It all started when I wrote as part of my New Year’s Resolution that I planned to climb Mt Kinabalu before the end of this year.
Su Ann of quaintly.net had sent me an e-mail saying that if I’m going, she’d wanna tag along.
Though I was initially skeptical of having an 18-year-old school girl climb a mountain with me, I thought I could use some company. After some planning together over e-mail, we’re on our way to our first ever mountain-climbing expedition.
The coolest drink I’ve ever had in KK. Coconut Shake at Anjung Senja
Our trip didn’t exactly start off on a good note.
Because it was already close to midnight when I touched down at Kota Kinabalu, I thought it would be a better idea if I hired a car instead of paying ridiculous charges for a taxi to take us to Kinabalu Park, located some 2 hours away.
I got a Proton Wira for RM170 a day, which is all fine and dandy.
There’s only one problem though. As if it isn’t difficult as it is to drive at an unfamiliar place at night, Sabah doesn’t exactly have the best street signs to direct us to Kinabalu Park.
LOST AND FOUND: Camwhores in Sabah
As a result, we got lost and ended up in a quaint little town called Tuaran. Lucky its called ‘Tuaran’ and not ‘Tua lan’. Heck, I wouldn’t wanna get lost in a town where all the men have huge testicles.
When we finally arrived at our destination some four hours later, it was already 4:30am. Great. Just two hours of sleep before we have to trek six hours up the mountain.
The view from Hill Lodge at Kinabalu Park. Accomodation is cheap at RM110/night.
A lot of people think that Mount Kinabalu is South-East Asia’s tallest mountain, but that is not true. According to Wikipedia, it is only the third tallest after Myanmar and Indonesia’s.
Still, at 4095m high, it is by no means gonna be a walk in the park, especially for beginners.
After registering ourselves at the Park HQ (costing us about RM70 per person for guide, porter and park fees), we set out to Timpohon Gate at 10am to begin our ascend.
Our guide-cum-porter is a friendly local by the name of Jikon Michael. As Su Ann and I later found out, he’s probably the best guide beginners like us could ever wish for.
Most people take two days to ascend and descend the mountain, staying overnight at Laban Rata resthouse (RM50 per dorm bed) before the final attack of the summit.
The first thing that we passed by is a signboard telling us the fastest recorded time up and down Mt Kinabalu. Apparently, some crazy Mexican called Ricardo Mejia managed to complete the mountain in 2 hours 50 minutes!
Who does he think he is? Speedy Gonzales?!
The first kilometre of the climb was fairly easy. We passed by a beautiful waterfall and strolled along well-defined paths amid the lush rainforest that Kinabalu Park is famous for.
Yea, right now you see us goofing around acting like we’re damn tired in this photo. Later on we didn’t even need to act ‘cos we were really damn exhausted.
The whole journey up to the Laban Rata resthouse is about 6km, which should take us about 6 hours.
Along the way, we were treated to spectacular views of rare plants and vegetation.
It’s not uncommon to spot some hungry wildlife looking for food as well as well.
Mt Kinabalu is described as one of the most accessible mountain, and rightfully so. Every 800m or so, there are pondoks or huts where you could rest your feet and drink fresh untreated rainwater in tanks.
If you want to, you could even use the toilets.
And it even comes with flush!
And you don’t even have to pay twenty cents!
Apart from some light rain, the weather has been kind to us for the better part of the journey. Su Ann and I chatted along the way to keep each other entertained. We were wondering why there were people who made it to Laban Rata but chose to gave up before reaching the summit. A bit wasted, right?
3km in, we started to notice that our surroundings are getting a bit misty.
The mist gives us an illusion that we’re in some kinda surreal alien world, which is actually not so far apart from the truth.
Everything around us didn’t feel like anything we were familiar with. It was like we’re transported into a completely different dimension.
A bit further down the tracks, we spotted some strange-looking trees that look like they come from straight out from a horror movie. You know, the type that have tree branches grabbing you from behind when you’re not looking and strangle you to death.
Slowly, the path we trudged on changed from soil to rocks.
We started to feel the punishment on our bodies. Our legs were sore and every step just seems to get harder and harder.
A drop in temperature as we go higher in altitude meant that we cannot stop to rest for too long or we’ll get really cold and slow down easily.
This is what Su Ann looks like when she’s cold
5km into the journey our worst nightmare happened.
It rained again. First it was just a few drops, then it was like the water pipes at the Malaysian Parliament building just broke.
Mother Nature has well and truly turned the taps on.
Under such heavy rain, the final 500m trek up to Laban Rata resthouse was so difficult that I could sense the exasperation on Su Ann’s voice. Instead of climbing up rock staircases, we were climbing mini waterfalls.
