The swimming thingy was two weeks ago. Last weekend I was lucky enough to included in R.O(radio operator) duty during this international mountain climbing competition. The first day (saturday 23rd) was the women and veteran category). I wasn't able to come for this since I was involved in another program which I couldn't not come. If I were able to forgo this unavoidable program, surely I would already be in National Park at the SARS base by Friday night.
I drove up on Saturday around 5pm. The drive was easy and fine. After texting a friend who was already at N.Park to ask where he was, I got a call from another friend who minta tolong to buy some PallMall. Since I was already halway up I told him I'd stop by at Nabalu to buy some for him. It was already around 6.30 when I reached Nabalu but alack I could already see that most of the shops had already closed. I parked and went over to some shops to ask for some smokes. Too bad, none of them sold any! Oh well... On to N.Park. Stopped by some roadside stalls which sold some veges and bought some cabbages and beans. Bought rm10 worth of veges and the inan threw in a head of lettuce for free. Cool...
MBO (the friend who requested the smokes) was already waiting when I drove into the parking area at the usual chalet reserved for the R.Os. *giggle* I had some L.As and I handed them to him to 'quench' his thirst.
My was it cold that night. I could only imagine what the other R.Os who were up at Laban Rata. I had my Colombia jacket on and that helped quite a lot. It was also good seeing old friends, listening to their jokes and friendly banters.
I did not have any particular checkpoint and I mentioned to MBO that I was okay whichever checkpoint they put me..though I had a feeling that I was going to get Mempening. So it was quite a jolt to me when I was assigned to go up Mempening for the Sunday race. Hmm.. curious eh.
3.5km from Timpohon.. it would be snap if this was a flat land route. I got ready. took my new Deuter backpack and packed a change of clothes, my Mars bars, my gatorade, my handy and antenna, a pen and notebook, two face towels and my headlight. It was around 11pm when I hit the sack..only to be woken up at a few minutes past 2am by Uncle Gideon (head of SARS). He gently shook me awake and told me to wake up, have some meal and to get ready for the early walk. Ok. Got down from the top bunk and went out.
My partner was Matius. He was still snoring, enveloped in his sleeping back, lying in a row of sleeping R.Os in the living room.
Never mind. He knows what to do. So I had my nasi goreng, prepared by Uncle Didimus' wife and crew. Had my hot milo. Did my morning business, and got ready. Matius had already woken up and gotten ready also.
We drove to Timpohon with my car. We started the ascend at 3.3o am. Only when I saw Matius take out his gloves did I realize my folly. Dang..Shoulda bought the gloves which i had ALREADY fingered in Wawasan Plaza. So, I went up with none.
5oom, Kandis, Ubah, Lowii and finally Mempening. Gosh.. i started out feeling cold. As we progressed higher and higher, I could hear my heartbeat lub-dubbing inside my ears. It was not a fast paced climb. Matius was ever encouraging. Saying that we didn't have to race up and that we had a lot more time left. It was ok at first but as we neared the given checkpoint, I stopped more often to catch my breath and he'd be saying, sikiiiit lagi, sikiiit lagi..just enough to irritate me.
It was pitch dark when we started. The air cold but without the dreaded gusts of cold wind. The intermitent wooden supports helped the trip up the rocky path. And finally at 5.31 am.. we reached Mempening. Hurrah! Glad my partner was a patient feller.
My clothes were damp with sweat so I went into the toilet to change into dry clothes. I'm glad I brought along a change of bra too. sejuk gila!
So, over an hour wait before the race started at 7pm. It was cold, cold, cold! I had on long tights underneath my cargo pants. I had on a singlet, a t-shirt, my jacket. Matius had lent me half a pair of woollen glove and I wore it on my left hand. (the other half..gone.) It was still cold. I grumbled to myself for not bringing the extra sweater i had brought along for the trip and was left hanging by the bedpost in the chalet. Suddenly I remembered that I had folded in my windbreaker inside the backpack. I wore it over the jacket i had on and fortunately, it kept my warm!
6.15am. The mountain rangers arrived. So there was more company. Soon it was nearing 7am. We got pens and paper ready to jot down the tag numbers for participants. my fingers were numb from the cold and I had trouble telling my fingers to move. Matius kindly lent me his other glove to wear on my right hand while he tucked his naked hands into his jacket pocket. Yay...
We could hear the crack of the pistol over the radio, signalling the start of the race. And we could hear the progress of the runners as the favorites sprinted up the rocks like mountain goats. 001 from last year's winner was definitely the first to break away from the pack. I found that he was given the privilege to wear the number to indicate his position in the previous year's race. It took me 2 hours to reach Mempening. It took him only 28minutes!
On and on the participants came and passed our station. After more than 1 hour, 001 reached the peak. When he ran down our way, he was a mere blur of a shape, bounding expertly over the uneven steps, like the champion skyrunner he was.
Opps..will continue later on..
