Thursday, June 19, 2008

40 and on a high at 4,095meters

IT was suppose to be a routine break from life in Kuala Lumpur over last weekend, and I got more than I bargained for when I scaled Mount Kinabalu for the second time.

June 13 2008: The Blogger (right) reached the top of Mount Kinabalu after a six-hour climb to Laban Rata, and then another four hours to the top starting at 2am.
1993 and a fitter Blogger up Mount Kinabalu

The first was in 1993, when I was slimmer and fitter, with the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (National University of Malaysia) Reserve Officers Training Unit, and it was a breeze.
But on June 13 2008, it was much more difficult as I had put on much weight, and was out of shape, but reached the top again, nevertheless. It was with eight others, on a National Press Club trip to Sabah, which turned out to be both tiring and exciting.
My NPC climbing mates were The Blogger Jugjet Singh, Arnaz M. Khairul, Hilary Merrai Sebastian Koeh, Sivanesan Kandasamy, Pascual Dino Herrera, Lum Chih Feng, Voon Miaw Ping and Tony Yew Wei Keat.
Mount Kinabalu is situated in the East Malaysia state of Sabah on the island of Borneo. It is the place where you could see breathtaking sunrise from above the clouds, 13,435 feet (4,095 meters) above sea level.
FROM WIKIPEDIA: In 1997, a re-survey using satellite technology established its summit (known as Low’s Peak) height at 4,095 metres (13,435 ft) above sea level, which is some 6 metres (20 ft) less than the previously thought and hitherto published figure of 4,101 metres (13,455 ft).[1] The mountain is the fourth tallest in Southeast Asia behind Hkakabo Razi of Myanmar (5881 m), Puncak Jaya (4884 m) and Puncak Trikora (4750 m) of Papua, Indonesia,[1] and is therefore also the tallest in Malaysia and on the island of Borneo, which Malaysia shares with Indonesia and Brunei.