It was 2nd Sep 2012 when Senoko Recreation Club first announced that it will organise a Mount Kinabalu Trekking on 24 May 2013. Eleven participants signed up enthusiastically and were briefed on the proposed itinerary. A series of training were conducted at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve as well as the Tree Top Walk to familiarize the participants with hiking and descending in hilly terrain.
On 22 May 2013, we finally boarded an Air Asia flight to Kota Kinabalu to realize our dream. The flight departed punctually and in about 2 hours, we reached Kota Kinabalu International Airport at 8pm. The hotel we booked was merely 15 minutes away from the airport. After checking in, we went to have a meal in a nearby restaurant. A minimart that opened 24 hours came in handy as we needed to stock up some food and items before the hike.
Sunrise was pretty early in Kota Kinabalu. Ee Kai and I walked to the seaside to visit the Central Market. Only RM15 for a pile of sweet mango. What a steal! We quickly snapped it up before heading to the other section of the town for a sumptious noodle treat. The kitchai ice (ice lime juice with sour plum) was a cool refreshment amidst the hot sun in Kota Kinabalu, I ordered two.
After hauling all our luggage to the cab, we headed straight to Kinabalu Park. At an altitude of 1500m, the temperature was cooling, at 15 degrees. Wifi was available at the Park HQ. Everybody was happy with the Nepenthes Lodge, which has a fireplace that comes with it.
Buffet dinner in Balsam Restaurant came with a wide spread.
After dinner, we took the complimentary shuttle service back to our lodges and watched “The Eagle” on HBO, while savouring the mangoes we bought in Kota Kinabalu. The fireplace was lit up to provide some warmth. The whole place was totally quiet except for the insects’ sounds and our laughter and chatter. We went to bed early.
We met with Suning and Saiheng (our guides cum porters) at the Park HQ. We put our items to be carried by Suning and it came to a whopping 27kg. To our horror, the shop no longer sold wooden walking sticks. Descending will be a problem. Suning said he will help us out once he reached his treasure chest hidden inside the guide quarters at Laban Rata Lodge, the mid way point to the summit. After depositing our luggage with the park HQ and breakfast, we took the complimentary shuttle service to the Timpohon Gate. We started officially at 840am after a briefing by our guides. We had our box lunches at Layang Layang hut. Squirrels were there waiting eagerly to share some of our food. They nibbled away quickly when I threw them some bread.
It started to drizzle near Paka hut and I quickly put on my poncho. Yap was the first one to arrive at Laban Rata (3280m) at 1230pm. The rest slowly trudged in and settled in the bunk rooms.
Yap and Richard nearly got turned down for joining the Via Ferrata activities cos’ all the 40 places were fully booked. They went up again to try their luck and finally they got their places for “Walk the Torque”.
Dinner started really early at 430pm. Suning took the opportunity to see if we were ready to have the final ascent. Sunset at 615pm added brilliant hues to the sky.
After dinner, we went to sleep at 8pm. At around 1am, having barely slept and with headaches, we woke up and went down to cafeteria for supper. I popped a panadol to kill the headache.
At 215am, we set off. It was a full moon and cloudless night. We could see the lights from park HQ and the villages a few thousand meters below. Every step was a panting experience.
At 515am, we finally reached the summit and witnessed the most majestic sunrise we saw in our lives. The peaks surrounding us all basked in the golden glow of rising sun. Suning commented that we were really lucky to have all these good clear view in such nice weather, and I agreed with him. Everything is quiet is peaceful, only the wind sound and the chill reminded you that you are at 4092.5m above sea level.
Descending was tough as it was raining and the trail became very slippery. Many times we kept asking ourselves, was this rocky, slippery scramble the same path that we walked on yesterday?? It seemed unbearably long now, time seemed to stand still. I refused to look at the distance marker. Finally when I heard the roaring water cascading down at Carson’s Fall, I knew I have reached the starting point. The final ascend near the starting point which proved to be a real challenge at this point, was overcame grudgingly.
After a shower at the hostel, we took the cab back to town. The bed was never so inviting before, I totally knocked out after dinner, oblivious to the snoring sound of my roommate. The next morning, we woke up early to do a final shopping at the Gaya Market. I managed to find some t-shirts that showed the Mount Kinabalu trail map. Ee Kai suggested a foot massage and it did relieve the pain and soreness in the leg somewhat.
The Airasia flight bound for Singapore departed at 245pm punctually. As the plane ascended towards home, Kota Kinabalu town become smaller and smaller from the aircraft window. In the distance, I thought I saw the tip of Mount Kinabalu, bidding goodbye to me, looking forward to our return…
