Report: Ekspedisi Menawan Gunung Kinabalu

 

Ekspedisi Menawan Gunung Kinabalu disahut oleh empat rakan sekerja iaitu En.Razak Ariffin dari Spare Part, En.Badrol dari pusat service Shah Alam, En.Syed Annuar, Hasreezal dan saya dari Jabatan IT. Membelanjakan hampir keseluruhan kos pada 4 bulan awal untuk tempahan penuh bagi pakej mendaki dan tiket penerbangan - satu risiko dan komitmen yang tinggi perlu beri bila bergerak secara berpasukan.

Mendaki Gunung Kinabalu bukan bertujuan menguji kekuatan fizikal semata-mata tetapi lebih kepada kekuatan mental. Bagi mereka telah mendaki selama 10jam pada hari pertama, saya rasa kekuatan fizikal cuma bertahan beberapa jam sahaja. Jika Laban Rata memerlukan 2jam lagi, saya rasa mereka akan tetap mendaki walaupun mengambil hingga 12jam. – Sebab matlamatnya, adalah puncak kinabalu.

Kisah sebelum sampai ke puncak (Low’s Peak – Low adalah nama orang - Hugh Low), sebenarnya saya telah pun menyerah kalah pada 100meter terakhir sebelum Low’s Peak. Hujan di awal pagi. Keadaan cuaca cukup sejuk. 3 helai pakaian, masih mengigil hingga ke tulang dibuatnya. Angin bertiup kuat. Tangan kebas disebabkan sarung tangan yang basah dan terlalu sejuk. Badrol juga sama seperti saya, hampir mahu patah balik.

Tapi dalam beg saya terdapat banner manakala kamera di dalam beg Badrol. Kami tiada pilihan. Sebaik matahari terbit, saya nampak Razak melambai dari Low’s Peak... - Itulah kekuatan kami

Bagi PakSyed dan Hasreezal, mereka amat kental. Tetap meneruskan pendakian walaupun kaki dan peha mengalami kekejangan otot sejak pertengahan perjalanan pada hari pertama. Perlahan-lahan berjalan, dikelilingi hutan tebal, gelap gelita, berpandukan cahaya lampu kepala dan harapan untuk tiba di Laban Rata pd ketinggian 3300 meter dari aras laut

Sebenarnya, mereka telah bertemu dengan saingan mereka – diri mereka sendiri. Sehinggakan mereka sendiri terkejut dan tertanya bagaimana boleh sampai sehingga Laban Rata dan Sayat-Sayat ketika menuruni gunung ke Timpohon di siang hari.

Ekspedisi cukup mencabar bagi mereka yang bekerja 8am-5pm. Dengan kekurangan latihan dan persediaan, menikmati keindahan alam di Laban Rata sudah cukup teruja dan menakjubkan.

Hari 1.
Dari PEN@10am sampai BKI@130pm. Sewa kereta untuk 3hr. Aktiviti pertama, cargas ke Pasar Besar KK. Beli udang+sotong untuk dinner. Kemudian singgah di Jambatan Tamparuli. Kagum banyak sangat ikan dalam sungai tu (serius - rupanya local tak makan ikan darat). Ajak geram tak bawa joran. Next, singgah Pekan Nabalu. Nikmati pemandangan lereng gurung. Akhir sekali check-in chalet di Mesilau dan kasi udang+sotong pada chef utk makan malam


@BKI

Kereta sewa

1st activity - Pasar Besar Kota Kinabalu


Bought 1kg of squid and 1kg of prawn for dinner


Tamparuli Bridge

Dinner


Hari 2.
Check-out dari Kiram's Village Chalet. Tempat yg cukop cantik. Cargas pi breakfast kat Pekan Kundasang. Ada pasar pagi kat situ setiap jumaat pagi. Kemudian ke Taman Negara Kinabalu untuk pendaftaran dan berkenalan dengan Guide. En. Bungin. RePack apa yang patut untuk dibawa. Lelain tinggal dalam kereta. Ambik van ke Mesilau. Dan mula mendaki selepas doa selamat dibaca oleh PakSyed.


