A Foray Up Bukit Broga

As we were driving on the new LEKAS (Lebuhraya Kajang-Seremban) Expressway en-route to Melaka on Friday, Adeen pointed out Bukit Broga in the distance - a hill he had climbed twice, once with an ex-schoolmate and the other with a couple of his cadet-pilot pals.



View Casualzone Map in a larger map

LEKAS is E21 and the the 2 blobs on the extreme right are the peaks of Bukit Broga

It was an easy enough scramble uphill for him but one of his mates got pretty winded and at one point even threw up. That got hubby suggesting that we (Muni, him and I) give the bukit a try the following day as we had planned to return from Melaka later in the evening.

Alamak, suddenly I got gabrah over this Bogra.

"Can makciks do this HILL?"

"Off course..., YOU can" says Adeen, "just think of it as a cardio workout."

"OK", bravely.

How challenging is it?

Here are some facts from http://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=440768

Activity: hiking

near Broga, Negeri Sembilan (Malaysia)

Trail distance: 2.68 miles
Elevation min: 276 feet, max: 1,271 feet
Accum. height uphill: 1,207 feet, downhill: 1,168 feet
Difficulty level: Easy
Time: 2 hours 52 minutes
Ends at start point (loop): Yes

And that was how I came to be involved in this unplanned activity, a mere two days after I was challenged to a "butt maut" session at the gym on Thursday. Friday I was OK but early Saturday morning when we got up at 4.15 am. I felt what hubby called a DOMS (delayed-onset muscle soreness) in my lower hamstrings. Well, just a teeny bit and should be ignored.

We drove to Semenyih - just outside the town we made a pit-stop at the Petronas Station for toilettes and dawn prayers. Then continued on past the University of Nottingham and stopped in front of a rabbit farm.






The beginning of the trail up is right opposite it.
(pic taken after the descent)








The starting-point through an oil-palm plantation
6.20 am, still dark









Up the trail - a glimpse of the sun-rise through the trees









Adeen helping the weakest link in the chain










Further up..... hubby and the 1st look-out in the distance










Almost there













The last few steps up to the 1st look-out are the steepest









Made it!
Resting at the 1st look-out,









notice hubby's wandering hand....

what? already?!!!!
(he was gauging my muscle tightness actually hehe)







one for the camera








A view of the first peak from the 2nd look-out point









At the second look-out point contemplating the final assault to the peak








Hubby giving me a butt-shove up and around a big boulder, hahaha











Muni's turn (on her own)











At the 3rd look-out and the peak











A joyful occasion indeed for helping mum to the top









The Rabbit Farm from the peak

















8.45 am
Back down - stopping for some petai and starfruits.












It was a good climb. We thoroughly enjoyed it!

Thanks very much to hubby, Muni and Adeen for your help and patience.

Now to deal with the hamstring DOMS...

Some scenic views



















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Innovations

Since hubby's birthday last September one of my wifely tasks was made redundant. No he hasn't gone celibate nor joined a deviant sect. But the fact that he hasn't been around this past week might have given the neighbores that idea.

Anyway tomorrow is Hari Raya Haji and he will be back just in time. It won't be the full quorum again this year, but we've gotten used to it since having one kid or another too far away or having important commitments to return home for the celebrations.

Noticeably absent this year will be the teen princess who is tucked away at the asrama dealing with her SPM exams. Yesterday was Additional Maths, the first of the elective subjects. She was chirpy when she called me after the first paper saying it went quite well for her. I was surprised because her 4 older siblings had always had something cryptic to say about Add. Maths along the lines of "leaving it to God now". A text message after the second paper read:

"This is the first paper where I am not too confident sangat laa. We here are all dah bengong kepala otak haha.....

mmmm Mak my phone needs topping up, boleh?"

Like hubby says, she really knows how to manipulate our heartstrings. She makes us feel like giving her a tight consoling hug right there and then ..... and in the same breath she asks for something we won't be able to refuse given the "moment". I often wonder how kids in asrama manage to use up their phone credits so fast when they do not phone us all that much. Ah..well.

The ketupats are already boiling merrily away - I'm dealing with the innovated ones in little plastic bags which purists like my mother have accepted already. Bid'ah hasanah as we of the take-it-easy ketupat school of thought might argue.