It was cold, wet and we were all very, very exhausted.
“How long more to goooooo?” she asked with a tinge of frustration.
“Just a little bit more. Real food and hot showers ahead!”
That is the only encouragement I could give. Fact is, I was just as frustrated as to why I am subjecting myself to this sort of torture.
By the time we reached Laban Rata, we were soaking wet from head to toe. Su Ann took a well-deserved hot shower and hung out with some climbers she met along the way.
I could only managed to change into my semi-dry clothes before falling into a heap on my bed and pass out.
Later that evening I developed a fever. Maybe its the rain, but my body temperature shot up so high it’s not funny. I was weak and miserable.
All through the night, all I could hope for was that I would be in a good enough condition to climb to the summit the following day.
For a tourist accomodation that has been established for such a long time, it is disappointing that Laban Rata doesn’t even have basic drying facilities for our wet clothes and shoes.
We were not allowed to but because we had no choice, Su Ann and I dried our wet socks and shoes over our in-room heater.
*sniff* *sniff* “I think I smell rubber burning…” — our European roommates.
Lucky Laban Rata didn’t burn down.
Because my sports shirt was still wet and cold, I folded it into a rectangle and placed it over my forehead to ease my fever. It helped.
I always thought I look kinda weird wearing a beanie
After barely 4 hours of sleep, we woke up around 1am and got suited up for the second part of our climb.
And that’s Su Ann putting the G-string torchlight over her head. Haha!
Not a lot of pictures here, but suffice to say this was definitely the most gruelling part of the climb. The rocky path up to the summit is unforgivingly steep. At some point, the level of inclination was almost 70 degrees, with only a rope separating us between life and certain death.
The weather up here is icy cold and although I was wearing four layers (windbreaker + sweater + thermal underwear + my layer of fat), it was almost impossible to stay warm and focused. My lack of sleep, fever and the lack of oxygen as we go higher makes mobility even more difficult.
At one point Su Ann and I were practically walking every ten steps and collapsing, walking every ten steps and collapsing… until we almost felt like giving up.
“Never again…” she muttered lifelessly as she sprawled down next to me.
We had not even a single ounce of energy left in us. Now we know why some people turned back even when they were so close to reaching the summit.
But we’re not ready to give up. Not just yet.
Somehow, we managed to dig down deep inside ourselves and stand up.
And we kept going.
Relying on nothing mroe but 100% pure determination alone.
We really, really wanted to reach the top.
By 5:30am, we witnessed the break of dawn.
One by one, the many famous features of the Kinabalu’s mountain peak began to reveal themselves. It was a sight to behold.
The magnificent faraway landscape.
The South Peak. That’s the image at the back of the RM1 note.
The St John’s Peak.
And the grand daddy of ’em all, The Low’s Peak. The highest point in the whole of Malaysia.
Su Ann got a sudden surge of adrenaline and pushed forward. For me however, the fever and altitude sickness were starting to consume me.
Only 15 metres left to go.
As she pressed ahead towards Low’s Peak, I followed slowly behind trying to stay conscious. I was as pale as a ghost. Many times I felt like vomitting, but nothing came out.
Su Ann was waiting for me. I dragged myself towards to sign post.
And finally, we reached the peak!
Then we took this photo.
Yes, after two days of hiking, battling sickness, climb 8.7km up the tallest mountain in Malaysia, our moment of pride was ruined by a Japanese photographer in the background and a silly-looking Chinese lady wearing a puffy jacket in the front.
Here’s a better picture.
I felt awesome to have made it to the top. I have never climbed a mountain before on my own. This is the first time I did it and I felt so damn good about myself.
I felt exactly how it feels like to be standing at Low’s Peak… on top of the world!
Unfortunately for Su Ann, things took a downhill from there. No pun intended .:P
As she was making her way down from Low’s Peak, the girl sprained her ankle. Badly.
It was so bad, our guide-cum-porter Jikon had to piggyback her down to Laban Rata. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, the girl had to be put on a stretcher to be carried down the the foot of the mountain. A lot of climbers who saw the incident must have thought that someone died. Haha!
Ok, so my travel partner was carried away by our guide.
How about me?
I was left alone to make my way down the treacherous Kinabalu mountain peak carrying TWO bags!
My bag and HIS bag. Hey, I thought you’re supposed to be my porter!
I still wasn’t feeling well. To make things worse, halfway down my walking stick was broken.
So much for a canggih-RM42-metal-alloy-walking-stick-with-suspension-spring-somemore-dun-pray-pray.