Kiram's Village Chalet... Cantek

Breakfast at Kundasang town

@Taman Negara Kinabalu with Guide


Start hiking from Mesilau trail









Pack breakfast from Sutera Lodge


Hari 3.
Supper@2am. Hujan renyai-renyai diluar. Guide kasi green light utk mula pendakian@2:30am. Gelap gulita. Cuma berpanduankan headlamp. Melepasi stesen terakhir Sayat2, hujan agak lebat, angin kuat bertiup, glove basah, sejuk gedik. Gelap gulita, jalan batu mengikut tali ke puncak. Ajak tiba terlebih dahulu, diikuti saya + Bad di Low's Peak. @7am mula turun ke Laban Rata. 10:30pagi, selepas breakfast mula bergerak turun ke Timpohon. @5pm semua pakat tiba di Taman Negara Kinabalu. Amik sijil+medal dan memberi sumbangan pada Guide. @6:30 bergerak turun ke Kota Kinabalu.


@2am. Supper

Miners or Menoreh?







Tong gas besaq


Souviner for our guide En. Bungin. 5 Company t'shirt

Hari 4.
Lepas subuh. Jog around KK town. Dari Hotel, Pasar Besar Kota Kinabalu (layan tengok aktiviti jualan ikan/sayuran yg murah). Kemudian  Jesselton Road, Padang Merdeka (1 lap) dan balik hotel. Referesh.Sarapan di Jesselton Road. Kebetulan ada Pasar Kraf pada setiap Ahad dari jam 7am - 5pm.

Terdapat banyak cenderamata/ole-ole/barangan tempatan boleh dibeli pada kadar yang lebih murah jika dibandingkan di Pasar Filipina. Check-out hotel. Pi pantai Tanjung Aru + makan tengahari. Kembali ke Pasar Filipina - kawan komplain barang kat PF memang mahal. Luckily dah beli di Jesselton Road. 6pm BKI-KUL, 10pm KUL-PEN dan sampai rumah @1am.


@KK. Pasar Kraf di Jalan Jesselton. Cheaper than Pasar Filipina. Worth spend hours here.

For family. A khat calligraphy
 

@Tanjung Aru. Lunch. Before heading to airport.


Medal - Must reach Low's Peak

Ekspedisi Menawan Gunung Kinabalu

I'm going to Kota Kinabalu again. This time, I will lead 4 office colleagues hiking up to Low's Peak. A 4D3N trip start from Thursday 21 June and return on 24 June Sunday.



Base on schedule, if weather kind enough and team members in good condition we should reach Laban Rata via Mesilau route on Friday evening. Continue to top of Mt.Kinabalu on Saturday morning - waiting for sunrise. And return to Timpohon Gate.

Preparation for this trip almost completed. Climbing permit from Taman Negara received, flight tickets, lodging in Mesilau and Kota Kinabalu paid. Except transportation. I still negotiate with 2~3 company for best rate for 3 days of rental. Should be finalize by this week.

Initially my team, aged between 32~56, working with the company more than 10 years, decide to give some token by flagged the company banner on top of Mt.Kinabalu. Luckily couple of weeks ago company and sport club agree to provide some cash in this Ekspedisi - Thanks.

Left 2 weeks more only. My team members did their training by hiking up to Gunung Jerai for last 2 months. Still sakit2 lagi - Good.

...dok kira jari kaki

A week @ Kota Kinabalu.

*Mouse over the photos for description
Cuti paling panjang pernah aku ambik + paling jauh pernah aku pi. Sampai boss aku cuak nak approve leave aku. Apply 3 months earlier - dia reject. Then aku booked flight a month earlier. He had no choice... If not approved then i took unpaid leave - Nekad!

Friday - 2/6
Flight AK5112 from KUL to BKI at 3:15pm. Kids already excited, asking which plane will take them to BKI. Flight was delay for 45mins and it's normal for AirAsia. - Cheap.. jgn cakap banyak.



>2 hours flight - They getting bored + can't saw anything down below. The only thrill them was during take-off and landing.




Reach KK @ 6:30pm. Sudah gelap. Perak aku tengok masa/jam KK vs Semenanjung. Everthing seem to be fast. Zohor + Asar terlepas. Magrib dah masuk dah.

For a week, we stayed with Kak ipar aku @ KK

Saturday - 3/6
Subuh jam 5am. Argh! awainyer.. merangkak aku turun katil. Nasib baik tak tertidoq masa sujud.
1st visit - Wet market @ KK!






