The dreaded Mount Kinabalu!!
After 3 days in the jungle we were smelling like, well words really can't describe just how bad we smelt! We were definately ready for a bath and not just any old bath would do. We decided to visit 'poring hot springs' where seriously hot spring water is piped into bath tubs big enough for two people to sit in and relax/sweat!
We all really enjoyed relaxing in the hot baths and when it all got a bit much we headed outside and jumped into the freezing cold outdoor pool or copied Adam and just tipped a massive bucket of cold water over ourselves - very ummm refreshing!
After a day of relaxation at Poring it was time for the bit I was least looking forwards too - climbing the 4095.2m peak known as Mount Kinabalu. Our guide book describes the climb as 'unrelenting, with seemingly endless steps - actually there are 2500 - as far as Laban Rata. Then it gets a whole lot tougher' and continues to describe the assent to the summit, 'The trail becomes even steeper as you approach the summit, then disappears altogether on vast, near-vertical fields of slippery granite. Every step can be a struggle as you gasp for breath in the thin air.' Sounds like fun!!
So we set off and to my surprise it wasn't too bad. Ridiculous amounts of never ending steps yes, but overall, not too bad. However, the steps went on, and on, and on. We climbed continuously for about 5hours, pausing to stuff our faces with choclolate (we needed the energy!! AND IT WAS A GOOD WAY FOR ANNA TO GET AROUND HER LENT! Sorry that was Adam putting his views in!) and to try to get our breath. With the steps getting increasingly more vague as we climbed higher and higher we were releived when we arrived at Laban Rata where we were going to spend the night. After a huge bowl of unappetising and extremely bland rice topped with a fried egg - certainly different! we headed for bed and set the alarm for the unheard of waking hour of 2am!!
When the alarm went off in our little dorm room it was freezing. Seriously, it was a similar temperature in our room as it was outside on the mountain! We put on every item of clothing we could possibly find (Nigel even purchased some rather fetching purple gloves!) and then we set off.
More steps faced us as we began climbing up sheer rock in the pitch black and the higher we climbed the worse I felt. Think I suffered a bit from altitude sickness - a combination of feeling as if I was going to be sick and a thumping headache that resembled an invisible man playing the drums on my head - nice! We kept climbing and climbing and then the steps disappeared and in their place was a rope.
OK - picture the scene - it's about 3.30am, very dark, it's freezing cold and the wind is blowing violently across the side of the mountain, I feel ridiculously sick and I now have to hold onto a rope and literally haul myself up the side of the mountain!! I found the whole experience pretty tough! We continued hauling and climbing for what seemed like hours until finally the summit was in sight. I was so glad that I wasn't on my own and I had Ad, Anna and Nigel to help me get to the top. The views of sunrise from the summit were absoluetley awesome and definately worth every painful step. The landscape around us changed dramatically as the sun came up and illuminated the darkness we had climbed through. Thank goodness it had been dark - there is no way we would have contemplated climbing up the sheer rock faces had we been able to see them!
Coming down was so much easier (well it had to be really, didn't it?!) This was until I took my boot off at the bottom and realised that what I thought had been pain from a blister was in fact a sprained ankle! My ankle resembled a tennis ball for the next couple of days! We were all aching loads by the time we got back to our hotel - in fact, Adam compared the pain he felt in his legs everytime he took a step downwards to being stabbed in the leg with a knife and I think that described it perfectly!
As it was our last night together we headed out for a farewell and celebratory drink, which once again ended in Adam and Nigel singing loudly in a bar!
We all really enjoyed relaxing in the hot baths and when it all got a bit much we headed outside and jumped into the freezing cold outdoor pool or copied Adam and just tipped a massive bucket of cold water over ourselves - very ummm refreshing!
After a day of relaxation at Poring it was time for the bit I was least looking forwards too - climbing the 4095.2m peak known as Mount Kinabalu. Our guide book describes the climb as 'unrelenting, with seemingly endless steps - actually there are 2500 - as far as Laban Rata. Then it gets a whole lot tougher' and continues to describe the assent to the summit, 'The trail becomes even steeper as you approach the summit, then disappears altogether on vast, near-vertical fields of slippery granite. Every step can be a struggle as you gasp for breath in the thin air.' Sounds like fun!!
So we set off and to my surprise it wasn't too bad. Ridiculous amounts of never ending steps yes, but overall, not too bad. However, the steps went on, and on, and on. We climbed continuously for about 5hours, pausing to stuff our faces with choclolate (we needed the energy!! AND IT WAS A GOOD WAY FOR ANNA TO GET AROUND HER LENT! Sorry that was Adam putting his views in!) and to try to get our breath. With the steps getting increasingly more vague as we climbed higher and higher we were releived when we arrived at Laban Rata where we were going to spend the night. After a huge bowl of unappetising and extremely bland rice topped with a fried egg - certainly different! we headed for bed and set the alarm for the unheard of waking hour of 2am!!
When the alarm went off in our little dorm room it was freezing. Seriously, it was a similar temperature in our room as it was outside on the mountain! We put on every item of clothing we could possibly find (Nigel even purchased some rather fetching purple gloves!) and then we set off.
More steps faced us as we began climbing up sheer rock in the pitch black and the higher we climbed the worse I felt. Think I suffered a bit from altitude sickness - a combination of feeling as if I was going to be sick and a thumping headache that resembled an invisible man playing the drums on my head - nice! We kept climbing and climbing and then the steps disappeared and in their place was a rope.
OK - picture the scene - it's about 3.30am, very dark, it's freezing cold and the wind is blowing violently across the side of the mountain, I feel ridiculously sick and I now have to hold onto a rope and literally haul myself up the side of the mountain!! I found the whole experience pretty tough! We continued hauling and climbing for what seemed like hours until finally the summit was in sight. I was so glad that I wasn't on my own and I had Ad, Anna and Nigel to help me get to the top. The views of sunrise from the summit were absoluetley awesome and definately worth every painful step. The landscape around us changed dramatically as the sun came up and illuminated the darkness we had climbed through. Thank goodness it had been dark - there is no way we would have contemplated climbing up the sheer rock faces had we been able to see them!
Coming down was so much easier (well it had to be really, didn't it?!) This was until I took my boot off at the bottom and realised that what I thought had been pain from a blister was in fact a sprained ankle! My ankle resembled a tennis ball for the next couple of days! We were all aching loads by the time we got back to our hotel - in fact, Adam compared the pain he felt in his legs everytime he took a step downwards to being stabbed in the leg with a knife and I think that described it perfectly!
As it was our last night together we headed out for a farewell and celebratory drink, which once again ended in Adam and Nigel singing loudly in a bar!
posted by Ellie and Adam at
1:48 AM
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