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
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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23 comments:
GO FOR IT, ZEN!!!!!!
You can do it, you can!!!!!
my word veri: jampi
(hahahahahahahhahahahahah!)
Hi Zendra, Wow! Mt. Kinabalu....wish I can come along...though I guess my bad knee and back might give problems...fell down some years back on an icy step...wife thought she has to wear black, ha ha as got KO'ed!
Anyway, looks like a lot of fun....go Zenda GO! Take pics, of you putting up the flag at summit. Wheeeee!
I only climbed Bukit Nanas, St. John Hill in Malacca, ha ha.
Lee.
,,,hhahaaaaahhh !! pls climb batu cave first to checkout your legs.
,,,yes ! you will be the first to reach her, no worries. I will advise my mates in Sabah Air to stand-by their Bell chopper in case ! hehehe..but unfortunately the Nuri can't do it, except the Alouette 111 for high altitude, which the RMAF has given to the Army boys to train with.
,,,Saw them still flying her during last Merdeka fly pass in K.L. so perhaps they are still operating her in Sabah, I really don't know ?..Perhaps Mej. Jeff can answer that !.
,,,High altitude heli rescue work can be bloody dangerous, there was a heli. crash 2 x days back at the Himalayas plus a veteran climber was found dead in the Himalayas today, days after he was injured and became stranded, as reported by a mountain rescue heli. company to me today !!. yoo.
Zendra,
Go ahead and climb - you are still young and strong. But count me out, I will confine my activities to Tai Chi, Chi Quong,Line dance/poco poco, brisk walking and self defence excercise to get me through the week plus the occassional olf fashion ballroom dancing at lake Club. The organization I am with is busy preparing for the Kinabalu Climb in January but I will stay behind and man the fort. When they read the details in your blog, half will opt out I think.
Good luck!
Kak Zendra...
heheh u sure buleh...
i nih yang tak bulehnya...nak angkat kaki pun tak larat ..nak panjat kinabalu???? hehehhe
Go go!! Karam Singh Walia kata ada beautiful periuk kera species not found in any other part of the world!!
Other than that..the food sounds good!! hehehe
You nampak very fit and superb so kacang lah.."ain't no mountain high enough..hehe"
Kak...Go..go...go!! Yes you can do it. You have our support and prayers. May the force be with you :)
Aiyoh why doesn't anyone push some sense into my head?
Naz, that's what I feel right now - jumpy! and may require some jampi mentera!
Ouch Lee bet you saw stars when you fell down and KOed. So how's the old back now? Can still tango or not? *wink,wink*
I too climbed up St John's Hill once upon a time, now it's called Bukit Senjuang - a localised pronunciation of St john's heheh
Capt I think I should bring a radio device for a possible Mayday call to Mej Jeff, don't you agree?
Batu Caves? They should've called it Bat caves instead - aiyoh all that guano.... maybe I'll climb the stairs of the nearby Summit Bldg here first :)
NanaDJ, since when did they say 56 is young? I'm like over the hill already and now want to climb a mountain? I'm so afraid instead of hearing the "Sound of Music" up there, I may be hearing my own wheezing hahahha.
Hey don't show them this entry - they still have age on their side lah and they have everything to gain reaching the summit.
Tell them to climb with PRIDE! heheh
Edelweiss, jom ikutlah - masih boleh train becos hang muda lagi. And you are eating healthy too so it's a matter of putting your mind to it.
So amacam? The journey of 13000 ft UP starts with the first step, about 2 ft long?
Mamasita, was wondering kera masak apa dalam periok tu ye? Atau pun kera duduk atas periuk tu ke hhahaha... Jangan marah ya Mr Karam Singh Wallia just joking
Actually the food sounds good too, but right now I'm thinking I might just as well eat butterflies
kay, you look like you can tackle any mountain yourself. Have you been up Kinabalu before? If not, then why not try it with us? Let's prove to everyone that there's more spirit in the Makcik blogger than what people think. Only thing is my body may not be as ho-hum as my spirit lah.
Anyway thank you very much for the support and prayers. It's still months away. Can I work up the force I wonder.
Kak...yes I have been up the Kinabalu, only up to the start of the trail. Personally, I'd like to challenge myself to it. But mental & physical preparations must be done before attempting to do so. Bab yg nak pi buat preparations tu yg liat...ishh...don't you think I'm making excuses here? Heh..heh. One day, kak...InshaAllah, me will follow the trails you left :)
Salute Makcik (nak jadi kambing gurun ka?), u can climb on my behalf anytime, just scribble my name ‘Tommy Yew was Here’ when u reach the summit, ok? (cheat2 abit mah..heheh).
I don’t understand why ppl go thru’ all this trouble for this self inflicted pain, blurred lah I. Now’s the time to slow down to enjoy the fruit of your labour mah, business class, 5*hotel at least, facial, foot massage, etc. Haiyah some ppl; if u do this to prove to yourself, that’s fine, but just to ‘how lian’ / aksi only; my advise – DON’T!
Anyway if u r raring to go; Best of luck to u lah. I’ll oso say a prayer for u!
Tommy
P/S – I’m oreadi knackered just reading this post.
kak zendra...
hehehhe u pi dulu lah ya....i sokong u :P
,,,Mayday Mayday Mayday..Mej. Jeff, one Zebra 'lost & found' her stripes at Mt. Kinabalu, the rest of family members followed their dad's descended Kambing Gurun bloodline
!! hehehe Alfa breed-lah. (kuda mana boleh panjat bukit tinggi tinggi-kan ?)
,,,surely, Zendra you can make it..you no chicken mother-kan??
yooooyoyo !! Tok Mee hi ?? kita naik bukit Genting o.k-lah. yaa apa m'cam ?. Don't worry, they think am Indian. Can speaking Tamil too-lah. eeek. munakuum !
,,,sorry 'stirpes' not "stripes" hahaha !
Tommy, when I scanned your comment the only word I saw was DON'T!!! At last, I can ponder upon one opposing argument. Ya lah horr, why bikin susah-susah? I'm no kambing gurun (though that is supposedly my astrological symbol) only a wanita sedang gerun (not menggerunkan OK?) hahaha. So tq for giving this whole idea some perspective. For me it's not a "how lian" case lah, more of "am I able" or "not able"?
Capt: I learnt a new word today "STIRPES" :D tq
Chicken-mother? Poorah! Do not translate that to melayu!!!
Adoiii, kapten, kapten.....
Tak yah gi laaa...jom mai sini restoran arab we have arabian coffee and ogle at the young Syrians...(sorry ah Romeo...we also human meh!!!!) We need eye candy, not mountain climbing...hehehe
Saya, EYE-CANDY !!! Yum-yum. Let's!
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