Yes! We Made It!! The Kinabalu Expedition (a Sharing By Mabel Soo)
AnimalCare 
Jan 14, 2013 
AnimalCare, NGOs 
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On 28th Dec, the Kinabalu-4, a team of teenagers comprising Hillary Kon, Mabel Soo, Marco Soo and Brian Goh, scaled South East Asia’s highest peak to raise funds for AnimalCare. They were accompanied by their parents and friends.
The Kinabalu-4 team raised a total of RM16,000 for AnimalCare!
Here is an account of their expedition, written by Mabel Soo:
YES WE MADE IT
With considerable luck as well as a whole lot of determination, we successfully conquered the highest mountain in South East Asia!
Here we are, all set to climb the mountain in our raincoats hahah. The rain which lasted all morning did not dampen our spirits.
Apart from the 4 of us, we were joined by family and friends for the climb as well. I believe we all started off a little nervous, not sure of what to expect. There were also qualms on whether the weather would affect our climb. Nevertheless, luck was definitely on our side. The rain clouds cleared up half an hour into our climb!
We took the longer route, which is the Mesilau Summit Trail. It was a 8km scenic route that led to the Laban Rata rest house. Despite the extra 2km which was exhausting, it was totally worth it as the view along the way was AMAZING. The view made the climb more enjoyable and less dreadful.
Halfway through our 1st KM, still in good condition HAHA.
Hillary with one of our porters. The porters were amazing! They could carry bag loads of 15kg up the mountain and they were capable of walking faster than us. The porters and guides were very down-to-earth, friendly people who definitely played a huge role in our success to reach the peak. So thankful for them. We walked in groups of 2-3 depending on our pace.
Hillary and the scenic view!
The view along the way was beautiful. We were enveloped by clouds as we hiked, something most of us have never experienced before. The weather was perfect, cooling and conducive for hiking. As you can see from the picture above and below, the white areas are actually clouds.
Higher up the mountain, the current of the wind was quite strong. The gusts of wind sounded like waves washing up the sea shore. It was that loud. The clouds fleeted around in the wind, obscuring our paths ahead. It was like a scene from the Hobbit LOL.
The landscape changed as we ascended, with the trees becoming more sparse and short. The trees and shrubs were unlike those we would usually see in jungles. They had a more artistic look to them, like bonsais!
There were layers of clouds below us and a few odd trees were seen branching out into the sky.
When the clouds cleared away we could see the immaculate blue sky! I have never seen such blue sky (picture doesnt do justice to the actual view heheh). The rocky area in the picture above was actually where we were going to climb the following morning.
At the 6KM point, we were pretty much exhausted. And it got sunny from here on, so it was more tiring. It was steps all the way up from here to the rest house. 2 kilometres of it! The final 2km was rather dreadful as we ran out of water and food. We couldnt wait to see the sight of rest house.
All 8 kilometres, we were dying to see this sign. We were FINALLY at the rest house after a tiring 8km hike UPHILL.
The Laban Rata rest house! We got to recuperate and rest here before hiking up to the summit in the wee hours of the following day.
All of us!
Mabel
Marco
The view from the Laban Rata rest house. Were above the clouds! How cool is that
We had to start climbing at 2am the next day. Geared up with headlights and thick clothing, we started ascending in the dark, which was a pretty interesting experience.
This time around, we got to enjoy the amazing night view. It was a different experience from the day before as this time we had to hike rocky surfaces which were rather slippery. However, there were ropes along the way for us to hold on to.
It got colder and colder as we got higher. The cold itself made it hard to climb. But it was fun I would say J
Mabel and Marcos dad, Brians mum, Brian and a 17 year old porter!
There were safety ropes to help us along the way up.
Mabel and Marco J
We took breaks after walking a short distance to catch our breath, and also to indulge in the magnificent view.
So happened it was a full moon day the morning of our climb. So the night view was extra beautiful as you could see the silhouette of the mountain against the sky under the luminescence of the full moon.
THE AMAZING VIEW ON THE MOUNTAIN.
It was phenomenal, like a scene you would see in a movie. Instantly, all the hard work to climb up here was worthwhile!
The sky glowed in different hues, so pretty right?
Look! The sky is pink!
This is what our path looked like for our hike up to the summit, it was all rocky surfaces. Were pretty close to the summit from here!
Tadaaa! We made it to the peak!! The highest point of South East Asia (4095.2m) J Ironically, its called the Lows Peak.
Heres Hillary who arrived shortly after us J
Brian and his mum at the peak!
And lastly, a group picture of the four of us J Brian, Hillary, Mabel and Marco.
It was definitely a once in a lifetime experience and a great achievement.
It was more of a mental challenge rather than physical to reach the peak. Considerable amount of determination and will power was needed.
The support and encouragement from all donors as well as well wishers definitely kept us going and gave us more drive to reach the peak.
Hence, we would like to thank everyone for their kind support as well as encouragement! It was a great experience indeed and we had FUN J
–Mabel
Source: http://myanimalcare.org/2013/01/14/yes-we-made-it-the-kinabalu-expedition-a-sharing-by-mabel-soo/
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