The bus from Sandakan dropped us off right outside our lodge that looked out onto Mt. Kinabalu, the highest mountain in Southeast Asia. This was the mountain I was planning on climbing the next day while Amie relaxed and enjoyed the view. I had an upset stomach so I figured an early night would do me good. The next morning I took off for the mountain, still not feeling 100% but, hey it was barely over 4000 meters (13,000 feet). The climb is normally a 2 day event and is over 8.7 km from the start to the summit and would you believe, it’s uphill all the way? You spend the night at Laban Rata where there is accommodation at the 6 km mark before making the push for the summit early the next morning. I was sure I would be able to make the summit in one day and at least make it back to Laban Rata if not all the way back down before nightfall.

It is compulsory to hire a guide for the climb and with all the other fees it gets a little expensive. I was hoping to share a guide not only for cost but also for the camaraderie since Amie was sitting this one out. I was waiting at the park HQ when 2 Malaysian girls approached me and asked if I would be willing to share a guide with them. At first I turned them down because they were starting from a different point which added another 1.5 km to the journey but, having no other offers, I reconsidered because Maggie and Fiona seemed friendly enough and spoke good English and it turned out it was the right idea as I might not have made it up without them.

We started from Mesilau Gate and soon I was huffing and puffing as I made my way up the mountain. Fiona was the pace setter and soon earned the nickname Kuai Shu (“Speedy” in Chinese) as she flew up the mountain. It did not take too long before I realized that we would not make it to the summit in one day and not long after than I started to wonder if I would make it at all. We spent over an hour climbing, making very little headway and it was so demoralizing to see the few markers showing us our slow progress. After a while we came to a downhill section which was a nice change but after going downhill for ten minutes or so, I started to become anxious as I knew we would have to climb back up every step that we took down.

The trail was quite nice and we passed a few small waterfalls, but because of the cloud cover we never saw the grand views of the surrounding area that I expected. We did get to see some pitcher plants that grew on the side of the trail as well as some cheeky squirrels that would pay us a visit at the rest stops. It was not until we met up with the main trail nearly 5.5 km into the journey that we saw any fellow climbers. It appears that the trail we took is seldom used and we were the only ones to do it that day. On the main trail we were soon passing a lot of other hikers including soldiers in full uniform getting some exercise and it was not until the end of the trail when we were finally passed by hikers who looked as if they were out for a stroll while I tried to suck in as much air as possible. It was around this time that it started to rain and the last 500 m were done in a downpour.

When I booked the accommodation in Laban Rata there were no heated rooms available so I ended up in a non-heated dorm about 200 m further uphill from the girls. That final trek to my room was really tough and I struggled for breath with each step. I met the girls for dinner before climbing back up to the room to get some sleep before we tackled the summit at 2 am the next morning. That night I had doubts about whether I would make the summit as each step was a battle, but the next morning I felt a little better, having somewhat acclimatized during the few hours interval.

It was a little cold the next morning but, wearing all my clothes including a sweatshirt I had bought a few days before specifically for the climb, I was OK. I was surprised when I met the girls because they were drinking a Guinness as their energy drink, and this was at 2 in the morning. After helping consume this unorthodox breakfast, we set off in the dark for the summit with a constant drizzle hounding us. Shortly after 3:30 am we passed my hut, so after an hour and a half I was back where I started. It is normal for trekkers to get up around 2 am to make their way up in the dark and there was a line of bobbing lights making their way slowly up the mountain. A lot of people don’t make it to the top and it’s at this stretch that most turn back. I’m not sure where I got the energy but I somehow ploughed on and left the others behind. The last 2 km is just sheets of granite that stretch up into the distance with ropes to guide you to the top. There are a few places where you have to use the rope to haul yourself up the mountain, but normally I just used it as a guide so I would not wander off the side of the mountain. It was around this time that the main light in my torch failed and I was left with a faint red glow giving off just enough light to see the rope and about 2 feet on either side.

I stopped and waited at the final checkpoint and soon Kuai Shu came bounding up the mountain saying Maggie and the guide had turned back. I was hoping for a longer rest but now I was off again on the final stretch. We pushed on with me wondering why I was doing this and coming up with no reasonable answer. Soon I was looking at the crest only to reach it and realize that there was another crest and then another and another. As we reached within 200 m of the peak the first cracks of light broke through the clouds. I was now running on empty but a re-energized Kuai Shu pushed me onwards as she was determined to get a photo of the sunrise on the summit. Now facing a sheer vertical wall, we pushed ourselves up and just as I reached my breaking point, I slumped down on top of the world, gasping for air. I had just a slight feeling of accomplishment with a large helping of “how am I going to get back down?” After I caught my breath, I allowed Kuai Shu's enthusiasm to spread over me and I broke out my can of Tiger beer and toasted my first mountain ascent. I think the beer was the only thing on that mountain that wasn’t cold, but with the help of Kuai Shu, I finished it even though it was not yet 6 am.