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Published: February 17th 2013
Left the hotel in KK on Thursday 14th for a two hour bus trip to Kinabalu park headquarters. Here I spent the night in anticipation of the climb ahead. First challenge - my worst fear - sleeping in a dormitory with five strangers!
Following a sleepless night we woke at 06:00 to be faced with the trip ahead. With private mountain guide by my side we left the Timpohon gate, the official start of the trail. Ironically, the track starts downhill for first few hundred metres. I wasn't going to be lulled into a false sense of security. After that it was all uphill with variable terrain, mainly of wooden or stone steps and rocks. After 4 km the trek becomes even more tiring with uneven surfaces. In parts so steep, with unstable track that you virtually have to scramble on the floor to pull yourself up. It is at this point also that the change in altitude begins to affect you.
After 4 hours of arduous trekking I arrived at Laban Rata to spend the night in yet another dormitory! Thinking I would be able to shower my weary body, I was obviously disappointed to hear there was
Oh my goodness!!!!
My worst fear of all - sharing a room with five strangers.
No wonder there was virtually no sleepno hot water. The temperature was somewhat colder here at 3272 m and the prospect of showering under cold water was unthinkable. Instead I found comfort in a packet of NIPS (some Malay equivalent to M and Ms).
I can't remember the last time I was in bed at 18:00, but necessary to get some rest, although minimum before a 01:30 rise to head to the summit. After endless flights of stairs and rocky trails, the real test was to come - pulling yourself up, in the darkness, up the sheer rockface on ropes. Treacherous and quite terrifying, with huge drops either side. Definitely not for the faint hearted.The gradient just goes up and up with reflections of other climbers headlamps way way in the distance. After 3 hours and much encouragement from my guide I reach the summit. I have never felt so cold. No sunrise unfortunately as too much rain and cloud cover, but touching the signpost at Low's Peak, at 4095.2 m, felt like a real feat had been conquered.
We returned to the guesthouse for breakfast before heading back down the same track to the finish line.
This was the real test of
determination. After the 5 km trek of the early morning, another six lay ahead. The first two kilometres were hard work, but by the fourth my legs felt weary, painful and less able to tackle the varying terrain. Here my guide was essential and with his helping hand I finally reached the bottom. Back at the starting point I have never been so pleased to see a bus. Even more pleased when I finally got back to KK and my hotel room. Never has a glass of wine tasted so nice!
This has to be the most mentally and physically exhausting thing I have ever done. Despite reviews read before I arrived saying that this was a relatively easy climb with a reasonable level of fitness, I would disagree. I would say you have to have a good level of fitness, willpower and the ability to overcome deplete oxygen levels and nausea whilst climbing.
But how rewarding! I feel on top of the world right now despite the sheer exhaustion, not to mention the very very painful legs. I can barely walk
I cannot begin to describe how hard this challenge was. A real achievement!
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Llinos
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Amazing Lis ! Well done you x