We didn't immediately hit the peak of the journey, but stayed a day and night at KK to await some stragglers. The hot weather didn't deter me from walking around the city, but the closed shops and handicraft stalls did dampen my spirits a bit. :Þ There was also the matter of a little scare in the shopping centre we took refuge from the heat outside in - we were on the ground floor when shops started closing their shutters and people were seen rushing down the escalators, then up; security guards were standing around or rushing around; most people, like us, just stood around unknowingly, ignorant of any danger that might befall us; amidst the confusion a muffled voice came across the speakers, which only added to the confusion; finally the furore died down and apparently there was a bomb/fire alert on the upper floors, something to do perhaps with a bumper car set-up sending sparks out; we walked out none the wiser about the real situation. A leisurely dinner near hotel helped ease us into the otherwise relaxed mood of KK.
The next day we headed inland, to the foot of the mountain range that Kinabalu was part of. Our first stop was Poring Hot Springs. The side attraction, the canopy walk, was enjoyable, especially with the intermittent rain, and brave Abigail (my little cousin) shaking the ropes and bridges, much to the dismay of some of the less height-tolerant members of our group.
The hot springs themselves were a hygiene horror (or at least a perceived one) and since it was raining anyway I didn't go in. I spent the time taking photos and enjoying the scenery instead.
The next day was the start of the adventure proper. 6 enthusiastic would-be climbers got their bags ready, and put on their hiking shoes with their determined smiles.
The determined smiles soon disappeared as we made our way up the trail. Any form of protective clothing was packed into the bags because the heat from our exertions warmed us up enough to brave the cool surroundings in t-shirts and shorts. However, each stop we made cooled us down enough to make the coolness get to us again, so even though rest was essential, we had to move on sooner rather than later. Because of this, we broke into 2 groups. I had the privilege to have the company of Steven, who was a willing poser for my pictures. :)
It was interesting to note the subtle change in vegetation and rocks as we ascended the first phase of the trail - from muddy soil trails to yellow soft rocks to proper solid rocks. What was more interesting, however, was to see the green signs with different yellow markings, showing us how far we had to go. That and the little rest huts that signalled "REST TIME" for our tired legs. Of course some of these huts didn't come soon enough so we had to improvise.
We had guides with us, who are superbly fit, so much so that our best pace gave them time to sleep.
Finally, after about 5 hours of climbing, we reached Laban Rata, our pitstop for the night, at last. Sleep, and perhaps food, was on most minds, and after we had assuaged those primal needs, pictures and fun.
An early night was welcome because of the strenuous treks behind and ahead of us. By 10, we tucked ourselves in, only to wake before the sun, at around 3 am. It was crazily cold, but it was the refreshing cold that was good, not the damp or biting cold that chases you back into your bed. Although we started together, we got separated again, and Jason, Steven and I met each other periodically on our way up. Climbing at night was a blessing in disguise - I couldn't see the steepness of the rockface I was climbing, so nothing could make me stop. Even when I was shivering from the cold, a short sit-down to get my spirits up worked. A very encouraging guide helped as well, although he didn't mince his words when I asked him whether people fell off the rockface while climbing up or not - he said a blunt yes. To give him credit, if it weren't for him telling me the names of the peaks and how supposedly "near" I was, I might have just sat there and missed the sunrise from the peak.
The climb, however torturous, could not subtract the wonder of what could be seen of the scenery around. It was like being sandwiched by stars - the flickering yellow lights of the towns at the foothills below, winking and pushing us higher, and the constant white twinkling of the stars (and there were thousands of them!) shining and encouraging us to reach for them. The moon's reflection on the black sheen of rock gave it a ghostly gray colour when we could see it, and the rippling waters of the pools between the rocks lent the scenery an unearthly feel. The peaks loomed in the distance, so near yet so far. Everytime we seemed to get nearer to our destination, we'd reach a rise to see that there was still quite a bit further to go. As much as I'd have liked to take pictures during the ascent, my hands were too cold to click properly, and it was too dark for any effective picture-taking anyway.
My impetus was the thought of a magnificent sunrise from the "top of the world" and Kinabalu didn't disappoint. The superb night weather we had for the ascent unfolded a deep palette of colours in the sky, orange and silver and blue mixing and merging into the ultramarine and black silhouttes of the distant peaks. For all my haste in making it in time for sunrise, I didn't realise it at first while fighting for place on the peak. Then, I had to wonder in awe at the beautiful sunrise while putting on surgical gloves under my gardening gloves so that I wouldn't lose any of my fingers to the cold and so that they could be used to take pictures.
The only problem with reaching the peak at sunrise time was the confluence of people there, but it only meant less time at the top of the peak proper. That was probably good too, because the gales were cold and furious and I couldn't stand in the face of those winds without some form of rock protection.
The descent was an eye-opener, because it showed me the true face of what I had made friends with, even perhaps conquered, through the dawn. And it was time to take pictures!
Back at Laban Rata, we celebrated with a heaping plate of food for breakfast (the food up there is absolutely delicious, and I don't think it's the hunger from exertion talking) and some shuteye (the early birds got more of this) before making the trip down to base camp. The climb down saw us together as a group, and had my knees buckling at every step I took, down AND up. There was not much pain, just a jelly-like consistency and terrible weakness. Needless to say, I didn't enjoy that descent very much, and was relieved to see the car at the trail entrance waiting to take us to lunch.
We ate like kings and queens, then slept the whole way back to KK. Then celebrated again with drinks at the hotel.
With aching bodies, I was a bit uncertain about how we were going to enjoy our subsequent days at the beach, but we sure handled that well. Jason and I went parasailing! Low-impact thrill with not as much adrenaline rush as I'd expected, but fun nevertheless. The fun-nest part was the dipping into the water - the boatman must have known how much we liked that part because he did that trick about 5 times. I loved the multi-coloured parachute as well!
The snorkelling from the beaches of Pulau Gaya was pretty nice as well. I tried to get myself a dive, but the prices were exorbitant. :P I decided to save my money to splurge on Sipadan. Hopefully soon.
We stayed at Gayana Resort, which was a quaint eco-friendly resort, complete with aquarium and reef-conservation projects and showcase. The exhibits were impressive and attracted the attention of the young (dear Abby) and old (my grandmother) alike, albeit somewhat run-down. The people who run the show seem in earnest about what they do, so kudos to them! The full moon gave the shutterbugs (me and me cuzzie) great picture opportunities.
Sunday saw us at the weekly market, which was a kaleidoscope of sounds and sights, and where I got most of my KK shopping done, before we made for the airport. All in all, a great and memorable trip, not only for the epic mountain climb, but for the people who were on it.
To end this post, a t-shirt caption, modelled by Abigail:
No comments:
Post a Comment