When I arrived downhill at the 4km point, Su Ann Lim, being the one tough cookie that she is, managed to get off the stretcher. Joining me, she even managed made it all the way down the mountain by herself, sprained ankle and all.
It was raining all the way down too. But heck, does that even matter? We’ve already made it all the way to the top of Mount Kinabalu. And we are ROCK STARS! 😉
Looks like the front cover of my Form 3 Geography book
Though Su Ann and I had never even met before this, I reckon she has been a fantastic travel partner to be on my side. Thanks for a memorable experience and for being such an absolute legend! Looking forward to travelling together again.
Here’s a video of our Mt Kinabalu trip.
I learnt a lot of things about this trip. When we went to Mt Kinabalu, we were exposed to the spirit of comradeship. We gave each other encouragement and worked as a team until we successfully completed the journey. The expedition had changed me and I believe I am now a better person.
Oh, and I learnt all these without even having to jump out of a plane in North Pole.
Music of the Week: These are the reasons why Australian Idol is a hundred times better than anything American Idol has ever produced: Dean Geyer and Bobby Flynn.
sorry but pls pls tell me which camera u used! PLS!!
WOW nice pictures! i juz wish u would make them bigger cuz i love using ur pictures as wallpaper.
btw u and su ann look cute together! hahahha (:
Thanks for the good posting on Mt Kinabalu. I will be going in July, and reading your post helped a lot in preparing myself.
nice entry!
love ur photos!
Wow, congrats on your dangerous climb! Also climbed Jade Mountain (Taiwan’s tallest) a few months ago and it was total HELL. Yes, totally an achievement. Good for ya! You’re living your life to the fullest indeed!
I am not a chicken
faithful reader, I use a mix of Nikon D40 and Sony T9 to take my photos.
lemon, Su Ann and I ain’t a couple! Tell me which pics you want in wallpaper-size so I could post them up.
thanks kenny for replying, appreciate that lots =)
Breathtaking pics and entry, keep blogging!
I remember my first (and only) climb up Mt Kinabalu many many years ago, I was thirteen then, and seeing those pictures (especially the Laban Rata site enveloped in mist) sure brought back wonderful memories. Did you see the long silvery strip of waterfall at Laban? It must have originated all the way from the peak. Beautiful..
kenny. if you’re coming to climb any mountain in perak, let me know! lol. wait, are there any mountains in perak??
anyway,love the pics. i love su ann too. always frequent both kennysia.com and quaintly.net.
ahahhaa. take care
that’s some determination you have there.. when are you going to climb everest?
NICE! great stuff.. made it and i think i will be lookin fwd to climbing tht mountain if i get the chance to 😉
wut a nice entry.
congrat on your climb =)
You did it!
Congrats. I was born in KK, but left before I hit the one year old mark. Reading your post made me feel… as if I am missing out something, that I should return to the land I was born at.
Mount Everest is next, perhaps? 😀
Hey Kenny,
Congrats! At least you didn’t drink untreated water and have your whole guts coming out of the rear end for days. Too bad that you got sick but you made it to the summit in spite of that. Best certificate ever. Woohoo I am 12th.
o.o the certificate is so nice
Congrats! You should set another target. Although Mount Kinabalu is the tallest mountain in Malaysia it still isnt the toughest.
So you should try other mountains like Gunung Ledang and so on.
any moutain climbing will expose you to the spirit of comradeship, that north pole thing, juz another project for making money, why cant they spend on charity?
congratulations!!! you made it!! with your blubber and all!!! hahaha… jkjkjk… you made it, and mebbe you could try kilimanjaro then everest, eh? poor boy you, had fever… and poor su ann!!! spraining an ankle is no big deal, i managed to sprain BOTH my ankles in march [one was damn serious, the other one not so serious] and i’m still in the healing process… i feel the pain on rainy days… she’d need a good sinseh to treat her, preferably one from china who had studied TCM…
get well soon, girl! and hope you’re fine, kenny.
🙂
Congratulations to both on your climbs!
Great photo story, i guess next time you’ll need to invest in even better gear, especially more breathable apparel.
so envy at you Kenny.. I was been the leg of mountain before but i didn’t climb up since it take time..
WOW! CONGRATULATION TO BOTH OF YOU! This entry sure is no less inspirational than the marathon. I would definitely try pusing my limit someday!
Wo…. nice view… congrat 1st~~!! completed ur objective liao~ ha~ keep going man~
Darn she’s cute 😉 lucky slugger you…
Grats!
i noe y u look so weird in beanie..
cos u arent suppose to reveal ur ears when ur wearing it..!!lol..
anyway..salute u guys!! make me wanna climb too..
p/s: su ann is cute..hehe..
