Friday Apr 16 – Hike day 2 – All the way down.

For my final episode in this blog blast of Mt. Kinabalu, I give you the descent...

As soon as the sun could be seen above the horizon, wisps of cloud swept in (see photo in previous post) and gradually began to hide the incredible view. In a way, it was a gentle reminder that we needed to shake a leg and get back down the mountain.

The hike back to Gunting Langadan was surprisingly fun, especially with the support of the ropes.

We were served breakfast #2 and psyched ourselves up for the remaining descent.

The hike down was no easy feat. We took our sweet time and made it safely, wearily, stinkily (one of us), and happily back to Timpohon Gate. Aside from sore muscles and one seriously sore knee, we were all in good shape, just tired.

It began to drizzle toward the end of the hike, but our boots were dry, and some of us needed a shower badly anyway. We won't name names, but this individual had forgotten to bring deodorant for day #2.

And finally, a big thanks to our guide. I'll butcher his name if I spell it here. A picture is worth a thousand words, right?

Feisty Factor

Anyone that knows much about Scott also knows that he's pretty awesome at doing a lot of things. One of those things is photography. Here is Mr. National Geographic himself in action:

His dedication to capturing incredible photos led him to lug that enormous camera and tripod all the way up the mountain. We reaped the benefits with some incredible photos to remind us of the trip. A lot of his photos are scattered throughout this blog, and I didn't properly credit them. If a photo look like professional work, just assume he took it. Here are some treats for you.

And his feisty fearless woman:

This was Ricky and Scott's THIRD hike to the summit of this mountain. On hike number two (circa 2003), these guys agreed to one day hike the mountain again with both of their wives. Interestingly, Scott had not yet met his lovely wife, Palm. It turns out she was more than up for the task.

Friday Apr 16 – Hike day 2: Gunting Langadan to Low’s Peak (summit)

Are you ready for this?

I think the alarm went off at 2AM. We packed up our belongings, ate a light, hot breakfast and hit the trail with our guide. We all had a little less pep at such an early hour, but I was soon thankful for my fully functional body, as we passed several people vomiting (most likely altitude sickness), and one poor girl having an embarrassing bathroom emergency just 2 feet from the trail. It was dark, so she still had some privacy, but Ricky was spooked by the noise and flashed his headlamp over to see...oops!

The view at the beginning of the hike was just a trail of tiny headlamps. I was getting trigger happy already...

The hike to the summit started off mainly with wooden stairs, and then led to thick ropes, bolted to the rock at various intervals. This is my way of telling you it was a steep climb. Impressed yet?

Up above the tree line, clinging to the wet white rope, the daylight started to emerge, and we got our first glimpse at the view. From then on, everything became more spectacular by the moment. The color in the sky shifted continuously, and the light began to fall on the various rock peaks, highlighting their interesting patterns of sedimentation lines. I was truly speechless. I wanted to capture every moment and had a hard time deciding between the camera and my own eyes.

Every direction offered something different and beautiful.

It seemed so quick that the dawn slipped away and the mighty sun rose.

With daylight in full swing, we headed for the true peak to photo-document our achievement.

And we didn't leave before spending some time just having fun:

Thurs Apr 15 – Hike day 1 to Gunting Langadan

Now for the moment you’ve been waiting for! Imagine yourself at the base of the mountain, bright and early, ready for the first half of a hike to one of the most spectacular views in the entire world. No joke, Mt. Kinabalu is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and I am in love with these places. You should be too! (My last site was http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meteora.)

So here is the deal. You may only attempt the climb by signing up for a full package, including all meals on the trail plus the night before and after, an overnight stay on the mountain, which includes bunkbeds with clean sheets and a blanket, and last but not least, each party has its own guide. The park (thankfully) limits the number of hikers per day, and this place is popular enough that you need to plan in advance to secure your trip. The summit is 8.72km (5.4 mi), with a whopping elevation gain of 2229 meters (7313 ft). Let me say that again so you know how impressive we are...7313 ft elevation gain! With limited weight on your back, though, it’s a simply challenging hike but very manageable for anyone in reasonable shape.

There are signs to help you decide if you're summit material. This one suggests 13 medical problems suggesting you thing again. Reason #12: "(12) Obesity (overweight)." It doesn't account for clydesdales like this one.

The hike could technically be done in one day. Actually, people race it in the Mt. Kinabalu Climbathon, in less than 3 hrs! One main reason is that the summit is overcast starting as soon as sun rises. So the aim is to reach the peak before sunrise on the second day.

Day 1 included meeting our guide, picking up a bagged lunch, a short bus ride to Timpohon Gate (1866m), and beginning the trek.

Along the hike there were hoards of insanely fit human “mules” that carried up everything from eggs to toilet paper, so that we could enjoy a hot meal and clean rear end.

We fared pretty well on day 1, stopping regularly for water, rest, and occasionally to enjoy the special foliage. Here is a pitcher plant.

The day ended at Gunting Lagadan Hut, 6km, 3323m, where we were greeted with a warm meal, toilets, showers, and bunk beds with fresh sheets and blankets. It rained almost as soon as we arrived and then left us with this sweet treat in the sky.

I don’t remember exactly when we got there, but we had a little time to shower and set up the room before dinner. This was a big deal, since it enabled us to get to bed early in preparation for day 2! We were pooped.

It's a Girl - Part 2

It looks like cousin Miles will be outnumbered with not one but TWO girl cousins. Wendy and Ryan are having a little lady! Wendy's radiologist declared it with 95% confidence.

Nursery decor theme: Lambs
Interior decorators: Ray and Blake (enthusiastic, loving neighbors)