Conquering Mount Kinabalu in 2006

Wow! I did it! I went to the peak of Mt Kinabalu and back, the highest mountain in Malaysia measuring 4095m. See my photos here.

Traversing through the longer route to KK called the Mersilau Trail, I could smell the sweet refreshing smell of raindrops on tree barks and tree leaves as it was raining when we started at 9am the first day. The journey along the stairways and steep slopes were taxing but rewarding as we went climbed the mountain higher, we could see various colors of the foliage and the changing colors of bonsai. We were lucky to find pitcher plants very early along the journey. Every 1 km tread was a major achievement for us.

The 2nd day of climbing to the peak started as early as 2am. I was so excited but fearful at the same time I could not sleep and woke around 12.30am. Everyone was already getting ready for the early morning climb up which would allow us to catch the sunrise. The train up was chalenging. Ropes were positioned at dangerous parts of the rocky area of the mountain top. With the help of headlights, I supported myself using the ropes while hanging on to dear life by the cliffs of the mountain (nah, not that bad). Due to the dark skies, i could not see where I was going and kept going up. Yes, the air got thinner and colder which deterred my breathing but I went on anyhow, keeping in mind the beautiful view from the peak and the exhilaration of reaching the top. Just a few meters from the top, I could feel the excitement bubling in me and I kept chanting that I could do it. "A bit more!"

I finally reached the peak and the scenery that greeted me was far from believable. I could not believe that Mother Nature has created something so magnificent at the top of the world. The clouds were below me and the shill wind billowed, I could see formation of rocks beautifully cascading along the peak of Mt Kinabalu called Low's Peak. Man, I could never forget the sense of achievement and relief I felt reaching the top after such a tumultous climb, challenging but fun nevertheless. Going up was the easy part, going down was a killer and I could not believe my eyes when I saw how treacherous the climb down was. Yet, I still made it. I could still feel the amazing feeling on top of the world till today. The climb was well-worth it. I would recommend it to anyone. Mesmerizing!