Congrats Kenny n Su Ann! Reminds me of the time I was there a few years ago… at the bottom of the mountain. Didn’t make the trip up :p
And hope both of you are feeling better now!
Congrats Kenny and Su Ann.. both of you are great 😛
Kenny, all your pics are so nice.. I like 1, 13,29,30,31,32,34,35,38,39&41.. So nice 🙂
congrats.. how much is the whole thing anyway? equipment and the expedition..
I saw your calendar babe pic at quaintly.net!!! It’s babe-licious, put it here!! Congrats on your climb!
Congrat. U did it again Kenny boy.
congrats kenny! i’ll be mounting Mt.KK later in august,too. One question, do i really need “special shoes” or can i just use any sport’s shoe? Is the G-string headlamp useful, do i really need those? Thanks!
Congrats…Nice pix and story u hv here 🙂
waoh congrats! anyway surprised the cam could survive those punishment…
cos Sony T9 doesn’t look like it’s meant for such harsh conditions.
The last time I went with friends, most of our digicams couldn’t take the rain and end up spoilt… =(
anyway plans for another climb? =D
definitely a once in a lifetime experience. it had a significant effect on me too after i conquered the mountain. i would say that its all in the mind. if u put ur heart to it, u can accomplish anything!
congrats n awesome pics =)
good job Kenny!
thumbs up for yr grit!
my coconut boy made it to the top!! congratssssssss…. someday I will do dis.. really need to keep fit before that =P
congrates!
how was the stay in kinabalu park? it’s a total different experience than staying in those commercial hotel in town, isnt it?
wonder how your individual gears performed… any post moterm evaluation? 1 thing we know the walking stick was broken…
hmmm i want to know how did u drive back to kk…
Congratulations Kenny, hope you had a great time. Get well soon.
Hmmm… I noticed something… yeah… I’m think I know what is it… Hey Kenny! You know what! You both looks ‘matching’ !! Hehehehe…
WOAH!!
Dude, excellent post, very informative for would be climbers since I’ve climbed Mount Kinabalu myself. Maybe you should mention that if one wants to climb the mount he/she got to book the accomodation in Laban Rata well in advance. Plus one can take the bus to the Mount from KK, takes lot off food – good one on the protein power bars. Just some pointers. Here’s to ticking off another project off your New Year Resolution list man…I got to go find my list now… 🙂
Nice entry in deed.
i will fwd this blog entry to my overseas friends who intend to climb Mt.Kinabalu.
Thanks Kenny
Wow Kenny nice post, very informative, and lucky you, why I dont get a pretty girl going mountain climbing with me one?? oh wait I dont do mountain climbing hehehehe >.
I really love reading your blog, it’s totally different from other blog which are boring. Keep it up.
no wonder i love coming back to ur blog almost every day and not just that few times aday. simple the truth i just love your blog… i think i love u the most, but i m abit jealous Su Ann gets to go with u to mt kk. i climb mountains too and i’ve climbed mt murud 7 times. i still looking forward to clim more mts. i know how it feels at certain peaks and i’ve been there. the last time i drank the from the stream i had diarhea the next day. i love the photos u took. Yeah!! ur made it to the summit! well done kenny!
hey bro! gratz on the climb.seriously , with those rain, and the condition of timpohan trail, it will dampen anyone’s spirit…
but seriously though, you MUST try Mesilau trail.the scenery is like heaven vs earth compared to timpohan
Hey – just wanted to say that your account of the Mt K odyssey has both inspired me to make the climb (I’m goin June 15th) and scared the hell out of me! You also made me laugh SO much! Well done on your success. I think I may die somewhere between Labuan Rata and Lowes’ Peak. RIP. Take Care xx
this is so hardcore…
Amazing experience, though a tough one but am sure it was all worth it and memorable. And didn’t know u have a nice deep voice, can be radio DJ yo. *wink*
Nice post on your blog. However, it started to make me worry because I am climbing it within the next few days 😛 Thanks for the tips, wish me luck.
Congrats on the climb.Ur thighs must be aching like hell by now.Climbing mt kinabalu is very physical demanding for the unfit.ALthough its not the most challenging climb(its just climbing stairs, for 2 days!!), For 10 mins the satisfaction that you get when u reach Low’s peak is just indescribable.After that you start to realise that you’ve just put yourself in through that sh*t when you are decending.
Just focus on the next 4 meters in front of you and you’ll get there eventually. Really.
