Dhahran British Grammar School Expedition 2006
26 March 2006
Climbing Mt Kinabalu
I for one slept well, oblivious to all the suffering next door, hearing not a single retch.
At over 3100m, it was cold in the hut and most of the students slept in their clothes. We had wondered how we would be able to get all the students up at 2am, but we need not have worried. By 1.50am there was noise in the corridor. Yakob’s size 14 boots, something to behold in themselves, were already treading the boards. One by one the students were moving from their beds and getting ready, most impressive.
There wasn’t a breath of wind at 2.30am, which meant that it didn’t feel too cold. We started climbing on time, in fine weather, the trail starting from the back of the hut. Each evening the trail is locked to prevent people being benighted on the mountain. An official was just unlocking the gate as we approached.
The climb began very steeply, with a rough ladder of wooden steps. In the dark this was quite intimidating.
We had been walking for all of five minutes when a call came up the line that Aristo was unwell and felt unable to climb. I went back down to find him as white as a ghost. His symptoms suggested mountain sickness and I decided that he should descend to a lower level.
Thirty minutes later EJ and Chris also returned to the hut, this time though due to a lack of physical fitness and determination, rather than to any sickness.
The climb was undoubtedly challenging, with over 1000m to be climbed in less than 3km. The vegetation had all but disappeared at this altitude and we were left scrambling over smooth granite slabs left by an ancient glacier. A thick hawser laid rope attached to bolts in the granite clearly marked the way and provided an essential aid to climbing the steeper sections.
By 5.05am I was at the summit, soon followed by Sam, Casey, Holly and Sue. The rest were all there by 6am, well before sunrise. Soon the small summit became crowded with shivering climbers, waiting, cameras at the ready, for the first signs of sunrise and warmth.
When it came it was beautiful, if not spectacular. We waited ten minutes for a group of Chinese boys to take photographs in front of the summit sign, before we posed for a group photograph ourselves. Immediately thereafter we began our long descent to breakfast.
After a leisurely breakfast we set off for Park Headquarters, a knee-crunching descent that took us between one hour fifty minutes and three hours. Fastest were Sam and Aristo.
Most of us slept on the bus to Poring Hot Springs. This is a resort and proved most disappointing. The pools were dirty and the area crowded. Perhaps if they hadn’t been so tired the kids would have made more of the place, but in our fatigued state the restaurant was by far the most attractive venue for relaxation.
The Lodge at Kundasang faced Mt Kinabalu and was still high enough to enjoy a pleasantly cool mountain climate. The rooms were simple, spacious and comfortable, with verandas front and back. It would have been easy to spend a few days relaxing there if the food hadn’t been rather lack-lustre.
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