I don't even know how I can possibly catch up. I'm going to start with the last few days because it's fresh in my head.
I just got back to KK after spending the last two days climbing Mount Kinabalu (which thanks to Duane I just learned is not the highest peak in SE Asia as advertised). It is a 4092m tall mountain though and it was a hell of a trek to get to the top.
I kind of booked the mountain a little last minute and didn't really have a whole lot of info beyond what the tour company gave me which basically said that they recommend that I leave KK at around 7am to be at the mountain for 10am so I could meet up with other trekkers and share the cost of a guide and start the hike.
Well I tried to leave KK on a 7:30am bus but by the time we actually left KK it was closer to 8:20am because the driver kept waiting for more passengers to show up. It was really pissing me off because he kept saying "Soon, soon" but if I had known it was going to be an hour late than I would have tried to find another bus. Anyways, by the time I got to the mountain it was around 10:30am and there was nobody at the base so I had to pay the full cost to hire my own personal guide (because they won't let you on the mountain without one). When I checked in they asked me when I was planning on doing the mountain and I was kind of confused because I wasn't really sure why they would think I was checking in if I was going to do the mountain some other day. Anyways when I said I would be starting it as soon as they checked me in the girl looked at me like I was crazy to be starting so late in the day.
Anyways, it was 11am by the time I got cleared in and picked up my guide and the ridiculous packed lunch they provided... cheese sandwiches, boiled eggs and bananas in a cardboard box packed in a reusable grocery bag. How is that practical to carry up a mountain? So thinking that I was really behind I started hiking quickly up the mountain. After about 20 minutes I lost my guide and never saw him again until about an hour after I got to the lodge. This guy hikes the mountain twice a week... how could he get so far behind?
I did the first day in about 3h10m which after reaching the lodge I found out was a really fast time. Most were doing it in 5-6 hours. At the lodge I met a group of engineers, an Auzzie couple from Singapore and an Irish girl who had been travelling all over SE Asia for the last few months. We sat and enjoyed our 25MYR beers (so expensive but worth it!) and commiserated on how tired we were. I got to bed early that night as the next day would start at 2am so we could be at the peak for sunrise.
Now I get a little competitive about a lot of things and I also hate being in a pack of people that prevent me from going at my own pace so I decided that I wanted to try to get as far to the front of the pack as quickly as I could so I could just do my own thing instead of waiting for others to get out of the way. Well after about 500m I realized I was at the front of the pack and there wasn't anyone even close to keeping up with me (even my guide) so I just carried on to the summit. It was the most amazing walk in the dark with millions of stars in the sky and the moon setting behind one of the mountain peaks... it was just beautiful! I would stop and turn around every once in a while to see a snake of lights coming up the mountain behind me but they were nowhere close to catching up. I have to give my guide credit though because about half way to the peak as I stopped for water a light came up to me quickly and there he was panting and wheezing. It didn't take long for him to fall behind again and I was easily the first to the summit by about 20 minutes.
Watching the sun come up over the mountains this morning was simply spectacular! As I sat there watching it I kind of wished it would just go on and on.
On the way back down the mountain my guide did much better and stayed with me the whole time. As we approached the trailhead I heard him sigh and say "Finally". I really think I almost killed him. I gave him a good tip though so he was happy in the end.
I just got back to KK after spending the last two days climbing Mount Kinabalu (which thanks to Duane I just learned is not the highest peak in SE Asia as advertised). It is a 4092m tall mountain though and it was a hell of a trek to get to the top.
I kind of booked the mountain a little last minute and didn't really have a whole lot of info beyond what the tour company gave me which basically said that they recommend that I leave KK at around 7am to be at the mountain for 10am so I could meet up with other trekkers and share the cost of a guide and start the hike.
Well I tried to leave KK on a 7:30am bus but by the time we actually left KK it was closer to 8:20am because the driver kept waiting for more passengers to show up. It was really pissing me off because he kept saying "Soon, soon" but if I had known it was going to be an hour late than I would have tried to find another bus. Anyways, by the time I got to the mountain it was around 10:30am and there was nobody at the base so I had to pay the full cost to hire my own personal guide (because they won't let you on the mountain without one). When I checked in they asked me when I was planning on doing the mountain and I was kind of confused because I wasn't really sure why they would think I was checking in if I was going to do the mountain some other day. Anyways when I said I would be starting it as soon as they checked me in the girl looked at me like I was crazy to be starting so late in the day.
Anyways, it was 11am by the time I got cleared in and picked up my guide and the ridiculous packed lunch they provided... cheese sandwiches, boiled eggs and bananas in a cardboard box packed in a reusable grocery bag. How is that practical to carry up a mountain? So thinking that I was really behind I started hiking quickly up the mountain. After about 20 minutes I lost my guide and never saw him again until about an hour after I got to the lodge. This guy hikes the mountain twice a week... how could he get so far behind?
I did the first day in about 3h10m which after reaching the lodge I found out was a really fast time. Most were doing it in 5-6 hours. At the lodge I met a group of engineers, an Auzzie couple from Singapore and an Irish girl who had been travelling all over SE Asia for the last few months. We sat and enjoyed our 25MYR beers (so expensive but worth it!) and commiserated on how tired we were. I got to bed early that night as the next day would start at 2am so we could be at the peak for sunrise.
Now I get a little competitive about a lot of things and I also hate being in a pack of people that prevent me from going at my own pace so I decided that I wanted to try to get as far to the front of the pack as quickly as I could so I could just do my own thing instead of waiting for others to get out of the way. Well after about 500m I realized I was at the front of the pack and there wasn't anyone even close to keeping up with me (even my guide) so I just carried on to the summit. It was the most amazing walk in the dark with millions of stars in the sky and the moon setting behind one of the mountain peaks... it was just beautiful! I would stop and turn around every once in a while to see a snake of lights coming up the mountain behind me but they were nowhere close to catching up. I have to give my guide credit though because about half way to the peak as I stopped for water a light came up to me quickly and there he was panting and wheezing. It didn't take long for him to fall behind again and I was easily the first to the summit by about 20 minutes.
Watching the sun come up over the mountains this morning was simply spectacular! As I sat there watching it I kind of wished it would just go on and on.
On the way back down the mountain my guide did much better and stayed with me the whole time. As we approached the trailhead I heard him sigh and say "Finally". I really think I almost killed him. I gave him a good tip though so he was happy in the end.
No comments:
Post a Comment