The Climb

It’s been exactly 2 weeks since we came back from our Mount Kinabalu expedition. And I just have to blog about this because I consider it one of my biggest achievement in life – one in which I really tested both my physical limits and mental will. And I’m so glad I did it together with B.

A pic of us – 200m away from the summit, in our matchy superdry jacket, kronos pants and adidas trekking shoes. Unfortunately, the weather was rather misty so even those who climbed to the top didn’t manage to catch the sunrise. We decided not to venture the last treacherous 200 M (for fear that I won’t be able to make it down even if I can clamber my way up – we were told the last 100m is a scary 60 degree climb). I admit it was a bit of a letdown, not climbing to the peak and seeing the sunrise (not that any could be seen anyway) but I’m terribly proud of us for making it this far as inexperienced and undertrained climbers.

Anyway, just a little account of our climb. Mount K’s summit, Low’s peak is 4,095m above sea level (now compared that to Bukit Timah which stand at a mere 163.63m). There are several rest huts along the way up, with a resthouse at Laban Rata where most climbers spend a night staying over before attempting the climb to the summit. We started our climb slow and steady at 9+am in the morning and it was all greenery and rocks on our way up. We stopped to catch our breath every now and then and it got more chilly the higher we went. The extra sweater B brought for me really did come in handy and I pulled it on at our ‘lunch’ stop. We had our packed lunch (sandwiches and bananas) before continuing our climb. Oh and there were inquisitive squirrels scuttling about at almost every stop! They were friendly creatures looking for some extra food haha.

We reached Laban Rata Resthouse at 2+pm in the afternoon – a relatively fast timing of 4hrs and 45mins! After taking a breather and a small nap, dinner was served at 430pm. Speaking of which, the food provided was really quite delicious. Thankfully it was so, because there were no other food choices there anyway. And fortunately, the altitude didn’t get to me too much. Apart from the annoying headache (from lying in bed and trying to get to sleep at 7pm) that plagued me during the night on our shaky double deck bed, I was doing good and actually have appetite for food served at the cookhouse. By the way, the bed was sooooooo shaky that if either of us moved an inch, the other can feel it! It’s kindda like being on a double deck sampan lols. I thought it was kindda cute though, how both of us can’t fall aslp and B grappling in the dark to ‘see me’ and keeps reaching his hands up to the upper deck to feel for mine 🙂

Us, wide awake at 2am to get ready for the summit climb in the dark. It was very endearing of B when he holds me as I was climbing down from the top deck (knowing how clumsy I can be sometimes :P) After a short ‘supper’, we were all geared up and ready for the venture out in the dark! It started with a long flight of stairs, which turned into rocky paths, and then slabs of rock. And then came the scariest part, when we had to follow the white ropes and climb up. Some parts were frightening, to say the least. This is especially so when we had to step on a narrow ledge and move sideway up the face of the mountain, and behind us – is a drop to nothingness below. We had no safety harness or anything, just our guide and our belief that we just got to conquer a small step at one time and we’ll be fine.

Us, like true mountaineers with headtorches and trekking sticks! Lols. Anyway, it took us about 6 hours up and down the summit path – we started close to 3am and descended to Laban Rata at 9+am. On our way up in the dark, we could only see a short distance ahead of us and couldn’t really make out how the path looks like. But it was nice though, when we sit down to take a break and see many twinkling lights (from fellow climbers) below. The feeling is very surreal – knowing that you’re so up high and also, feeling so insignificant when you’re immersed in nature.

The view was a lot better on the way down, rather than up because as dawn breaks, we could see the landscape much better. But we were tired too, from the exertion of pulling ourselves up the steep slopes using the white ropes, frozen hands from the wet gloves, and aching legs from the climb.

For lack of a better word, the descend from Laban Rata to Timpohon Gate was PAINFUL. The way down was as painful as it was exhilarating the way up. We had our fair shares of stumbles and falls on our way down, due to the slippery, wet and uneven path (me more than him obviously). As if the torment on our painful knees were not bad enough, the rain came pouring down during our last 2 km. In B’s words, I was hobbling like an old grandmother. And I really was. At some point during our descend down, I was so frustrated and really felt like crying from the exhaustion and pain. But there was no way I could throw my hands up and say ‘that’s it! I’m not doing this anymore’. (Actually you can, just spend more money and be carried down lols) Anyway, that was not an option for me. So I gritted my teeth and pushed myself on.

Although less tiring, it was so much harder on the way down. You’ve got to be extra careful and ‘plan’ your steps so you don’t lose your footing and tumble down. Every single steps is a potential trap to make you fall and it is no joke falling down on such rocky path. It was getting to a point when I felt I needed to be mentally stronger than physically fit. I told B I think it would be easier running a 42km full marathon than climbing a mountain. The whole climb was actually about 17km up and down but 1 km often feels like an eternity. At the end of the descend, we were cold, drenched and thoroughly exhausted with SUPER aching legs. I was honestly tired beyond words and feeling feverish, in short, really uncomfortable. But its nothing a panadol and good sleep can’t cure! Though the muscle ache did stick with me for a couple of days after returning to SG, almost like a memento of our Mount K adventure.

As the saying goes, ‘It’s not the destination, but the journey that matters the most.’ It is true, in so many sense of the word. This trip to Mount Kinabalu is vastly different from any other trips we’ve went on. Some people might see this as a torture (why spend money to go through such hardship?) but I saw this as a challenge to test my limits. I think climbing a mountain is somewhat akin to life. On our journey up Mount K, there are many ups and downs. There are times when we fumble in the dark and press on not fully knowing what lies ahead, times when we had to overcome our fears, times when we stumble and fall, but pick ourselves up and just keep going anyway. This is just like life, isn’t it? And at the end of the day, it is not the final destination that really matters, it’s really about who stays with you throughout and experience the journey with you. It’s about the encouragement you get from people who are ‘in it’ with you together. It’s about the scenic views you see along the way. It’s about the moment when you rest your head on your partner’s shoulder and think, ‘wow we have really come this far together’. It’s about the journey.