I'm so lucky because again my sister-in-law will take on the cooking for us. She cooks just to hubby's liking the fare that arwah mum-in-law used to. I can turn out a fairly authentic sambal goreng jawa but sis-in-law's is the classic one, also her sambal kacang. She grinds the roasted peanuts with skin intact and that, to me makes the difference. But the sambal kacang of Hj. Samuri's sate kajang is still unbeatable. Anyone has any idea of this supposedly secret recipe?

Oh yes, also classic is sis-in-law's rendang daging with the limpa and hati thrown in. That I have not the courage to try yet since the recipe calls for a humongous amount of santan and kerisik which my brain might rebel against and render the product less drooling. You see, what we cook must pass the drool test before serving, otherwise we'd have left-overs which people will give a pass when we serve the dish again the next day.

Muni is over at sis-in-law's helping out. As for me, I'll whip up some chicken curry later and that would be just about it. Even with the curry there will be too much to eat. But never mind, we'll be carting all the lauk raya to princess's school tomorrow where we will spend some time with her after the Eid prayers. Following the Prophet's SAW tradition, we feast after prayers in Eidul Adha but before in Eidul Fitri. Well anyways, after the school we'll be making our way to my mother's kampung in Melaka. Although Mum lives nearby in PJ, every other year or so she decrees that we all should balik kampung.

And that will be when the tribulations begin, I believe... due to our previous experience travelling south on the north-south Plus highway on Hari Raya Haji. That time we made a detour and navigated the Rantau to Linggi federal roads into Masjid Tanah and then re-connecting to Air Keroh. We made it to Kampung Air Molek pretty unharrased, thanks in no small way to my navigating, ahemmm.

But this time, as I said at the beginning, I've been made redundant by the sleek, slim, pleasant-voiced, absolutely unirritable Kak Minah or Kak Min - real name Garmin. Yes that GPS navigation thingy which tells hubby to turn right or left or U in 300 meters, in 200 metres, in 50 metres or whatever, and tells him there's a toll up ahead, or re-calculates a new route when he delibrately or otherwise misses a turn.

Navigation is my forte. We've done drives in well-mapped countries - Australia, UK, and France - into moor countryside, the Sydney hills and French Alps without getting lost.

And now this thing's taking over in my own backyard! Kak Min nags on and on and beeps noisily when hubby goes over the speed limit. I only do it when I sense danger especially when hubby goes into micro-sleep once in a while.

When he was working in Terengganu for a spell and came home to KL for the usual every weekend, he would make the drive back to Kerteh after dinner. He'd be tired and sleepy some miles out of Kerteh where the road was straight and mind-numbing. But there was a place where the road sloped downwards and then rose again (I'm not sure whether it is still there now) but he said it was at that point where he'd catch a few winks and then re-opened his eyes when he felt the car going up the slope. Yes dangerous, dangerous and this is not to be attempted by anyone in his right mind. He might wake up already shrouded in white.

No, Kak Min is not able to do selective nagging like I can. She goes on and on and on not caring that wifey is the first-officer in the left-hand seat. But as hubby said "One good thing about her is I CAN MAKE HER MUTE ANYTIME".

OUCCCHHHH!!!





Thinking ahead, will the new Kajang-Seremban road be a good bet for tomorrow? Aaaah ... let that Kak Min do her job lah.

And the ketupats are just about done in the rice-cooker.

Phewww...... Thank God for innovative technology.


Am off to the gym!

And So They Married

and are now blessed with a little baby boy....






This is a shameless promo hehe
Animation directed and produced for their wedding reception by:
My daughter, Munie
She's available for similar projects this wedding season
E-mail: munirah.t@gmail.com


_________________________________

The Biology of Attraction and Love

Just thought I'd share this link from an e-mail. It's a very interesting analysis by Dr. Mehmet Oz and Dr Michael Roizen of the chemical truth to the 7-year itch.

Update - This is my best effort of a transcription of their talk

Ever heard of the 7-year itch?

There is actually some truth to it.

First year you’re walking on air because of the dopamine receptors, and you now are going to fire them like crazy.

For the next 4 years a different chemical called oxytocin takes over.

So you bond with your spouse to be to get that warm and fuzzy feeling all over.

But after 7 years, the chemicals in your brain aren’t working overtime anymore.

