I don’t know when will we become champion again. This time around, Safrey Sumping managed to get fifth spot in the 22nd Mt. Kinabalu International Climbathon 2008 (it was yesterday). Last year he was fourth. A year before he was third. Apparently, he said that he was just recovered from flu a week ago. So, he was not having his 100% fitness during the race. Sigh…

Mountaintorq.com is very kind to me. I-Gek sent me PDF copies of their brochures on Mount Kinabalu via ferrata adventure FAQ for me to share with you.

As a good operator, she feels that it is their responsibility to educate us on what to expect when going up the majestic mountain of Borneo. I know, most of climbers does not know what to expect when they climb Kinabalu despite all the information that I have written in my website and blog.

Received an email from Mountaintorq today regarding how you can prepare yourself before going for an adventure on Mount Kinabalu. A must read for every Mt. Kinabalu climbers, especially for those who planned for via ferrata adventure.

I did not use these during my earlier trip up the mountain, as I was really fit and did not have knee injuries. However, after I sustained meniscus tear of my right knee (thanks to Sundays football @ Yayasan Sabah field) a year ago, I had to use a hiking pole for my last trip up April this year. And the pole has helped me a lot on bearing my weight while going up and down the mountain, relieving some of the burden to my right knee.

Effective from 1st of September 2008, Sabah Parks will impose new rates of fee charges for visitors like you and me. You may want to check it out if you decided to have some good time in one of Sabah Parks destinations:

1. Kinabalu Parks (where Mt. Kinabalu is)
2. Turtle Islands Park (east coast of Sabah, 40km north of Sandakan)
3. Tunku Abdul Rahman’s Park (just 15 minutes away from Kota Kinabalu, a group of 5 beautiful islands)

I don’t know how to get to him except via this blog. I think I should have Anthony’s (Kinabalu mountain guide leader) mobile number, so that this kind of email will get through to the person mentioned…

I received an email from Martin, asking me to forward his thanks and gratitude to his mountain guide who brought them up to the highest peak of Borneo on the 6th August 2008.

Flashlight (or some call it torchlight) is an essential equipment that you should have for your climbing trip up Mount Kinabalu. Flashlight will be use during your second phase of the climb, from Laban Rata (or Pendant Hut if you are staying with Mountaintorq) to the peak in the dark. The journey will start around 2 am, in which it will be pitch dark if it is not full moon.

Ordinary flashlight or headlight?
I received a question from one of fellow climber who asked whether he should have an ordinary flashlight or headlight (or headlamp) for him. From my personal experiences, having a headlamp while climbing Kinabalu will give you more advantage than ordinary flashlight.

Backpack is an essential items for travelers cum climbers like you. I just received an email from USOUTDOOR.com about their sale on a lot of their items. If you are planning to find the suitable backpack for your trip, you should check out their sale now, as most of the promotions will end on 31st August 2008.

I have written a blog post about how to choose your backpack on your Mount Kinabalu climbing trip here. You may want to read it first before you go to USOUTDOOR.com to shop. It will give you an idea what type of backpack is suitable for you and your trip. You may not want to buy a small backpack for your South East Asian 3 months tour…

I did my DSD few months back, and decided to get myself an Open Water PADI SCUBA diving license in October. After getting some input from Roslan, one of my good friend (senior at high school & the person who is responsible for me going diving), we went to Sabah Divers at Wisma Sabah to get the first 3 basic equipment for SCUBA diving - mask, snorkel and fins.

It’s here again. Happening on 23-24 August, 2008 at Mount Kinabalu.

Deemed as “the World’s Toughest Mountain Race”, the Mount Kinabalu International Climbathon is the ultimate challenge to take for those game enough to test their endurance by running up and down Mount Kinabalu for a total distance of 21 kilometers.

I don’t think I will be able to join. I would love to, but I am afraid that the organizer asked me to climb down as soon as I reached the first pondok…