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On 22nd September 2009, after many long minutes of preparation, we arrived at our lodge in Kinabalu National Park, ready to climb Mount Kinabalu the next day. Mount Kinabalu is Southeast Asia's highest mountain, standing at 4095m. Sleeping within sight of the mountain was probably a bad idea, as the clouds swirling intimidatingly around the peak filled us with a sense of dread.
Deciding to do a gentle warm-up before the big day, we set off to do some steady hiking in the foothills of the mountain with a couple we'd met on the bus, only to discover that it turned out to be a tough, 3-hour trek up and down sleep slopes. With aching muscles, and feeling very stupid, we bedded down for a restless night's sleep.
After a hearty breakfast, we set off for the park HQ, to meet our guide, collect our walking sticks and lunch, and get going. Excruciatingly, the climb starts with a long descent, meaning that every metre we went down was another metre we had to go back up. We'd been told that the hardest part of the climb was the bit with the steps. After the trail levelled out then started to ascend up some steps, we were relieved to find that the alleged hardest part of the climb was at the start, while we were at our freshest. The feeling of relief gradually left us throughout the day, as it turned out that the whole of the climb essentially involves climbing steps, mostly uneven and many over knee height. If anyone asks us which bit is the hardest, I'll say all of it.
Metre after gruelling metre we climbed, the steps giving way to steep rocks the higher we went, the air getting thinner and thinner. I found myself drenched in sweat, frustrated at the sight of Kate skipping along ahead of me, sure-footed and nimble as a mountain goat. We rested little and often, trying not to let our muscles seize up, at the several pondoks (shelters) along the trail. In the past, climbers would sacrifice chickens to appease the spirit of the mountain. Respectfully continuing this tradition, I eagerly sacrificed my cheese sandwich over lunch.
Further up the trail, we ascended into the cloud base, climbing over barren, rocky terrain in the cold with the mists swirling eerily around us, the strange silence unsettling. The trail seemed to go on forever, until finally, we arrived at Laban Rata, the hut marking the end of the first day's climb. Elated, we sipped our warm drinks, watching altitude-sick people puking all around us. What a relief that we were not affected. We ate and settled down for a ridiculously early night, in anticipation of the 2am start in the morning.
After a few hours in the freezing cold hut, in which we barely slept, we got up at 2am to have a quick supper before setting off for the final 3km to the summit. Being part of the procession of head torches trudging silently up the trail in the misty, cold darkness was a surreal experience. The steps leading from the hut came to an end eventually, to be replaced by much steeper rock faces, up which we had to haul ourselves using ropes. With the wind lashing the ropes around, and our fingers cold and wet like frozen hot dogs, it was probably a good thing that it was too dark and cloudy to see what we were really doing.
Finally, after a lot of scrambling, gasping and resting, we came within sight of the summit. Rejuvenated, we mustered the strength for the final 200m scramble, and, reaching the summit sign, stood on top of a mountain for the first time in our lives.
We jostled with the obligatory Japanese tourists for a photo opportunity next to the summit sign. Sadly, it was too cloudy to watch the sun rise from the top, but the clouds soon rolled back to reveal breathtaking views over Borneo. After a while taking it all in, we began the knee-busting 9km descent back to park HQ, interrupted only by a welcome breakfast back at Laban Rata.
Descending the mountain turned out to be nearly as hard as ascending, and Kate's knee soon swelled up to the size of a melon. She soldiered on bravely, until we eventually returned to the bottom, full of a sense of achievement, and already full of nostalgia for the incredible experience.
Would we do it again? Probably not.
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