So it is up to you to re-create your marriage to get those hormones working again.

Because a healthy relationship is all part of you being beautiful.

Let’s explore the biology of our romantic relationships.

How we find that right person and how we continue to love that person.

MRI shows that parts of your brain light up like a movie marquee when you’re in the romantic phase of love.

Why?

Because of a love-potion ingredient called Dopamine.

When you’re in love and nurture that relationship, your brain pumps out this feel-good chemical.

Dopamine drives reward-seeking behaviour or craving and increases the brain cells release of the euphoria hormone – serotonin.

So the better you feel the more you want.

Because that dopamine pathway increases with risk-taking, we often seek what’s new and exciting.

Because dopamine and serotonin are high when you’re in romantic love, when you’re without your loved one you become love-sick, for chemical reasons.

Being love-sick actually makes serotonin levels drop 40%, down to the same levels as people with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

Being in love triggers the increase of the “happy” chemical, serving as the chemical reason for why we feel happy when we are in good relationships.

Unfortunately we develop a tolerance for dopamine over time.

One way to continue this chemical “high” is to try new and even exotic behaviour to increase dopamine levels and stimulate more and more receptors.

That’s why new sex positions and sex in different rooms seem exciting ESPECIALLY FOR MEN.

But don’t worry.

Because another hormone Oxytocin, the powerful chemical that makes you feel intimacy and community comes to the rescue.

Oxytocin by the way is also increased by talking – which might mean why communications is so important in relationships.

This increase in oxytocin within an entire symphony of brain chemicals that influences us is one reason that why 99% of humans live in Pair-bonds.

That’s not only marriage but any intimate relationship with one strong partner be it a spouse or significant other, a parent, a sibling, a close friend or even your cat.

Nevertheless after around 4 years the chemical tie that drives humans to stick together starts to recede.

The timing isn’t a co-incidence, since the potentially created offspring will no longer be entirely dependent on the mother, leaving her better able to provide for herself and her children.

Without the chemical hand-cuffs the fathers are more to prone to leave. This is why the relationship needs to be moved from being purely romantic to a deeper level of beauty to create a fertile field for a life-long relationship.

Getting back to sex. What’s it’s purpose?

For a start sex concerns that Nirvana moment between couples – a time you feel complete happiness and intimacy, a time when you express your love to your mate.

Consider these resulting benefits.

Men who have sex 3 times a week can decrease their risk of a heart attack and stroke by 50%.

Women who enjoy sex tend to live longer than those who don’t.

Great sex makes your body feel and be the equivalent of 2 to 8 eights younger.

Increasing sex from once a month to once a week according to researchers is the happiness equivalent of an additional $50,000 dollars in income for the typical American.

Here are a few tips to improve your love-life.

Re-invent your relationship.

Many couples gradually grow apart and have to re-connect.

Why?

A woman marries a man because he sees his potential and then tries to adjust him to fulfil this potential.

Conversely a man marries a woman who is exactly what he wants.

And then she goes off and changes.

So in effect as soon as you fall in love both of you start racing in different directions.

Thankfully for you and any offspring, you’re held together by those chemical hand-cuffs - dopamine and oxytocin.

Levels wane and your cuffs slip off after 5 to 7 years; you need to continually re-invent the marriage by taking each other out of your comfort zones.

Travel somewhere new.

Try a new hobby together.

Or make some new friends to bring out different parts of your changing personalities.

Then open the fridge. Food plays a vital role in our sexual desire.

Some because of the smell, some because of the shape, and some alter your body chemistry to make you fell more desirable and can desire and mate more.

The scents of lemons, and donuts and liquorice increase penile blood flow, which is necessary for men to achieve an erection.

Don’t eat the donuts though because that actually slows the blood down. Just smell it.

For women, it is liquorice and cucumbers. Why? Maybe it’s the phallic shape which subconsciously plays a large part in all food anyway.

As if there aren’t enough resons to shop for good food, here is one more - Great Sex.

This sex-scented shopping list will revitalise your kitchen as well as your bedroom.

I've stopped the script there. Continue with this list taken from http://www.realage.com/tips/grub-your-libido-will-love

* An apple a day helps keep bad breath away (and your partner closer than ever).

* Asparagus is rich in vitamin E -- a key nutrient for hormone building. (Find out how asparagus affects your liver, too.)