So..did u get to hump her? 🙂
dear kenny, thank you for your efforts in taking the pics and posting them for us to see. 😉
ain’t Sam get jealous of u climbing the mount with Su Ann? Why can’t she join?
Did Su Ann and you soaked yourselves at Poring Hotsprings later?
For your next climb, try a volcanic peak at nearby Indonesia or the Philippines. You’ll definitely get a truly out of this world experience … and no Laban Rata!
HEY KENNY!!!!.
sorry, pressed the wrong key and my post was posted b4 i finished.
Just wanna say that I love your photos….reminds me of my climb last year…we didn’t take much photos on the way up coz too tired and was raining…sure was memorable right?
I was one of the fews that didn’t manage to get it to the peak due to some !@#$%^&*()….anyway…good job….congrats..now u belong to a special club of those that reached Mt. KK
BTW, my dad was there a day b4 u went up….and bloody hell, he took only 3.5 hours to reach Laban Rata, (I took 5…ahahahha)
I totally relate to how you felt throughout the whole climb. I myself climbed Mt. Kinabalu 3 yrs ago. And being a 19 yrs old girl with no stamina (read:hate execising/training, I had a hard time dragging myself up to the end)
I was alone and the only motivation I got was from the guide who nvr failed to tell me that I was reaching soon (knowing totally well that there was still a LONG way to go). The only thing that made me go on was my own determination. I kept thinking ‘I’m almost there, why not finish it’. And I did!
But after that, I got rewarded with thighs that ached soooo much for 2 whole weeks. yay.
Anyway, congrats!
I were there during the Jamboree Malaysia which was held in Sabah. I couldn’t recall it was that tough to conquer the peak. Our group of 4, range 16 -17 years old, managed to reach Laban Rata within 5 hours.
Most people would think it is really tough. Actually it isn’t true. The starting point (Kinabalu Park) is at almost 2000m, what we need to climb is just another 2000m. I think the most challenging mountain in Malaysia is the Gunung Tahan. One would need almost 5 days journey to reach the peak from sea level, as most of the time is spent to reach foot of the mountain!
Kenny perhaps you can set Gunung Tahan as your next target.
Like one of the commentaters here put it, you miggt want to go back to mt k again and try mersilau trail. It is much more scenic then the standard trail. Althou the distance is longer, it is alot more quieter with less trekkers. In kota kinabalu, you can also climb mt trumadi , and at the peak of it, you will see Mt k.
Try G.rinjaini at lombok next. Go google a bit and next you might find yourself wanting to climb it.:)
The picture after the dirty toilet is amazing.
That was one heck of a good climb. I did post a comment in Su Ann’s blog saying that she gets to do so many things while in such a young age, which I think is inspirational to others. What you think? She is a wonderful high spirited girl ain’t she? And of course, I applaud you for your achievement on conquering Mt Kinabalu with Su Ann. I’d like to accomplish that one day, it will be on my to-do list. Btw, I’m a frequent reader of your blog, and a loyal reader of Su Ann’s blog too. Keep up the good work.
seems you guys got the good resthouse the one where you can the meals at? When i went last time, my group got the crappy shack which was a bit further up, but still close to the restauraunt the place had no hot water and the showers were barely working so we had to fill a bucket with water and splash ourselves with water that was so cold, it gave you a slight headache and sent shivers down your spine
was she a good ride?
I wanna climb Mt Kinabalu too…
OMG!! You really did it!! Congrats mate. Should have invited me, I did thought about the climb, but no partner to go with. Bloggers interested? 🙂
oh wow i didnt really expect a reply. hahah thanks! i would like all those pics of the landscape you posted after u reached the top.. they’re all beautiful! but if i could only choose one it would be the one titled “the magnificient faraway landscape” i love the colours! thanks =)
like kk lad…i too wanna know, how did u drive back to kk after the climb????….
Congrats..you and su ann 🙂
Glad you guys enjoyed your climb! I’m from KK, and of course i went to the top before too! It felt so awesomely good, just like yours! minus the rain and lots of pic la. Haha!
grrrr how dare u be skeptical in the first place!!! you think 18 yr old schoolgirls cannot climb mountain ah -___-
coconut shake!
I second what Maii said. Go for Rinjani next!
hey kenny u should have taken d mini bus up to the park from KK town.. it onli cost RM15per way.. much cheaper than renting a car!
I am also willing to climb a mountain if that means I can sleep with Kenny Sia in the same hotel okay!!!
