Post 150: Mount Kota Kinabalu

March 30-31 2013, after much plan and arrangement since 2012 May, decide to re-climb Mount KK again.

I'm always afraid of cold weather. Even sleep with air-con will be a "disaster" for my body. I simply cannot stand cold weather. Knowing my own "capability"', I try to prepare myself as much as possible hoping I will make it to the low peak, 4,095.20 m.

Journey start from KK town at 630am and we reach Kinabalu park at 800am plus. After some paper work and having our tour guide ready for us, we start our journey at 908am. 

I pace myself slow and steady knowing it is going to be a long journey. I expect it will cost me at least 6 hours to reach Laban Rata.

However, after couple hours of climbing, my leg start to feel heavy. Each steps become more arnd more heavier. I need to rest so much that every 10-15 minutes of climb, I must take a break. There is like thousand of staircase for Mount KK, different by type, stone staircase, mud staircase, wood staircase and every staircase is so difficult to get up, especially when I get higher up. 

Probably my surface area is bigger and gravity gets to pull me down stronger... hahaha

There is about 6 pondok for rest. I can always pace myself how far am I and estimate how much more I need to push myself. It make some sense of direction for me. ( meaning how long more i need to suffer la, in another word...) As i get higher, and lucky me, it also rain. i need to cover myself to avoid getting much wet and it will be very cold when things get wet.

So finally, after 7.5 hours, I manage to get it up and reach Laban Rata at 4:30pm. (Just the right time to start dinner!!!) After cleaning myself, immediately I get myself a cup of hot coffee to warm up. Laban Rata is very high up, probably about 3,000 over meter above sea level and the scenery was beautiful, peaceful, undisturbed. It was quiet magnificent view to see the cloud though only at Laban Rata.

Follow night, I need to wake up at 130am to get prepared.
From top, 3 T-shirt, 2 jacket, 3 short pants, 1 long pants, 3 pair of stocks and a pair of shoe, and I looks like this.... XD

Though I pace myself slow and steady, it is still a very difficult climb for me. My breathing just not smooth enough. I consistently need to stop and take in strong breath in order to feel better to move on. Leaving Laban Rata about 230 AM, I manage to reach check-point about 4:30 AM. At this pace, I think it was still ok la. The challenge for me is the uphill climb after the check-point. Breathing is not good, stamina is low, this cause every step so difficult. I still remember where I consistently need to stop and breath after only 5-10 steps, is that bad for me!!! I took me about 1 hours to walk few hundred meter away from checkpoint. By 530, after my guide advice, I will be too late to reach low peak and it could be very difficult to climb down too.

 So I quite!!
At 3,827.30m, I decided to quite and make turn to return Laban Rata. ( dont ask me how they measure how  high i get, the cert. said so...)
After 2 hours plus, I am return to Laban Rata rest house. After waiting my teammate to return from their climb, we made our way down back to Timpohon Gate.

Going down was rather better for me. (I think) the air is better and oxygen is thicker, my breathing was better. I manage to walk more faster and make continuous walk along the way down. After almost 4 hours walk, I finally make it to Timphon Gate and my feet is get lump!!! hahaha... Dam tired!!!

It was a great trip to experience it again for me. Some time I will think how I made it the trip up and down of Mount KK. It is such a difficult climb. I could not dare of thinking doing it again. No more mount climbing for me now!!! XD