* Bananas contain bromelain -- an enzyme thought to boost male libido.

* Celery is high in androsterone, a hormone released in male sweat that turns women on. (Did you know? Celery helps constipation, too.)

* Figs are rich in amino acids that may set your desire afire.

* Garlic might cancel the sweet breath provided by the apples, but it can also boost blood flow to sexual organs. (Take the hassle out of garlic prep with tips from this video.)

* Oysters have lots of zinc, an ingredient necessary for the production of testosterone.

* Wild yams are thought to enhance genital sensitivity.



Whatever!





_____________________________________________________

Daily Chance

I don't visit my facebook site all that often.


But today I went to check out a picture tag from one of my nephews.



Off course Arez's ramblings dominated my wall, as usual.



Spotted one of his latest chance game.



The Daily Sex Chance.



His chances:





His message: There is 27% chance that I will have sex today! please wish me luck!!!



Tergolek aku ketawa sesorang tadi.



And mine?






:)


Awww Arez, I win this one! Better luck tomorrow!



A 100% CHANCE OF RAIN AND 70% CHANCE OF WARMTH.



Must remember to play this fun game again early next week.



Nice weekend all. Don't get too cold.


______________________________________________________

Time's Up

A medical opinion has it that when your time is up, there is no easier way to cross over than through myocardial infarction.

So what is this mouthful-of-a-pathway that leads to the other side?

It is one that may be provided to us when there are traffic-jams on the roads leading to our heart.

Somewhat like the Damansara toll plaza on a rainy workday evening.

You have a small lorry turned-turtle metres shy of the NKVE exit road and traffic stalls for 6 km on the expressway. None able to get to the toll short of the police and PLUS personnel providing a bypass through one of the free lanes.

Failing which, you have the right conditions for an infarction.

The word "infarction" comes from the Latin "infarcire" meaning "to plug up or cram." In a myocardial infarction there is death of myocardial (heart muscle) tissue due to sudden (acute) deprivation of circulating blood.

In normal lingo, this is termed a heart attack.

Heart muscle dies during a heart attack and loss of the muscle is permanent, unless blood flow can be promptly restored, usually within one to six hours.

Some of the classic symptoms of a heart attack include:

• Pain, fullness, and/or squeezing sensation of the chest
• Jaw pain, toothache, headache
• Shortness of breath
• Nausea, vomiting, and/or general epigastric (upper middle abdomen) discomfort
• Sweating
• Heartburn and/or indigestion
• Arm pain (more commonly the left arm, but may be either arm)
• Upper back pain

But there are also vague symptoms which victims may have ignored like:

• General malaise

or even

• No symptoms (Approximately one quarter of all heart attacks are silent, without chest pain or new symptoms. Silent heart attacks are especially common among patients with diabetes mellitus.)

And a debilitating feeling of tiredness was what Joe had felt yesterday morning when he accompanied Nora for her routine check-up.

But the night before he was cheery as always as he talked to Dr. Jack asking about Nora's allergic condition in 3rd trimester pregnancy.

After dropping Nora off at work, he drove himself to the hospital out-patients clinic whereupon the exhaustion overcame him and he collapsed.

Recognising the condition, the hospital immediately put Joe on Code Blue. He held on for four hours only.

He was 58 years old.

Nora was his daughter. Jack, his brother-in-law.

The hospital found four blockages.

But all he had felt was extreme tiredness.

Could any other way be "easier"? Only Allah knows.

May Allah grant mercy upon his soul, and may his family be patient in their bereavement.





Go here for some heart-attack information for the layman.



__________________________________________

That will make you know what is a Mother.

Taken from an audio in Muslim Matters

MOTHER is the first word that we pronounced.

She is the example of mercy that moves in our midst.

But unfortunately no one looks at her with deep respect and esteem except the one that Allah has shown his mercy.

The Mother is a cluster of patience.

She is a live example of forgiveness and forbearance.

Here is a story of how a brother came to realise how important a Mother is.

He says:

The one who has seen is not the same as the one who has only heard.

I have heard so much that has been said of the great favour and kindness of the Mother.

And I was just like anyone else, I hear what I hear but it doesn’t go beyond my ears.

A beautiful phrase could move me.

