Look at little ol’ me standing there amongst the clouds on top of the tallest mountain in Borneo. This is definitely one of the most physically and mentally challenging activity I’ve ever endured. Never have I been so exhausted and tested so much in my life. I knew it was going to be tough but did not expect the tremendous obstacles near the end when everything seem so near yet i knew it was still so far away. This photo was taken during our descent which was an equally arduous part of the trip. Also it’s a beautiful photo of the vastness of the mountain top in contrast to the blue skies.
on top of the mountain
What did I learn from this trip? Well, as the saying goes, mind over body indeed. By the end of the first climb to the mid point, I was experiencing a sharp pain on my left knee with signs of soreness on my right. I knew that was no good, so I applied some ointment on them and wrapped my knees up and went to sleep. When I woke up for the summit climb, I could feel that the pain had gone away slightly but knew that it would still be an issue later on for our 4hr summit climb. Sure enough 30mins into the climb the pain came back and worsen in time. I decided i would still go on and if I have to go into the hospital after this then so be it.
From then on it was just one step at a time, slower pace but as long as I took another step I knew I was one step closer. In the end I became numbed to the pain only to be replaced by exhaustion. At this point, all my other team mates were just as exhausted and some suffering from altitude sickness. So it was everyone for themselves. Driven with only mental strength left I forced myself to just continue until I I finally reached the summit.
It was an unforgettable experience to say the least and an experience where I got to fully connect with my body and mind to overcome a monumental obstacle. I have learned more of myself in these last two days then I have in a decade. Sometimes all you gotta do is shut out all the white noise in your head that is feeding you negativities and just go out there and do it. ✌️
Reaching the summit – Low’s Peak at 4095.2m altitude
Our group with our amazing mountain guide Arnold in the middle. The smallest yet strongest one of us all.
