For my hiking experience on Day 1, read here: https://euanlife.blogspot.com/2023/05/conquering-mt-kinabalu-another-feather.html
I was staring at my phone blankly, scrolling through social media as I waited for my 1.20am alarm to go off. I only had around 1-2 hours of sleep despite having laid on my bed at Lemaing hostel for almost six hours. That was the summit day, but fatigue from the day before and the highlands cold obviously did not take this sleep deprivation well. The other hostel guests started getting ready- all were complaining of their tiredness. I quickly changed into my hiking suit, which consisted of water/wind-proof pants over my tracksuit, a heattech for my torso and my hoodie from the University of Warwick. After a simple wash-up followed by putting on my waterproof jacket, I followed the rest of my crew into the cold and dark.
Nope, the hike had not started yet. We headed to the restaurant for supper. It was only 1.45am, but the dining hall was lively with hikers fueling themselves with warm food and coffee, some were done early but stayed in the hall as it was much warmer than the dorms. Our guide met us at 2.30am sharp and gave us a little briefing. All we had to do was to follow a white rope on the ground- the path was only in one well-marked direction, wherever there were no stairs. More stairs? Unfortunately, yes, to our dismay. Having done 5-6 hours worth of stairs the day before, no one could take that news in comfortably.
With our headlamps on, we embarked on the long hike, starting with a bunch of stairs. We were told that an average hiker would take approximately 3 hours to reach the summit, even though the remaining trail was only 2-3km. The strong, freezing morning winds, physical fatigue and steep elevation were what slowed most people down. I felt much weaker than the day before, having to take more rests along the way. The first 1km or so were indeed stair-based, and a bit of pulling yourself over rocks. Our headlamps only allowed us to see what was right in front of us. Ironically, that limited visibility helped with conquering any fear of heights, and gave the illusion that you were not far from reaching the summit since you could not see and gauge the distance yourself. I looked around, the hikers now looked like a long line of spotlights, stretching from a much higher elevation, all the way down to the trailhead. And as we observed the sky, a mesmerising canvas full of stars was all for us to enjoy. I could not capture the stars as my phone could not support that resolution and light exposures required, plus the freezing air was not friendly to my fingers despite them being protected by wind-proof, warmth-promising gloves bought at Decathlon just days before the hike. The stars then remained one of the many gorgeous sights left for my naked eye to appreciate.
As we reached the final checkpoint before the summit, known as Sayat-Sayat, the terrains had completely changed. There were no plants around, and the trail was all rock-based. Most parts were rather steep and we had to grab onto the white assisting rope to pull ourselves up. We started testing out strategies of walking for 60 steps before resting for one minute- proven useful. The last mile was the toughest and felt the most dangerous too, as we were on some random rocky fields, and falling might lead to us rolling down the slope. Everyone was sighing, panting, but never stopped exchanging words of encouragement. What cute gestures they were. There were so many instances on the hike when I really wished I could be sleeping at home instead- why would anyone pay so much to suffer? Yet, I was determined that I could conquer Mt. Kinabalu.
We reached the peak at 5.22am, which meant we took slightly less than three hours to hike. It was still dark, as dawn broke slowly. We sat at a corner near a sign board the authority had placed on the summit marking its height of 4095m. People were queuing up to have their photos taken, but we wanted to wait till it was brighter. As the minutes went by, the sun rose. Sunrise was slightly underwhelming that morning, but the scenery at the summit slowly presented itself to us- picturesque, block-free aerial view of the entire region. Gorgeous! I took out the RM100 note I brought with me, now crumpled and old, like my body after all the hiking. Photoshoots were a must up here- we didn’t hike all the way here to just get down in ten minutes. Like I said, what an achievement it was, as a Malaysian, to hike the highest mountain in the country.
We started our descent around 7.30am- people were still hiking towards the summit. We felt even prouder of ourselves as sunlight allowed us to see the paths we took coming up. How did we even get up here? This meant that hiking in the dark was a psychological trick to push hikers up. New Zealand-like sceneries slowly came into sight, making the experience completely worth the exhaustion. Everyone described Kundasang as the New Zealand or Switzerland of Malaysia, but it looked more just like Cameron Highlands to me when I was in Kundasang itself. I think the real New Zealand scenery was on the way down from the summit- exclusive to those who managed the hike. At Sayat-Sayat, we registered for our certificate of accomplishment, to be received at the base office. We ordered one that cost RM10, since it’s the prettiest in colour.
When we reached Panalaban, we were tired but only had little time to freshen up and have breakfast before checking out of the hostel at 10.30am. Yet, we rushed to Pendant Hut, an alpine-style dormitory, to send a postcard via the highest postbox in Malaysia, at 3289m above sea level. Postcards (RM4) were available at the dining hall, and stamps (RM1 for local addresses and RM2 for international addresses) could be bought at Pendant Hut itself. We had trouble gathering small changes, as all we had were notes of larger amounts. Strangers then again showed kindness by agreeing to change notes with us. The reason we insisted on sending postcards there was to collect the special ink stamp only available at Pendant House, to commemorate our hike and the fact that we found the highest postbox in the country.
The hike down to the base was harder than going up! Surprise, surprise! Imagine taking another 6 hours of stairs, how would that impact your knees? Our team took longer rests and slower pace to get down, being passed by countless others but not giving up until we made our way out. My left knee was slightly hurt from too much straining, and my travel pack of medication was put to good use, after all. Medicated band-aids for arthritis and muscular pain were extremely helpful. I recommend everyone to bring some medication on the trip, things you might need include painkillers, medication for dry throat, vomiting, headache and also heat cream for muscular pain or cramps. The dry, cold air and altitude sickness on Mt. Kinabalu are no kidding matters as they could impact your performances.
In the evening, we finally reached the base safe and sound, and walked out of the park with full integrity. I was limping with a painful knee, but felt absolutely proud that my mission had been accomplished. Would I recommend others to go for the hike? Definitely! It’s an incredible experience, but you need to train both physically and mentally. I did more than four months’ worth of training and it was still insufficient. Please do not underestimate Mt. Kinabalu- it does not get featured on the back of our RM100 note for nothing. Having met so many others who said they’re eager to hike, but no practical actions were taken- I’m just glad I kept to my words and dreams, and I did not back down from the challenge. To be fair, a hike up Mt. Kinabalu requires booking around six months prior, and being located in East Malaysia is a turn off for many who reside in West Malaysia as air fares are an additional expense.
Would I go again? After some reflection, yes, but perhaps not so soon as I would love to explore other places too. I was incredibly impressed by the view at the summit and I enjoyed the experience even though it was full of agony. But I would one day greet it as an old friend.
By,
Euan Thum.
Comments
Post a Comment