I could move my head upon hearing some beautiful lines of poetry and that was it.

But Allah he willed goodness for me as I followed the stages of my wife’s pregnancy step by step.

And when the poor woman entered the 9^th month of pregnancy, I pictured myself as the foetus inside her inflated stomach.

As I watched and followed I started experiencing and feeling the significance of what I used to hear about the great kindness of the Mother.

I saw something that can make the heads turn that softens the hearts and brings tears to the eyes.

And then I became completely convinced that this noble woman that is the MOTHER, has not been treated justly and will never be.

However much they adorn words, by Allah no one will repay her except Allah.

That is why they said “The rewards of the two parents, it lies with Allah”.

He continues and says:

I wish words can come to my aid so that I could bring reality closer.

So what did I see?

O Allah have mercy on me again and again.

Can any human being withstand all that suffering and pain.

I saw her enduring all that with joy and happiness again and again.

I saw her and I heard her and she did not know that I was witnessing her, as she let out a painful scream.

And I would feel that painful scream which would tear my heart and I would struggle to hold back the tears.

And I would be surprised as I see her moments later as she smiled forgetting her pain as she stroked her stomach and she said:

“How much I love you my little one, how much I long to see you”.

Glory be to Allah who gave her the patience in the face of continuous pain.

When she moves she feels the pain.

When she sits she moans.

And when she lies down she screams.

And when she walks she becomes exhausted.

And when she tries to take a nap she becomes overcome by tiredness.

She can’t turn on her bed comfortably as she used to before she became heavy with pregnancy.

And in spite of all this, she is still required to take care of the house and all its needs, following the children, cleaning them, feeding them, putting them to sleep and all other chores enough to knock down a mountain.

In spite of all this, she smiles and says to Patience:

“Learn some lessons from me O Patience.

Try this, see if you can become a Mother.

Can one man put up staying with a two year old or a three year old child for hours before he starts cursing himself and making all kinds of comments.

It is only the mother who can put up with that - content, pleased and smiling”.

Try and picture this with me.

How beautiful is this picture.

As she sits down encircled by her young ones, like a bird surrounded by its little ones with their beaks wide open.

The mother encourages this one to eat and she plays the other one as she feeds him.

And she makes repeated attempts until she finally makes one of them drink.

And she smiles in order to bring the younger one closer to come to his food.

All of this as she sits uncomfortably every part of her body about to scream because of the pain she is enduring.

And in spite of all this she is still encouraging, she’s still feeding, she’s still giving.

When all of a sudden she makes a painful moan.

The reason why she made this painful sound is because the foetus kicked her so hard in the stomach from the inside.

As soon as she has composed herself, again she smiles like as if nothing has happened.

And once again the foetus kicks the mother harder this time from inside.

It is as if the little one is saying “I am here O Mother”.

She’s overjoyed when the baby makes movements and kicks inside her stomach and he doesn’t give her a single moment to rest.

And when the baby sits still and does not make any movements, she’s overcome by fear.

And when the foetus moves she’s overjoyed again.

Ya Allah, these are many different forms of torment .

If anyone however strong the man is, if he experiences any of this he would have been screaming

until the 40^th neighbour an hear this screams

But as for her, patience …. hoping for the reward from Allah laughing and smiling

And may the mercy of Allah be with her,

and may the mercy of Allah be with her,

and may the mercy of Allah be with her.

The brother continues and says:

I saw my wife looking at me many times.

Those looks she gave me, they carry so much pain but she kept her lips tight.

And moments later she would be smiling and then her tongue would utter the most beautiful of words with regards to the new guest that is being awaited.

How amazing you are O Mother.

Do you think the pain and suffering is over? No.

How great you are O Mother.

When 9^th month is over and it is only hours before the foetus leaves the womb to come into this world - the greatest of calamity strikes.

Neither does the baby wants to stay inside her nor does he want to come out.

And here is the unbearable suffering.

And he doesn’t come out most of the time except forcefully.

And as he comes out he tears the flesh.

Or the doctor, he cuts the flesh.

And the mid-wife pulls forcefully.

Her soul struggling to remain inside the body.

And sometimes the soul does come out and the Mother dies and the baby lives.

If Allah has given her another chance in life, she survives this intensive battle until when she sees the little one beside her and she says:

“May I sacrifice my life for you”

Ya Allah, what is this affection and what is this preference?

