Day 11 Mt Kinabalu

Up at 1:30 today for a 2 o clock start to get to the summit. Yesterday was really tough. People like to say that any challenge like this is 50% physical and 50% mental.

In my case it was more 20% - 80% to get me to the overnight lodge. Sadly after expending that 80% mental the day before that only left me with a poorly rested 20% physical.

I wish that there was some heroic injury to tell you about or maybe it was altitude sickness... Sadly I just hit a point of total exhaustion by the third marker out of camp.

With retrospect I probably could have limped up to the summit... But they would have been helicoptering my corpse off of it!

Congratulations to everyone that did make it. I have to admit I am a little jealous!

Slumping slowly back down the mountain path on my own I felt a little broken and lost... Not just figuratively either! I got to the end of a path that really did end. Suppose it would have been a faster route down!

Henry was waiting at the door of the lodge for me as I arrived. He had come back with Tracy earlier.

Bursting into the bathroom I played through breakfast in reverse order.

Letting my rucksack drop to the floor I pivoted onto the bed whilst dropping my coat in one swift motion. Fumbled my boots free of my feet, inserted my ear plugs and pulled my snood over my face... For the first time in months I think I fell asleep the instant my head hit the pillow.

I awoke to the sounds of everyone packing there kit for the decent. O yeah I had almost forgotten the walk back down.

As I passed through the dining area to join the first group I was met with glances of commiseration from Lisa and Emma. To be honest that was almost worse than the point of collapse.

Anyway I caught up with Sean and Carol and started down. My knee had already swollen to the point that you could no longer make out the knee cap. I think people assumed this was my main reason for quitting but it only weighed in at 15 - 20%.

Besides it didn't start to really b**** at me until I had passed the 2 k marker.

Sean and Carroll were great company on the way back... Both constantly taking the piss every time I made yelping noises as my knee jarred.

Sadly as we got to the bottom we were faced with the steps back to the start gate. I felt sick again.

Carol bought me a can of sprite... Sadly there was no vodka or tramadol in it!

Just an hour or so to wait for the second group and then we would be off to the beach resort. BEACH RESORT!!!

Wow... The beach resort in Kota Kinabalu is good... With one fairly major exception.

Rooms good, two swimming pools good, beach 2 mins walk from the rooms good but... There are two water villages either side of the resort so what should have been your perfect strip of paradise is actually closer akin to a landfill. The flotsam and jetsam of below the poverty line Malaysians is not a pretty site.

O I almost forgot to mention... Jess BM'ed on the way down the mountain when Robbie jumped out of a bush and scared her! (Google BM I can't be bothered to define it!)

Anyways... We are all back together as a group now and as I enter the restaurant Carol and Dave get me a beer (fast becoming my favourite people!!)

I open the menu and there it is... T-bone steak 80 ringgit!!!! (£17.70)

My god it was good and cooked how I wanted it!

Tomorrow free day!!!