Oh yes, and Su Ann is cute. *pouts* Which is so unfair.
congrats kenny! admire yr determination – i tried climbing a snow mountain before but the weather was too bad and right before reaching the peak some rangers came warning us to not proceed =(
Kenny, didn’t the ranger told you not to disturb any living creature there. I bet your fever was cursed by that little snake you tried or did killed. And did Su Ann call out loud your name on top of the mountain, that’s another pantang kekeekke…. Jeng jeng jeeeeeeeng…..
congrats.you made it.surprised at your fitness level though. better get it up and look forward to your penang bridge run entry.show all those critics kenny can run.
after the climb, none of you fall in love ar?
congrats! climbed mount kinabalu once when i was thirteen on a school trip. was really awesome! won’t mind doing it again : )
i thought our textbooks taught us that mt. kinabalu IS the TALLEST mountain in south-east asia?? daYm! cheated by our malaysian textbooks once again!
and i suppose it is good to have toilets along the way up the mountain, but that toilet looks really disgusting :p
Yo, the girl is hot
hey kenny!!!
congrats n the pics are awesome…love it…( great camera!)
btw, u got gf already ah?? if yes, she wont jealous, u climbed the mount with other gal?? haha…
oh ya… u feel better now?? recover from ur fever? =)
The best feeling my friends and me had was drinking warm 100Plus on top of the mountain. Ahhh…
And speaking of climbing gears, one of my friends literally jogged all the way up the mountain and back to base in a pair of Pallas Jazz school shoes and wearing Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia jacket. Not bad for a small sized girl, eh?
Wah. You also climb Kinabalu. I’m a Sabahan myself but belum lagi naik..malu-malu. Must make this my goal too!
Wish I could have gone climbing too… haha… guess dats still a few more years for me. (parents don’t allow.)
Anyways, congrats for reaching the top. =)
Su Ann has similar face as minishorts at certain angle of view….
one of the peaks is the one on 1 ringgit msia note right…hmmm….nice nice….
congrats for conquering it ya!! love ya!!
Did you have fun with her??
18 years old… in the mountain alone.. woo kinky
well done Kenny!
I climbed it once many many years ago & got my Certificate to prove it. My only regret was I forgot to bring along a photo to be affixed onto the Certificate and having it chopped. Next time round, I will make sure to bring along. Oh! Mt. Kinabalu. here I come!
I noticed that the coconut drink, you have 1 cup and 2 straws!
Hehehe, despite your denial nothing is going on~
Hi Kenny, you went to KK on the same day with my friend’s uncle. He took many beautiful pictures.
May be both of you shared the same tour guide too.
http://entchng.multiply.com/photos
I hope you are feeling better from your fever and vomiting saga.
Oh, yes I think Bobby Flynn is really talented. I like him.
Damn I feel like going up there again la. This time making it to the summit. Stupid altitude sickness -.-
Eh how about Mt Santubong? Dont climb mt k and forget about santubong 😀
hey congrats!! conquered the mountain and the tuoran village and spent a night with her *ops*, i don’t mean that =p
Did you and Su Ann join the mile high club together ? i would if i were you
you got some magnificent shots. well done. it was cloudy on top when i did Kinabalu years ago. Very unsatisfying.
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Congrats!
the next time? take the mesilau trail. 8 hrs up. haha.
i’m never going up that mountain again. bleh. first and last mountain i’m gonna climb.
u lucky guy……. with such a cun girl climbing with u must be hard to look macho eh…….. i guess u didnt take any pictures while ur both cuddling to keep warm eh….. noti noti….
congrats anyway….. BTW Timpohon is ez try Mersilau next time……..
i hate it when i read comments such as “did u get to hump her?” or even “you and her in the mountains.. woo kinky.”
i mean, what’s wrong with you people? cant you see they are only activity partners? with a platonic relationship?
sigh.
(no, i dont have a thing for Kenny. it irks me very much when people start treating women like a sex object.)
Congrats!! my turn in end of June.
Tell me how cold is it up there? I’m thinking what kind of jacket should I bring…Looking at ur pic… it doesn’t seem that cold….
Fantastic view!
oh my.. sue ann is very prrrrrrrrreetty
æå–œä½ !!
i went to climb mount KK last year, like wat u had said, it was a total hell when climbing up. but the satisfaction reaching the top is just too hard to be described… of course there wont be a next time there until i get myself really fit. hope u had plenty of fun there!
try mersilau trail next time. though it’s extra 2 km but it’s a ‘much better’ walk than timpohon trail. there’ll be a trip again in oct. come join us 😉
dear mr kenny,
do u think ur comment regarding the chinese lady who accidentally came into ur photo is mean & cruel to her? tat peak belongs to everybody, and u have no right to humiliate her publicly just for the purpose of making ur article more fun to read.