Mak aaaiii.. nala punya besaq. Semua ikan besaq2 (Sorry beb! aku jakun..) tuna, lobster, sting-ray.. marlin (dia kot..) + murah plak tuh!. Bought kerapu 2+kilo = RM14. Murah banyak.. compare @Kedah. Then i went to dry market... cari benda2 makan yang aku tak pernah rasa. Found kuih pasong and avocado (local called it - buah susu, sedap buat buat jus katanya)

Lunch: Ikan bakaq + air asam.. + jus buah susu... :P burrrr

2nd visit - Pasar Filipina (Kedai2 kraftangan) + pasar tani
Located at KK Waterfront. My in-law already start shopping. >RM 400 for pearls, gelang and etc - Boring aku... then I walked around pasar tani... Lapaq. Cari benda makan that i never taste before. Found Sayap (Kepak ayam bakar) and ABC santan. Yummy!.







Sunday - 4/6
@7am - Jog/running to KK town
From Taman Sri Kepayang to KK town. Passing Q.E hospital, Masjid Negeri, BSN, Maybank, Golf Resort, back to Masjid Negeri, Q.E and balik. 10+km. 52mins. An easy jog. Enjoying KK town early morning.

@10am - To Kundasang
On the way to Kundasang, stop at Tamparuli. Try/test naik Jambatan Tamparuli from the famous "Jambatan Tamparuli" song. The bridge need to be repair. Banyak kayu jambatan patah dan berlubang. Huh! tinggi siot. Jatuh dalam sungai kat bawah - piiieeeee.
"Woiiii sapa hinggut jambatan nihhh!!"




Continue to Kundasang.
Can saw the Mount Kinabalu (MK) but hidden by cloud. Check-in Zen Garden Resort hotel. 2km from Kundasang town. Get refresh and proceed to Poring Hot Spring, 40km from Kundasang.

It was raining heavily until Poring. Ingat tak nak mandi.. but sudah mai jauh2... nak tunggu lagi. Zaasssss.




Monday - 5/6
@7am - After subuh gajah. 4km slow jog.
With RM10 to pekan Kundasang with in-law + cikgu + anak buah. Depa letih panjat jalan bukit and return to resort. Aku jog sorang2. Only 2km from resort to pekan Kundasang. >1km jog - still tarak peluh keluar. Sejuk mengigil. But nice to see local people doing their routine, budak2 pi sekolah keb. Kundasang (kelas tuition kot), Angkut sayur-sayuran. Pekan Kundasang sibuk dengan jual-beli sayur oleh pemborong.




Walked around the stalls, tengok aktiviti jual-beli, fruits, vegetables... Spend >20mins there before bought some breakfast. To taste local meal. Nasi lemak, mee goreng and kuih2. Then ran-back dengan bungkuih makanan to hotel.












- To Perkasa Hotel: Team building site.
- Strawberry Cafe: Buah strawberry tarak... bukan musim dia.
- Pekan Kundasang: Bought some fresh vegetables + fruits
- Kinabalu Park: Get information







While check/getting for info, received bad news.
1. The group that i should join for climbing... they cancelled
2. More bad news... they not booked my name
3. And.... from tomorrow until Saturday... fully booked - My return flight is, on Friday.
Terduduk aku macam ayam berak kapuq. For me... no point coming to KK without climbing.

- To be continue, next posting -

Return to KK.

Thursday - 8/6
Manukan Island.
Went with ipar's company boat - FOC lega. Else >RM200 need to pay for fare. Took about <30mins to reach.
Kat sana..
- snorkeling.
- Pegang ikan
- Tangkap gamat
- Kambuih bebudak dengan pasir
...sampai semua pakat kena sunburn. - hitam berbaloq. Puashati




















Petang - Main bola



Friday - 9/6
Last day. Wet market again - love shopping there. Aku tekong.
Lunch menu for today.. Tomyam Seafood and ikan bakaq.
Bought a slide of 2+kilo isi ikan Tuna/Tongkoi/Kayu, sekoq Jenahak 3kilo and udang besaq ibu jari kaki 2kilo - Fuh! Puashati.

At KK, if you buy ready meal - mahal.
But if you buy raw .. such as ikan + sayur dan masak sendirik - murah banyak.

Next... Pasar Filipina again. Finished all the budget. Mostly ikan masin, terubok masin, gelang, rantai and etc.








6pm - To KK Int. Airport. Balik. Flight AK5115 @ 8:02pm. Said thanks to ipar for took us around KK, belanja makan and hospitality - Thank you.

Next post - Climbing Mt.Kinabalu alone..