ONE FOR THE MEMORY - CLIMBING MOUNT KINABALU, SABAH
15:25:00
I haven't been writing on here for a while, and I kinda miss it (and also, because I haven't really been anywhere, haha). So today, I'm going to post some old photos of my climb up Mount Kinabalu, about 6 years ago (I think). Reason being, a few days ago, I was reading some of older my blog posts of my earlier trips to Chamonix, Paris, Cappadocia... and the thing that I kept thinking about was 'thank God I blogged about this', I was able to re-live the memories of the places with photos, and the experience with my stories.
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So here goes, some photos of my Kinabalu trip with my homies...
There was a point in my life where I was pretty active in my hiking and running activities and kept on browsing the 'running calendar' for the next months. One day, I came across one in Sabah, which was the Borneo International Marathon (BIM) 2012. I asked Fizal (who at the time was just my friend, haha) and my friend Nadhira if they wanted to join the run in Sabah. Fizal immediately said yes but Nadhira had her job commitment that she had just started, so she had to back-out from the plan.
I then thought about flying all the way to Sabah for the marathon; 'who would want to fly out to Borneo just for a 10km run?' and I know I was not fit enough to do a 21 km and most definitely not 42 km, so the idea of climbing Mount Kinabalu crossed my mind.
"If we're gonna be flying to Sabah to join the run, why not climb this highest mountain in Southeast Asia too while we're there", I thought.
So I asked Ika and Sarah if they wanted to join and of course they did! It all happened so fast. After deciding to go, Fizal and I registered for the BIM run and I settled the climbing registration/accommodation and all with (Sutera Sanctuary Lodges). So that was pretty easy and straightforward.
The trip to Sabah was a 5-days trip. We arrived in Kota Kinabalu (KK) on the night (delayed flight, pfft) before the BIM run. Had dinner and went straight looking for our lodge for that night. We had a good night's rest as Fizal and I had to wake up early for the morning event (flag-off at around 6am). The run went well and ended at around 10am. After taking a short nap after the run, later that day, we went around KK town, including getting some souvenirs at the Pasar Filipina and also went wall-climbing at the Sabah Indoor Climbing Centre. The next day, we took a trip in a minibus from KK to Ranau, and stayed at a friend's house the night before our climb. Fuhh! Sorry for the long-non-stop intro. Haha.
So here is where it all started...
We started the climb in the morning, of course, looking all fresh and cheerful. haha.
.
.
.
.
.
.
So here goes, some photos of my Kinabalu trip with my homies...
There was a point in my life where I was pretty active in my hiking and running activities and kept on browsing the 'running calendar' for the next months. One day, I came across one in Sabah, which was the Borneo International Marathon (BIM) 2012. I asked Fizal (who at the time was just my friend, haha) and my friend Nadhira if they wanted to join the run in Sabah. Fizal immediately said yes but Nadhira had her job commitment that she had just started, so she had to back-out from the plan.
I then thought about flying all the way to Sabah for the marathon; 'who would want to fly out to Borneo just for a 10km run?' and I know I was not fit enough to do a 21 km and most definitely not 42 km, so the idea of climbing Mount Kinabalu crossed my mind.
"If we're gonna be flying to Sabah to join the run, why not climb this highest mountain in Southeast Asia too while we're there", I thought.
So I asked Ika and Sarah if they wanted to join and of course they did! It all happened so fast. After deciding to go, Fizal and I registered for the BIM run and I settled the climbing registration/accommodation and all with (Sutera Sanctuary Lodges). So that was pretty easy and straightforward.
The trip to Sabah was a 5-days trip. We arrived in Kota Kinabalu (KK) on the night (delayed flight, pfft) before the BIM run. Had dinner and went straight looking for our lodge for that night. We had a good night's rest as Fizal and I had to wake up early for the morning event (flag-off at around 6am). The run went well and ended at around 10am. After taking a short nap after the run, later that day, we went around KK town, including getting some souvenirs at the Pasar Filipina and also went wall-climbing at the Sabah Indoor Climbing Centre. The next day, we took a trip in a minibus from KK to Ranau, and stayed at a friend's house the night before our climb. Fuhh! Sorry for the long-non-stop intro. Haha.
So here is where it all started...
We started the climb in the morning, of course, looking all fresh and cheerful. haha.
Off we go!
About 10 minutes into the hike...
Still happy faces here...
Legs become a little bit wobbly... haha
Yup, and that young lady over there can't even smile anymore...
And this is the funniest photo yet. I honestly can't stop laughing EVERY SINGLE TIME I look at this photo!
Along the way, it started raining, hence the ponchos.
:)
Happy people!
The background was just so stunning! Like a painting I tell ya!
We reached Laban Rata. The place where hikers stay overnight before going for the summit.
We started our summit hike at 2am in the morning. No photos were taken as it was obviously dark, and we were holding ropes most of the time.
Alhamdulillah, we conquered the peak of Mount kinabalu!
Unfortunately, when we reached the summit, it was very cloudy, foggy, misty - call it whatever you want. We couldn't see the anything! No view, let alone the sunrise that was supposed to be breathtaking from up there...
Disappointed, we made our move because we had to be back down in Laban rata by 10am. While walking down, we kept saying that this means another trip! hehe
The fog started to clear as we were coming down, only then we were able to see the some amazing views with the clouds beneath us.
One for the memory. :)
Yup, the young Fizal :)
I have no idea of what was going on here, but I like this photo. It kinda tells a story (which I'm sure there is one behind it).
We reached Laban Rata, had brunch before we started our journey back down... I know most people say this about hikes, but I'm going to say it again anyway. The climb up was truly enjoyable. We were able to enjoy some breathtaking views in the surrounding area, had lots of fun despite the rain, and our guide, Abg Jamil was awesome and funny! - which was an added bonus. But climbing back down again was the horrible part. I have had some knee issues from my previous short hikes, so it was a hell lot worse for me. Thankfully, we made it back down on time, safe and sound. :)
It was indeed such an amazing experience. And I have to say, this is always one of my favourite trips of all time. It holds a special place in my heart because; 1) I was with the people I'm most comfortable with; and 2) it was one of my earliest trips out with friends. I've heard people having troubles with altitude sickness when climbing and that the hike was tough etc, but to be honest, I (we) enjoyed every bit of it. We were happy all the way, all the time, and Alhamdulillah, Allah granted us good health and well-being during the climb. I could say that everything went smooth and there was nothing that I regret about it. I really recommend climbing Mount Kinabalu and I'd definitely want to set foot on those peaks again some time in the future.
Until then.
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