She suffers all that she suffers but she would rather die so that the little one can survive.

Anyone for Kinabalu?

Anyone? Boy doesn't that sound like an invitation for coffee. Espresso, anyone? Instant? Latte? Capuccino? Kinabalu?

We've just received an email about climbing, I mean conquering Kinabalu from No. 2, Amin, who had made it to the summit last month. Hey Min where's the picture? Actually he had called us on the morning of his descent and the elation in his voice was indeed unmistakable. Not to be outdone, hubby immediately decided that we all (us and the girls) have a go at Kinabalu too. The girls are all gung-ho and absolutely thrilled. And me? Yikes I'm approaching 56 you all. Just reading Amin's email about the climb gives me butterflies - from fear, doubt, excitement, what-ifs. Here it is, do read it and you'll know what I mean:

assalamualaikum bapak, mak, kaklong n everybody

apa khabar semua. inshallah sihat

ni proposed plan for mount kinabalu trip inshallah.

intro

effective sep 2008, only sutera harbour resorts yang has the 'privilege' to run the accomodation for kinabalu climbers. jadi ada monopoly di situ. previously rm 100++ boleh cover turun naik gunung, sekarang kena spend rm 500++. redha saja la ye

best time

katanya best time to climb is around march-april when the weather katanya paling dry, tapi being in tropical climate bila2 boleh hujan. Allahu a'lam.

jadi cadangan tarikh ialah either
1-3rd march (monday-wednesday) boleh celebrate birthday kaklong while enjoying sunrise at the summit
or
5-7th march (fri-sun) weekend. mungkin senang sikit nak apply leave
tarikh lain i'm afraid already fully booked. kalau lambat ni pun boleh bye2

..wa makaru wa makaraLlah, walLahu khairul maakireen. (..they planned, and Allah also planned, and Allah is the best of planner)

sekarang compulsary for climbers to spend 3 days 2 nights for the climb (previously boleh buat 2d1n to cut cost).

day 1 - registration. payment. check in. dinner at base camp*. stay overnight
day 2 - start climbing to laban rata checkpoint
day 3 - 3am start ascending to the summit. after sunrise start descending

meals will be provided (dah bayar mahal mesti kena bagi kan)
day 1 - dinner (buffet steamboat)
day 2 - breakfast (buffet), tapau for the climb (tuna sandwich, boiled egg, fried chicken, popia + 1 can 100plus + 500ml mineral water), buffet dinner at laban rata
day 3 - supper (before the summit climb), breakfast (before 10 am, after reaching summit) - both at laban rata, lunch at base camp

*base camp ada dua (2 different trails to laban rata)
1. timpohon trail
2. mesilau trail

timpohon trail - shorter (about 6km in total to laban rata(I don't think I've ever walked 6km at flat sea level even)), easier trekking, straightforward jungle trekking, not much to see except for jungle trees, recommended for 1st timers
mesilau trail - 2km longer (total of 8km to laban rata), more challenging, ada suspension bridge, more beautiful scenery, ada jungle trees, periuk kera species, mountain shrubs

ascend-descend boleh mix. (eg mesilau-timpohon, timpohon-mesilau, mesilau-mesilau, timpohon-timpohon)

both trails ada toilet dan air bersih untuk minum to refill water bottles every 1-2 km. jadi 1 small mineral bottle is enough utk hydration. botol besar adalah berat dan akan jadi unnecessary excess baggage

eventually both trails lead to laban rata, checkpoint to stay overnight + makan
accomodation - dorm style - 1 room 4-8 people, shared bathroom, water heater kadang2 ada, kadang2 meiyoo (with family OK lah)

another 2.5km to reach the summit from laban rata. start ascending 3am and have to reach summit before sunrise (before 6). (this will totally whack the old body rhythmn)

there is one checkpoint (sayat-sayat) halfway to summit. have to reach this checkpoint before 4.30 am, otherwise officials takkan bagi naik lagi, as susah nak sampai summit before sunrise kalau past 4.30am, and kabus akan terbentuk kalau past sunrise, jadi lebih susah untuk decend nanti plus orang2 semua akan descend after sunrise maka akan bertembunglah nanti.

