated dorm in Mt KK was Laban Rata, which was already fully booked. The non heated dorm was really COLD, and the temperature was 8 degrees!!! Urghhhhhhh the water was freezing cold. I really hats off to Alison, who still can shower and wash her hair. The rest of us boiled water and use towel to wipe ourselves. The towel went cold less than 1 minute after I soaked it in hot water, and I went to bed at 2100Hr, with a headache.
0130Hr: Woke up with 4.5 hours of rest, with a splitting headache, and aching legs that i felt did not belong to me anymore. No much appetite for food, but I needed it for energy, so i stuffed a bread, with my coffee. Thank God that i brought my starbucks tumbler, and I could have my Ipoh white coffee. I popped 2 painkillers to ease the headache, wore my warm clothes, and I was ready to trek again, with legs that had mind of their own. I also asked if the porter could help me with my camera, and he readily agreed! Very kind of him, was so touched. It was pitch dark outside, and we had to depend on our headlights again. A trail of lights from fellow trekkers made the surrounding brighter. It was a difficult climb, and some parts, I had to depend on my arms to pull myself up, and the toughest part was fighting against time, to reach the summit by 0530Hr to wait for sunrise. Towards the last part, the porter was helping me up. On his left hand, he was holding me, and on his right, he was holding Helen..wow!
0630Hr: Finally we reached!! Pant pant pant...Scenary was breathe taking, though we have missed the sunrise (Except for Aw, who was the fastest)
Going down was scary, I slipped and fell and hit my elbow..ouch! It was very steep, and at one point, i was so scare that my legs refused to move at all. The porter had to help me to move my legs :-S So embarassing
