Final countdown to the ascend

All my bags are packed and I’m ready to go! All the training has finally come to this; we’re flying off tomorrow for the surmounting adventure of Kinabalu. We had our final round of training on Monday at Bukit Kiara. It turned out that I only managed to walk the hill and not jog. The weekend we were up in Gunung Nuang, consecutively on Sunday I played badminton after many yonker years and stretched me limbs a little too much. I went to work on Monday with a sore gluteus maximus! Since Monday it is rest day for my body until the actual climb on Friday morning.

I reckon and hope we are physically prepared for the climb. A couple of friends went up a week before and was stricken by the cold torrential weather forcing the guide to abort the ascent at 1km from the peak! I guess it boils down to the forces of nature. Who can fight it? But God can control, so we’re praying hard for good cheery weather to herald us.

The team is all prepared with thick chunky gloves, sweaters, beanies, football socks and every other thing to keep us warm. I’m even tempted to bring my thick fleece blanket and trusty hot water bottle but warded against it lest it becomes too cumbersome. The last time I was up in Gunung Tahan, I was stricken with a mild case of hypothermia giving me a good foresight that the cold can get the better of us if we are not prepared. So this time I’m not leaving anything out.

This includes hot chocolate to sip on whilst we’re at the mountain top! Planning for pleasure in the midst of adventure. This is the closest I’d get (for now) to the actual experience of a night by a crackling fireplace on a wintry night on the Swiss Alps. Ah! Wishful thinking.

Till our return with incredible adventure stories from South East Asia’s peak of peaks, happy holidays everyone! (And be safe)