this part is a bit challenging. kena beli headlamp untuk manouvre night climbing as it will need both hands. gradually become steeper and steeper. ada tali putih that will guide to the summit. MESTI ikut the tali. some people got lost sebab tak ikut tali. jumpa 2 weeks later mati kesejukan. have to wear gloves (garden gloves pun bagus), utk prevent rope burn and coldness (Like this I just stay at home lah)

sebagai muslim tak boleh lupa solat subuh, jadi halfway boleh semayang, cari clearing sikit, bawak compass n sejadah. haritu amin solat at the foot of low's peak dalam pukul 5.15am. reached low's peak (the summit) around 5.30am. siap2 la amik wudu, atau bawak air sikit dalam botol, atau can just tayamum kalau terlalu sejuk. (ada riwayat sahabat bertayamum masa terlalu sejuk dan nabi tak larang)

start descending sejurus selepas sunrise, sampai laban rata for breakfast, then teruskan descending sampai base camp. have to reach base camp before 3pm. after 3pm cafe tutup, jadi tak dapat buffet lunch.

tamat la trip ini. barangsiapa dapat sampai low's peak, maka layak lah untuk dapat certificate (What a joke, who's idea was it to call a peak "low"?)

things to bring

1. suitable shoes. sebenarnya the most reccommended by mountain guides adalah a pair of rubber shoes which can be bought at phillipine market kat kk for only rm 7. proven reliable. guaranteed takkan slip. amin pakai yang ni hari tu. the best. kawan2 amin pakai brand new adidas n nike, sampai another 1+ km nak sampai summit the guides advised supaya jangan teruskan climb. the tapak tak sesuai katanya. licin. ada mat salleh pakai boot mahal sampai summit koyak tapak kena ikat pakai tali rafia.
2. 2 pairs of clothes cukup. 1 pair for climbing, 1 pair for dry cloth (utk tidur). banyak2 buat berat bag. extra socks. towel. toiletries
3. jacket/wind breaker. tak payah tebal pun takpe. berat nanti
4. snow cap/beanie/gloves
5. headlamp. sini jual RM12
6. camera (of course)
7. energy snacks (chocholate etc) tak payah banyak.
8. ubat-ubatan. (painkillers, deap heat rub, some of us bawa dexamethasone (steroid) katanya helps in altitude sickness.) (Aiit, dr say what?)
9. raincoat/poncho

what to expect

katanya mount kinabalu is the most accessible mountain in the world. katanyalah. jadi dah ramai lah yang dah berjaya ke puncaknya. jadi dari sekecil2 sehingga la setua2 manusia ada yg pernah sampai hehe. tapi sebenarnya kepada untrained legs, thigh muscles, joints, hearts or even minds, kinabalu can be quite a challenge. usually they say we have to train for at least a month before try to attempt the summit. train to get the strength, stamina, and the positive mindset. from 20+ from our group yang climbed hari tu, most of us were house officers plus one makcik around 50+ of age, only 5 reached before sunrise (yours truly being the first at 5.30am hehe (that's my son hehe!) followed by others 15 mins later), around 8 others reached after sunrise (including the makcik (steady lah makcik ni)), the rest either stucked halfway then were forced not to continue or memang given up at laban rata lagi. most yang tak berjaya memang tak trained langsung. sebenarnya amin pun tak training hehe, tp alhamdulillah sampai jugak hehe (ini mesti kes mind over matter). jadi bersedialah ye. inshallah berjaya

last but not least.. ongkosnya

sutera harbour letak harga RM 489 per person incusive of (all meals, permit, insurance) for dorm accomodation at laban rata.

kalau nak room accomodation its RM 608 per person

additional fees per person
- entrance = rm3
- transportation from kinabalu park hq to base camp (mesilau = rm 15, timpohon = 5)
- mountain guide = rm 25
- porter (optional) = rm 9 per kg (reccommended)
- certificate = rm 12 (kalau berjaya)

itu saja. ada apa2 boleh tanya. kirim salam semua. inshallah perancangan ini selari dengan perancangan Allah

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SOMEONE, ANYONE! GET ME A HUGE CUP OF ARABIAN COFFEE!


The easier Timpohon Trail


Follow this link for someone's experience on the Mesilau Trail


Also an advice on climbing Mt Kinabalu with the heart not the feet

I'm still not sure.....

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