Mount Kinabalu 15-18 July

Yup, i did it! i climbed Mount Kinabalu, reached Low's peak at 4095m, saw the sunrise at 5.25am and came back down safe and sound with no bones broken and all toes intact :-)

Altho it sounded easy and all, the truth is it wasn't. One very good lesson i learned during my climb was to take one step at a time. every step i took was a step of achievement for me because it took a lot of effort and energy especially when i was on my way down. My knees turned weak and feet wobbly during my 6-km walk, and i could only support my weight on the kind arm of my guide and the walking stick i was holding on. Without them, i would probably camp an additional day amid the jungle :p

There were several moments when a few of my tears dropped because the pain and agony were too much to bear. i doubt i had ever been in such physical tremour. i wish i was stronger but it was a good experience to feel such weakness because i realised then how human i was.

The rest of the trip to the hot spring and the city were fleeting time as my body tried its best to recover. my two friends and i met a number of climbers and travellers during the trip and it was an interesting experience to talk to them and exchange travelling stories.

The two persons i enjoyed most was our Japanese roommate, Chika and a German guy we met at Trekkers Lodge. Chika was also a writer but her focus was on supernatural ie X-Files. No kidding, she told us she had seen aliens before, wrote numerous articles on them, etc ... how cool is that?! the German guy (i didn't get his name) was a nurse but he quit his job 15 months ago to travel and he's now on his remaining 15 months. it never cease to amaze me the extend people take in order to see the world. i was so inspired during our short 15 mins chat.

So in summary of my trip:
The weather:
- it was perfect, couldn't have asked for a better weather than what we had :) sun was gloriously shining, clouds were white like in heaven and the rocky mountain were a vast contrast from the forest down under.

The guide:
- he was an angel in disguise; without him i wouldn't have survived and thrived through the experience. if any of you plan to climb, try asking for Mollinius Tinggal :)

The cost:
- it was underestimated due to the fact that there was only 3 of us so we had to depend on taxis alot and they cost per vehicle instead of per person. it would have been cheaper if we had a bigger group (4 pax wld be best). we spent about RM100/person just on cabs alone
- accommodation was darn cheap. for the 3 days, we spent only RM49 because i booked all dorm beds and the condition was better than i expected :) pretty proud of myself
- recommended: www.trekkerslodge.com and www.suterasanctuarylodge.com

Myth:
- Nope, one doesn't need hi-tech gear for the climb cos i used all cheapo stuff and still i survived. wind breaker was important but not essential if you are already warmly clothed. btw, wearing too many layers is also no good cos then u\'d be too heavy to climb - less is more in this case :)
- if you\'ve been to cold places before and survived -20 degrees, u can survive the weather on the mountain :)

Facts:
- bring Ribena; it does wonders :)
- walking stick
- dun eat heavy breakfast (especially instant noodles!) cos it makes it harder to climb. i made the mistake of having Tom Yam so during my climb at 2.30am, i was feeling nauseaus and having a stomache :(
- wear slippers while climbing down from Laban Rata cos it helps to ease the pressure. shoes would hurt the toes (cut toe nails; it's v important!)