This post certainly bring back memories…
I remembered my when I was hiking up the summit, I counted 10 steps and stop for 10 seconds.. before continuing.. & 100 plus certainly helps!
2nd trip there?? Only if I stay in Laban Rata instead of Waras Hut!! I can’t sleep a wink in that freaking cold hut!
A shout out to one of the guide.. Amir.. “Thanks for making my trip memorable.. ”
Thanks for the great post. Reminded me of the tears and laughter during the journey.
Conquered the mountain in 2005. It was the exact same situation, rain and wet all the way up and down. Ended up having fever too, luckily my medicine worked for me.
Was thinking why in the hell did i put myself in a suffering situation like this but when i made it to the summit, it was all worth it. Words can’t describe the feeling and satisfaction. And it’s true, the journey changed us in making us to appreciate our life more.
p.s – Near the summit, i heard someone saying the exact same words, Wo Xian Tu Dan Shi Tu Bu Chu Lai (I want to puke but i can’t). Reminded us of Amei song, haha.
Instead of a RM42 metal alloy stick, we only paid RM3 for a wooden stick which worked perfectly and i still keep it.
hi kenny, congratulation of making to the top.
don’t worry, mt KK is still geographically the tallest mountain is south east asia.
this is how it goes.
according to wikipedia, 1997 satellite survey shows that Hkakabo Razi of Myanmar and Puncak Jaya of Indonesia is taller than mt KK. this ranking is true if u consider south east asia politically (country border). however if u consider geographically, Puncak Jaya is in the island of New Guinea, geographically New Guinea is part of Australian continental. On the other hand, Hkakabo Razi is part of Himalayan range and Himalayan range is in South Asia, not South East Asia. By the way, Hkakabo Razi is
personally i think ranking the highest should go by geographic rather than country border. if u have Google earth, u will find that Hkakabo Razi is at the end of Himalayan range, just next to China-Myanmar border. there are much higher mountains up north across border. if Myanmar expands its boundary, and highest mountain is ranked politically, then highest mountain in South East Asia will keep changing. geographically will still change, but in few million years 😛
You’re lucky you stayed at Laban. I stayed at Gunting Lagadan which means another 10 minutes excruciating climb up from Laban. And NO HEATER in room!!!!! It was SO COLD!
Using ropes to climb up the rockface in the dark was definitely scary – thoughts of plunging down the mountain did cross my mind. But in daylight it actually looks quite manageable and when going down a lot of people did not use the rope.
But the good thing is it did not rain on my way up – only on my way down. And that made a BIG difference. The rain was so cold. Luckily I got to hit Sabah’s beaches to warm myself a few hours later.
i’ve been to mount korbu in pennisular malaysia.
and it was 7 day tracking trip.. with no guest house at all..
miss my frnds from INTI college.
Malaysia is beautiful..who knew! panting from looking at the pictures of the mountain climb..or maybe it’s just because i held my breath waiting for the pictures to load
looks like fun!
Congrats in conquering Mt Kinabalu, I would love to conquer it one day myself
don’t let them get treated like kings. i know this might sound crazy and wrong. but there is no other way to do it. we must kill off every single malay there is. they are beyond repair. no peace talk is going to change anything. they raped, burned, killed Canny Ong, blew up a mongolian model, recorded a chinese tourist doing ketuk ketampi in the lock up, but there still no change in their attitudes. the malays are still the same. they treated us like shit. now, it is our turn. kill as many malay as you can until they finally give up and change. i am going to do it. join me. we’ve been nice to them. I have been nice to them. And i still get treated like shit.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/malay
You looks like David Gan in that beanie!
Kenny can you email me about bungee jumping? I have a few questions…John
I climbed Mt Kinabalu a couple of years back, and have published an online travelogue complete with photos and articles / resources on climbing Mt Kinabalu. Should be useful for anyone attempting to summit the mountain in the future.
I’m a Sabahan. Nice photo of you at Tuaran! When I climbed the mountain yrs ago there was NO security barrier at the top, meaning you’d perish in an instant should you slip…
You were here in KK?? Man.. if only I knew.. could’ve given u the red carpet arrival! hehe..
Anyway, if you think climbing Mt. Kinabalu is difficult, wait til you climb Mt. Trusmadi, here in Sabah as well. It’ll make climbing up to Mt.Kinabalu look like a piece of cake!
you took the old pathway isit if im not mistaken (saw thru ur mini movie)
you should take the new one, its more easier for you guys to make ur expedition goes smoothly actually.
and 1 more thing, it takes how many hours you climb down from laban rata till the starting point? curious
Hie there,
First off, massive congrats to the both of you for completing the climb up KK. Great job, despite the injuries and discomfort.
