A Dura-Mission up Mount Kinabalu

Five hours of hiking, six kilometers, eight degrees Celsius, and 3,272 meters above sea level. I recall these figures as I stir in bed. It is 2 a.m. at the Laban Rata halfway house, roughly three kilometers from Lows Peak – the highest point in Borneo. In a half-sleep daze, I hobble into the bathroom. It is noticeably colder in here than in the sleeping quarters, and I awaken instantly as the ice cold water from the tap makes contact with my hands. I do my thing, get dressed, have breakfast, and psyche myself for the challenge up ahead. The promise of a breathtaking sunrise is all the motivation I really need.

Outside the dining area at Laban Rata is a balcony. I decide to have my coffee out there to get acclimatized. Earlier in the day this deck offered a view of a sheer rock face towering well into the clouds. Right now it’s just pitch black. But there are telling signs of how high up we are - the temperature, the thinness of the air, the gloves that don’t really seem to insulate. And my piping hot coffee is cold in all but a minute.

Back inside, I congregate with the rest of the group. Everyone’s up and ready. This is our pact to wake up extra early for a glimpse of the sunrise from the summit. An early trek definitely made sense.

Ten steps from the rest house and things became dark. We were issued LED headlamps for this part of the journey, and they proved to be invaluable. Negotiating high steps, wet ropes, and slippery rocks, you really need two hands to balance and navigate. I kept reminding myself of the time because if I missed the sun, I wouldn’t be able to handle the disappointment. The aching muscles and lack of sleep would have been but naught had I let that moment pass. So I started to move double time. And then it began to rain.

I am getting a little ahead of myself. But I do enjoy getting straight to the good parts.

This journey began when Isuzu Philippines Corporation (IPC) invited several members of the media to Kota Kinabalu for its “D-Max 4WD Dura-Mission,” a showcase of the company’s flagship pickup. With many areas of Sabah still being very woody and forested, the D-Max is the ideal vehicle for negotiating off-road terrain. This truck is dependable and durable. D-Max must stand for durable to the max and our confidence in the tough action machine was further reinforced during this trip. But with the activities lined up for us, I felt it was our durability that was going to be put to the test.

But how could I, or anyone for that matter, turn down Mt. Kinabalu? I’m not so much of a hiking person, but I love the outdoors. And this is Mt. Kinabalu, man! Climbers of Everest and K-2 use this mountain for conditioning. That’s hardcore. I like hardcore.

My mistake going into this trip was that I did zero conditioning. See, I believed that I was in shape for this. But for a week after I got back to Manila, I walked like I was bagong tuli. Now I know better. Never underestimate one kilometer. I did some reading before the trip, though. I was interested in how the locals believed that Mt. Kinabalu possessed a spirit that commanded respect from all who set foot on it. I definitely felt that strange mystical vibe up there. Ill thoughts about the mountain never crept in my head while my veins were pumping battery acid.

The trail to the summit starts at Timpohon Gate, a point within the limits of the Mt. Kinabalu Park Headquarters. We began our hike from there at 11 in the morning and got to the Laban Rata halfway house at roughly 4 p.m. The hike is only six kilometers. But it is seriously vertical, making it very slow and energy consuming. After a shower and an early dinner, we were advised by our guide Maikin to get some rest. He reminded us that our ascent would resume at two am.

But I could hardly sleep. I was tossing and turning throughout the night. The adrenaline from the hike earlier must have still been coursing through my body and I was indifferent to the warm and comfy bed underneath me. So it wasn’t really a problem getting up at 0200h. I set my mind to it days before, and promised myself that I would follow through. Why do we climb mountains? So that we can see the view from the top.

And it began to rain. Not torrential rain or even a shower of heavy drops. It was more the light and constant spray of an industrial size atomizer. We didn’t have to do anything à la Sylvester Stallone in Cliffhanger, either. But the rocks became more slippery and the wind had a bite. Earlier I asked our guide Maikin if anyone ever died on the mountain. I remember him saying in pidgin English: “No one die, only bad accident.” I don’t know why, but just then I remembered how it was raining during the afternoon we arrived at Laban Rata.

Another guide and I were having a smoke on the terrace and I asked him if he was taking a group up at 2 a.m. as well. He said yes. Then I asked him if he thought it would continue to rain up at the summit. He looked at me, smirked a little and said “Pray that it won’t.” He then killed his cigarette and went inside. After the door shut behind him, I didn’t put my hands together or close my eyes. I just looked up and spoke the necessary words in my head.

The guides have probably done this hike a thousand times. Whatever they suggest is sound advice. And you know what? I think we have the same god because it was clear as day up at the peak of Kinabalu. The view was spectacular. We were on top of that part of the world and it felt really good.

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For a closer look at the D-Max, visit www.isuzuphil.com

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E-mail me at enricomiguelsubido@yahoo.com.