The Top of the World

And so, I was at the top of the world. Well, in Southeast Asia at least. Mount Kinabalu, the tallest mountain in Southeast Asia, now has my footprints on its very summit. There I was, 4095.2m above sea level, exalting in the triumphant conquest of the mountain, yet freezing in my clothes as I thought little else but climbing back to down relative warmth. The view was indeed quite majestic, but then again, I'm not a stickler for nature. From up there you can see much of Sabah, a wide expanse of land and much of Mount Kinabalu itself, with the other peaks around where we were.

In retrospect, I suppose the process of the climb was torturous enough to make me think that the whole trip wasn't worth it. But then again, the experience and accomplishment of conquering a mountain is difficult to replicate as well. So then I came to the conclusion that I wouldnt return to climb it again, unless the company more than makes up for it. A total of 15 hours or so of climbing from me, and all I could think of was the prospect of a good massage at the end of the day, which I got ^^.

Kota Kinabalu is like a typical Malaysian town, except that it has commercialized somewhat. Western restaurants dot the town, and Burger King soon became something I ate more often than the local fare. To say the truth, there isn't much to do there: shopping is just like Malaysia, the nice things are same price as Singapore, if not more expensive. Next to a nice, clear sea (strangely there's a wierd sewage smell), its also a nice place to just gaze out to the clear waters of the coast. Supposedly there's a nature park where you can head there to snorkel and sunbathe, but I didn't do that la.. We flew about 2 hours via AirAsia, which is quite a good airline in my opinion.

Any budding climbers who want to climb should prepare themselves sufficiently, both physically and also equipment-wise. Prepare for a good 5-8 hours of climbing at least, as well as ensure that you have clothing that can endure zero or even sub-zero temperatures. You'll get all sorts of conditions, including a part where you gotta grab a rope and climb along the side of the mountain with little else to keep you from falling off the side in near total darkness. Don't pack too much, cos you'll have to carry it all up to the mountain huts at Laban Rata, unless you engage one of the porters, monstrous locals that carry heavy loads and just bound up the mountain like it was nothing. Wear boots or trekking shoes for the rocks and possible wet places, and do bring muscle spray. That saved me when I got cramps on both thighs. Nearly died I tell you. Overall, expect to spend about 700 plus SGD (excluding equipment).

The rewards?

The feeling of accomplishment (and certificates)
The view from the top
A good workout for your entire body
The realization that God made everything well

The costs?

Hours of painful climbing
Possible injury (especially coming down)

Worth it?

Perhaps. But as I said, I'm probably not doing it again. But hey, I said the same for the marathon.