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Published: July 28th 2008
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Well, I am writing from Macau forcing myself to stay away from the blackjack tables and expensive restaurants for just a few minutes to recount our time in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia on the island of Borneo.
We arrived in good spirits excited for what was ahead of us as we had heard varying accounts on how difficult the climb would be. We had heard about a family wanting to take the trip with their three kids aged 9-14, so we figured if they thought they could handle it- we definitely could. There were also people who could not complete the climb due to altitude sickness and the simple fact it was too difficult for them. As the day came to head out of town to the World Heritage sight- we were both very excited.
We stayed at the base of the mountain through Sutera Sanctuary Lodge in a dormitory type room with our friends Eric and Pim whom Adam knows through his father. They were to be our climbing partners through the good and the bad for the next couple of days. It was nice to stay at the base for the night to get acclimatized to the altitude
Pitcher Plant
Lined the trail in the lower altitudes we were already at, and attend the climbers briefing so we knew what to expect when we set out the next morning.
1st day of the climb:
We set out to meet our guide at 8am after a hearty buffet breakfast that was included in the package. A guide is required by all whom wish to summit, so we met him and a couple of other climbers whom we split the guide fee with. We finally got our id cards for different check points on the mountain and set off for the 6k climb to our resting spot for the evening. The ascending part is fairly hard on your lungs and everyone needed the rest stops that were located every kilometer or so. It took us about 6 hours to reach our stopping point for the day. The last hour or so was the roughest as we got stuck in the pouring rain, and it was as if we were climbing up a steep rushing stream. We were happy that we were staying in the only building that had heat available as it got down to about 7 degrees C. We tried to refuel on the food that
was served and it was recommended to be in bed around 8pm to be ready to wake up at 1:30 for the sunrise ascent to the peak. Of course the heater made the room saunaesque and no one was able to get much sleep.
2nd day of the climb:
a bit before 2am our alarm rings, and we set out to dress in all warm clothing we dragged up the mountain the first day and made sure we had our headlights to guide us through the pitch black night. It was unbelievable climbing the rest of the way in the dark, we both had moments of weakness, and sickness feelings- but we continued to climb one foot in from of another. It was a blessing in disguise that it was so dark as we only focused on the step right in from of us. The clouds rolled in and out, and at times we could only see two feet in front. We had to climb using ropes at some points as the cliffs were very steep. We made it to the summit sometime right after 5:30 am for the beautiful sunrise. The surrounding lower peaks jutted above the
clouds and we both tried to take in the truly breathtaking scenery at 4100 meters while absolutely freezing. It gets down to freezing temperatures at the peak and our wet hands were frozen. We only stayed at the peak for about 10 minutes as it was too cold and windy to stay for much longer. The ascent down was a bit easier, and more enjoyable as we were able to see everything in front of us.
Breakfast was then on the agenda before heading down the mountain- the most painful part! Our joints and bodies were truly exhausted but by about 3pm we made it back down to the base of the mountain. Right now we still can barely walk and it takes us both a handrail to make it up any stairs.
All in all, the sense of accomplishment on completing our first climb was amazing. Maybe after this pain disappears and the memories of the wet, cold, sickness, and physical exhaustion wear off we will be ready to climb again and look forward to what beautiful mother nature has to offer.
Off to see if we can turn our luck at the tables.
Christine
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Kate
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Pretty cool stuff. But I miss my friends - come home soon :)