Thought I’d let you know that if you’re planning another outdoor excursion, do take some time to drop by COREzone in SS2, PJ if you’re over in the peninsular =) Dee Lu and Sharon and the team at the shop will sort you out with all the gear you’ll ever need to be outdoors in relative comfort =)
http://www.mycorezone.com/
Anyway, congratulations again. =)
Take care
Kenny sia!
You met my friends at kinabalu!
they said you were burping all the way!! -__-
hahaha
they were this indian dudes at the mountain. 🙂
I’m sure you’ll remember them. You were with them when su ann was carried down.
shites…i realise they are in your videos too.
Woot~
wonderful trip u had….beautiful pics
good job man..
hahaa.. congrates..
maybe next time u should try gunung tahan..
it will kill u!!
Glad that you made it to the summit despite being ill and weak. I really Like your latest travelogue/blog on G Kinabalu. Now I need to gather the courage and try it. How did you plan the entire trip. You can give the reader a rough guide on what to do and what not to do. Furthermore its the VMY 2007. Many may have seen most places all over the world but our very own Malaysian attraction, nah …so u could do something to promote the local scenes. Congrats on that posting
mt kinabalu rocks doesn’t it 🙂
i was there last week too… simply amazing…
devan is stupid
that’s quite a throughout writeup.
did u have to book Laban Rata well in advanced to secure the room? oh, really got hot food at Laban Rata or do they have a kitchen to cook your own meals? what about water, collect from the waterfall?
sorrie, so many questions =P
it’s indeed a satisfactory climb though after much painstaking hardship gone through….very fulfilling right?…..i was there after u climbed mount kinabalu. my trip was 13-14may.i’m pretty lucky coz no rain .:-)….really sheer determination and mental strenght that makes me carry on to low’s peak….amazing view!
Interesting journey.
http://henryleongblog.blogspot.com/
hi good luck!
Congrats to you 🙂 But, I beat you to it by 15 years :p Everyone must climb Mt Kinabalu to enjoy the splendid view from the top.
Good pics and even better company.
Will be conquering the peak next weekend.
Your pics are very inspiring. Sometimes, you don’t have to write much. Your pics speak more words than you could possible write!
Anyway, wish me luck!
Ciaoz. ^-^
can email me all ur pic?? I love the pic that u took. didnt get to take much pic.
so nice… wish that I could conquer it next year! the pictures are really inspiring!
Kenny, all the pictures you took are great.Especially those nice scenery. Could you please post it in wallpaper size? Thanks!
Hahaha that squirrel (or is it a chipmunk?) is a confirmed be seen at that pondok! Glad to know u made it up Mt K 😀
I wanna go up for my third, I still haven’t reached the summit *sobs* Yes, I’m one of them ppl haha XD
Nice trip.
kenny…email me all those picture of the mount and those nice scenery.
Hi, i plan to hike mt kk but it’s my 1st time. How to arrange the cabin at Laban Rata? Thanks.
Looks like you have a lot of fun.
Thanks to your sharing and great pictures, I have been thinking of Mt Kinabalu’s hike but wasn’t in action until 2 weeks ago. Hopefully I will reach the summit without too much torture…
Kenny, u should try to climb from the Mesilau trial. It’s further and way more beautiful bcoz u get to see waterfalls oozing out at the side distance of the mountain. also, its less poluted by climbers and flowers blossoms everywher under d mist. The one u climbed is the Timpohon trial. Climb both, and u have seen all of Kinabalu’s beauty.
The place looks nice and it does looks cold too.
hey kenny,
it has been one year past after ur explore to Mt. KInabalu. I am an 50 years old active gym member and always dream to climb Mt. Kinabalu. I sincerely wish that you can give me some advice on the explore to Mt. Kinabalu.I wish to know su ann n u izit join the tour package or just book the rest house and climb on your own? coz i plan not to take the tour package and only climb Mt. Kinabalu. Hope to get your advice soon. Wish all the best! Kindly reply to my daughter’s email: alexis_chia214@hotmail.com
Doreamon, I think Kenny long time no visit this page. i wonder will u like to tag with me to climb Mt. Kinabalu if u no yet do so.. Kindly reply to my daughter email: alexis_chia214@hotmail.com. I plan to do this september 2008
kenny,
why your video has been removed lee? i was about to post video respond to yours. nice photos n story u share
btw. here is my video on the summit climb @230am till peak..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxuBqvfM5mI
it must be tough.
Hi Kenny, I’ll be making my first climb this year. Any advice on what to pack? You did mentioned that it’s really cold despite the amount of layers you have piled on..
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