Mt Kinabalu Revisited
Facts and Stats
Peter & Helen Lai - Even though they are a lot older than I am, they are also a lot fitter. Peter did a great job with the worship leading and other duties he was asked to do. I was especially touched when I saw the care and concern he had for Helen when she fell ill. He was willing to forgo the summit push and to accompany her back to Laban Rata (but that did not take place as Helen recovered later).
As for Helen, I am really glad that she was able to summit this time. Not only has she recovered in a short time, she summited so much earlier than I did. Bravo!!!
Pat & KL Gan - I really admire their strong determination to make it up to Laban Rata
Doc Peter Ch'ng - Well, what can I say? He still looked energetic and fresh even after 4 hours of hiking down from Laban Rata to the Timpohon Gate.
Aunty Rose - She is the oldest of the team members and she made it to Laban Rata via the Mesilau Trail. I only hope that when I get to her age, which is mid-sixties, I will be as fit as she is.
Doc James - Even though he is super fit and could fly up the mountain in a short period of time, he took his job as a sweeper seriously. I admire his positive attitude. Also, he only took 2 hours and 35 minutes to get from Laban Rata to the Timpohon Gate - WOW!
KG - His willingness to relieve Doc James of his duty at the last 500 meters and the many calls he made arranging for help for the late hikers showed his dedication to help every team member as much as he possibly could. What I'm amazed is the many times he had to uh .. go to the toilet .. and yet he was still strong enough to last the entire climb - considering that he had to eat more to replenish his energy.
Also, he's the person who managed to get us all heated rooms. Yeh!
William - With work demanding his time and attention right up to the eve of the trip, I wonder how he could even focus on the climb. I guess being a triathlete helped a lot.
Johnny - I thank him heaps for carrying my backpack for most part of the climb from Laban Rata to Low's Peak. I had so many extra warm clothing that I didn't use because the weather was not as cold as I thought it would be. Thanks also for helping me especially while climbing down the tricky bit near Low's Peak. It's easier to balance when there's someone to help you.
Francis - I thank him for being with me from 1.2km - 4.5km. I know he could've gone a little faster if I weren't there but he stuck around long enough to make sure I was okay.
Hendry - I thank him for being with me from 4km - 6km. He did really well during the summit push, especially for someone who had AMS right after the Sayat-Sayat Checkpoint. Good job! Great determination!
Chan Boon Pin - Forgive me for doubting, but I thought that he might not make it to the Peak. He surprised me!! Even with his previous knee injury and staggered strides, he made it, right up to Low's Peak - and at the top, he sat there for so long, signifying his right to sit there for as long as he wished because he earned it. And yes, he definitely earned that right. I could see the contentment and satisfaction in his facial expression and I was happy for him.
Chan Lu Vin - What I admire about him is the fact that he did not feel the need to rush to the Peak, like most youngsters would want to do. Instead, he stuck around for his dad (Chan Boon Pin), helping, encouraging and urging him to go on.
Siew Keng - She must be quite fit as I have not seen her train at the Kepayang Hill nor anywhere else. Congrats on summiting.
Cilla - Gosh! She was the first to arrive at Laban Rata (at 3.15pm). She actually did the first part of the journey in 6 hours 45 minutes!!!! That's totally unbelievable as I happen to know that she was suffering from stomach cramps the entire climb and at one point was bending over in pain as she climbed. How on earth did she do it? Also, she was the first in our group to reach the summit. Bravo!!
Esther - Knowing that she is not the athlete type, she did rather well. The important thing is not how long she took to climb.... it's whether of not she reached the peak. And she did! And she was given brag rights for it.
Eunice - She's "D" person behind all the planning - from flight bookings to accounting to as little as luggage tags, she and KG both helped make the trip enjoyable and fun and easy for the rest of us.
Planning and organising for 19 of us is not an easy task. There were so many nitty gritty stuff that had to be sorted out. One thing I am grateful for is the fact that she spent 45 minutes on the phone, talking to the customer service personnel for my change of flight.
And her task did not end on the 6th of July, 2008. She'll be compiling all the pictures and copying them into DVDs so that everyone can have the full collection of pictures taken during the entire trip. That's one long, tedious task!!!
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