On March 28, 2007, Tong Kiat (far left), Cynthia, and I have made it to the top of Mount Kinabalu – the tallest mountain in Malaysia that is 4095.2m above sea level – admiring the magical moment of sunrise. Just before sunrise, the temperature was 2 degrees Celsius and the wind speed was about 40 km/h. The climb and subsequent descend was challenging to the three of us who have no experience nor enough training for mountains of that scale. Quite a number of steps were at our knee level, some stretch was muddy and slippery, night climbing was tough as our visions were limited, rope climbing along the danger zone in the dark was hard, the air got thinner as we gained altitude, any mistake near the top could be nasty, and the descend itself hurt our knees big time.
Amidst all the challenges we faced, we achieved our mission through teamwork and undying support to one another throughout the various tough moments each individual encountered. Not only that, we had a wonderful and experienced mountain guide and thanks to all our friends and families’ support, tips, and prayers, we reached our finishing line safe and sound. We lost count in how many muscles of ours were (and still are) sore after the climb, Tong Kiat suffered from knee injury at the beginning of the ascend and I on both knees during the descend. It was pain but it was definitely worth it.
We will post our individual journals in a few days’ time. All three of us feel that if you do wish to climb Mount Kinabalu one day, set a date today because being young is definitely an advantage.
Related Article: Our Mount Kinabalu Experience
10 replies on “Mount Kinabalu – WE DID IT !!”
Congratulations to TK, Cynthia and you! 🙂
This is quite a wonderful achievement. Congratz!! At least now you’ve got bragging rights to telling people that you’ve conquered a mountain.
Thank you, thank you. We are glad that we made it.
I wouldn’t go as far as saying we have conquer anything at all. It has been a humbling experience. The mountain has been kind to us and we have learned to respect the mountain.
Congratulations! I’m planning to climb Mt K around June and am beginning to train now. My Sabah friend tells me it’s quite tough, so I’m a little worried (in view of my fantastic fitness condition now) … Will check with you guys for tips soon.
Thanks Kae. Definitely we shall catch up for some tips sharing. I have come up with a few articles as well so you are welcome to refer to them anytime as part of your pre-trip research.
I think you should be fine as you are tall and your legs are long. It is certainly an advantage as the steps can be quite high.
[…] rather flat disc of Singaporean land with a high expectation, you will get disappointed as it is no Mount Kinabalu. Having said that, if you take the little trails that go round the hill instead of the straight […]
hi, thanks for posting! i’ve a couple questions: did you guys sign up with a licensed trekking operator in singapore or in malaysia? do you have any operators to recommend? 🙂
Kate – You most welcome. We signed up in Singapore. Camper’s Corner I think. While I am not endorsing any particular operator, there are some being mentioned in the comment section of http://www.wilfridwong.com/articles/our-mount-kinabalu-experience/
I hope that is useful to you! Good luck with your climb.
Hi guys, trekking on the 5th of next month. I am only worried abt the rope part. How difficult is it? I am so nervous and tensed and I just hope my knees are in good condition going and coming
Gayathri – With a guide, you should be OK. Guides do not need to use the rope and they can hold the hands of those who need help. So not to worry. Do get a torch, preferably one that can be attached to your head.
Ya, don’t stress your knees too much. Take it slow and easy. Get good posture!