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3 times a week I run 7.7km in a little over 40 minutes. The route from the park gate to the top of Mount Kinabalu at 4095m is 8.7km. How hard can it be? ************************
Walking up a big hill is an odd thing to do. It's going to be hard and often it's going to be cold and or wet. After expending huge amounts of energy getting to the top, it's great to spend a few minutes admiring the view then it's time to come down again. On a bad day, weather even gets in the way of the view. To walk up a really big hill also costs a lot of cash and a few days of a holiday, so persuading J that this was a good idea took a while. *********************
We booked a two night, three day trip with Amazing Borneo Tours after a little Internet research. In order to secure J's buy-in, we got the posh package that didn't involve any dormitories - which was especially worth it in the mountain lodge: more about that later.*******************************
Day one is not so bad and doesn't make you feel like an adventurer in any way. We were picked up from our hotel in KK by the tour company for the 3 hour trip to the Mt Kinabalu National Park stopping, not briefly enough, at what is sold as a craft village but is in fact about 100 stalls all selling the same crap tee-shirts, caps and s*** art. On a good day it would have been possible to see the mountain and there lay the first morale problem. For the first time in our trip it pissed down for hours. For J, on the way up to a 2 day walk, this was the icing on the turd.*************************
The end of the line is the park resort. There is a restaurant, reception, a couple of shops and about 6 different accommodation options from dorm's to chalets, all run by the same company. We had a room in the Luguwi Suites which was very comfortable and importantly, it had a bar. Not a bad start.****************
All our meals were included in our package and at the bottom of the hill involved buffets in the Balsalm restaurant. Nothing like a tasteless lukewarm buffet to set you up for a big day.********************
We met our guide, Rony, at 8am the next day and by 8.30 were stepping through the gates onto the trail. We had heard that we could hire porters at the bottom who would carry stuff up to the lodge at the 6km point for about $3 a kg. We thought this a great way of supporting the local economy and, whilst I carried the majority of my essentials, we had a bag full of other essentials (G&T etc). We were very embarrassed when Rony told us that they had run out of porters and he would carry our extra stuff. We didn't tell him what it was.***********************
All we had to do on that day was walk 4km, stop to eat our packed lunch, then walk another 2km for our overnight stop. All these distances seem so very small but after a while your perception of distance changes. 500m isn't a quick hop to the coffee shop but rather the next painful installment of a walk that never ends. It takes an average of 30 minutes to cover and for some, multiple stops to get breath back and drink.********************
They say that every step is uphill. That's not completely true but I would say about 95% are. Some of the path is just dirt and rock, some is wooden steps, at times there are steps cut out of rock. What you don't get is any consistency, denying the ability to get into any kind of rhythm. *************************
At the bottom it's hot and the effort really gets the sweat running and the dense jungle prevents any kind of cooling breeze. It get cooler as you get further up but, providing you keep going, a tee-shirt and shorts are fine.****************************
Whilst none of it was easy, from 4-6km seemed to be particularly long and steep and we were delighted to see the Labu Datu lodge after 5 hours of plodding.**************************
The lodge is a little like a bad french ski lodge but to its credit it is situated 6km up a hill and is completely supplied by porters who carry up to 50kg each up the route we had taken (in about three hours, wearing flip flops or plastic shoes). There are multiple dorms that squeeze 6 people in as well as 4 private twin share rooms that promise the only heating and hot water in the place. They lied about the hot water.*******************
Until 2.45 am the next morning we slept, ate (very well) and drank gin and tonic. The early start enables people who can make the peak in three hours to witness the sun rise from what feels like the top of the world. A long line of head torch toting climbers head off into the night, first through trees then over bare rock in a world that doesn't expand further than the power of the torch and probably only involves the person in fronts feet for most of the trip. At times there are ropes to help you haul your way up and, as you can't see much, it can feel that they are the only things keeping you from certain death, but this is rarely, if ever, the case. Broken bones, yes. Death, no.*****************
After an hour or so I could begin to pick out the ridge line and some of the peaks and to me it all became worth it. I couldn't stop myself from smiling (except when J was looking at me as I know she would have taken such a reaction as confirmation of madness). We had slogged for hours to reach a place that could not support any real plant life, had not changed for millennia, we were surrounded by fellow sloggers who were all supporting each other and this was all set against the background of jagged peaks and a beautiful starlit night. Magical.******************
We got to the peak bang on 5.45am (2.7km in 3hrs) and after a quick obligatory photo at the peak found a place to watch dawn. For me it was spectacular to watch the colours change and see the shadows change the shapes of the rock formations surrounding us. ***********************
It was also great to be amongst so many people who had got up there too. There were people of varied fitness levels who had found the experience challenging to various levels but were then sharing their sense of achievement. Lots of smiles, excited chatter, photos and selfies. ***********************
I admire the less fit people more than most. I am sure no one found it easy: the fitter just went faster, but those that were at the edge of their ability just to get up there at all show real courage and determination. They are on the paths when all others have left. They are the ones who are overtaken time after time and they are the ones that get the least rest at the lodge, but they keep going and they do make it. One lady who was about 4'6" and late 60s, took 10 hours to get to the lodge, was only half way up to the peak when we were coming down and planned to spend a second night in the lodge before going to the bottom. Fantastic. And gutsy.**********************
I also admire the guides and porters who do it day in day out with huge weight on their backs and very basic clothing. Finally I admire the world record holder who did a 22km route from bottom to peak and back again in 2hrs 14 mins. Incredible.*********************
The way back is of course easier than the way up but not by much. About 2hrs back to the lodge, breakfast and pack, then 3hrs 30 to the bottom. The jarring on the legs makes it hard and both J and I are now walking like Douglas Bader. ***********************
Rony did a fantastic job getting us up and down and was wonderful with Jodie when it was particularly tough. He was knowledgeable, good humoured, safe and tactful. All this in a pair of plastic shoes held together with string for the first bit and bright yellow wellies for the second.************************
Would we do this again? For me: absolutely. I can't articulate why fully, but being on a high peak at dawn through the fruit of ones own labour is an experience that brings me so much joy it nearly brings a lump to my throat. Not all great experiences are fun or easy I guess. They are just very rewarding.*************************
For Jodie........ well, at the top she congratulated herself for reaching her last ever mountain summit. It's not that she can't get to the top of a tough hill (and our time was well above the average), it's just that she no longer wants to. Let's see what happens if we visit Mount Kilimanjaro.......
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