UPM Invades Sabah, Part 2 - From 1500 to 3270 masl

(A lot of things got in the way of me continuing the tale of our trip to Sabah. This is the second part of that series. You can back-track and read the First Part here)

23 May, Kinabalu National Park - It was a chilly morning. As expected, Coach Noel's personal "generator" make sleeping a bit difficult at the start. I'm not sure how well-rested I am, actually. Also as predicted by Jake, breakfast was sausage, pork and beans, and egg. Not too much to their liking, but okay.

Photo-op before we head ou

Our group will split into two: Coach Noel and Casper will be riding to Mesilau on their mountain bikes, while the rest of us will hiking up to Laban Rata. The sky is clear and bright. It was a bit warm, actually, if you are in the sun (obviously).  

Mt. Kinabalu, as seen from the parking lot across the entrance

Timpohon gate is about 5 kilometers away from the park HQ. A taxi service brings the climbers there. All part of the package. Wilson and Lawrence are our guides. Lawrence said he's been up Mt. Kinabalu for over a thousand times in the last 10 years. Very few "mountaineers" could say they'd been up mountains for half that many times. Well, he's lucky that the mountain he got was a beauty.

Our odd little team

I can't quite remember the trail from the last time I was here. I first thought Carson Falls would be farther away. It was the first thing we'd see after the gate.

Carson Falls

What I do remember quite clearly are the endless steps. Once we passed the 500 meter mark, the trail climbed steadily. The slope became steps. Some made of rocks and dirt, some made from wooden planks. At the start, you'd rather enjoy the steady rhythm brought about by evenly-spaced steps. But I'm already thinking ahead and imagining how we'd be feeling the following day, when we are descending from these same step.

Stairway to heaven

We were making good time; averaging 1 kilometer per half an hour, including short rests. If we kept with this pace, we'd probably arrive at Laban Rata by lunch time. But there's no hurry. We made sure to stop at every hut along the trail to drink and eat. The squirrels welcoming us, eager to find out what treats we have for them. Naturally, you'd find them cute, with their chubby cheeks and fluffy tail; and as long as they keep their distance. But years of feeding off from tourist scraps have emboldened these critters, and you'd find them dangerously close to your bags, trying to figure out if there's food inside. 

Squirrel!!!

Around the halfway mark, we started to slow down a bit. Not a big issue, since it's better not to hurry rather than force yourself at an unsustainable pace (that will cost you dearly, especially during the way down). We're happy to enjoy the view. Jake and Mike are always on the lookout for birds not seen in the Philippines. The rest of us eventually found ourselves also hooked on catching a glimpse of some elusive bird flying through the branches along trail. But the best sight they caught was of two orangutans going about their business in a tree very close to the trail. I was in front (as usual) and not paying attention, so I missed out in that opportunity. Dang!

Around KM 4 at the Villosa Section

The thing about climbing is that usually it becomes a race in your mind, especially if you meet the same people along the trail. You imagine them as fierce competitors, out to shame you on the trail. But in truth, the reason why you alternately pass each other is that you probably have the same physical condition; so no one really has the advantage. In the end, you arrive at your destination almost at the same time. What is important in your imaginary competition is who crosses the finish line first. This trip was no different for me. And although I tried to hold back as much as I could, there were some people whom I couldn't accept would get to Laban Rata first. So I kept them close. And when the time comes, I'll pass them for the last time.

The rain has been threatening to pour since mid-morning. It started drizzling lightly. As soon as we done our raincoats, it stopped. Weather. Always playing games. I did take this chance to try out the pack cover that came with my new pack (thanks again, Osprey Philippines!). This is the first time I've owned a pack that supplied its own cover.

As we passed the last rest stop before Laban Rata, I had this strange sensation along the trail. It took me a while to make sense on why I felt the way I did at the time. Then I realized I found it strange to be inside a forest of huge trees. At this elevation, the trees should be less massive and more gnarly; similar to the ones below this place. It seemed to go against what I've learned about what upper montane forests look like. Despite that initial feeling, it was reassuring to see that somewhere on Earth, trees are still valued as a living entity, and not just as a natural resource.

Our luck ran as we came very close to our destination. It started to rain hard as I reached the first lodge, not 100 meters away from Laban Rata. I went on ahead of Cece, as I tried in vain to catch a couple who breezed by us, thereby spoiling my plan to reach the cabin first. At the very least I considered my effort worthwhile because I got to Laban Rata before it started to rain real hard. It was deja vu of the last time I was here. 

rainy afternoon.

The rest of the guys arrived one after the other. A bit wetter, but all in good spirits, especially now that we were inside the warm confines of Laban Rata. We set up ourselves at a table with a view of the outside. A useless pursuit, given that visibility outside is now just 3 meters. We were all hungry. The packed lunch we were given was a huge letdown (a ham and cheese sandwich you can finish in two swallows). The buffet dinner was still three hours away. Good thing that I was among veteran UP Mountaineers who a) usually bring extra food, and b) would eat anything. We pooled our collective stash and came up with canned Tuna Paella served with rice sprinkled with trail food. This and some chocolate bars kept us sane until the clock struck 4.

hunger will make you eat anything

We were ready. As we saw people approaching the buffet table, we scrambled to get ahead of the line. The cooks, whom we have been watching in the last 2 hours, prepared a feast, complete with salad and dessert.

first in line

The brochure promised the buffet spread will be open from 4:30 PM to 7:30 in the evening. Plenty of time to get two platefuls at the start, and then top it off with another plateful before the kitchen closes. Some of the dishes were misses (like the wintermelon soup and lamb barbecue), but most were satisfactory. True to our fashion, we stuffed our faces silly. 

The clouds parted for a brief moment, giving us hope that the following morning would be a good one. We talked about our plans the next day; what time to wake up and head up to the summit. Between eating and talking, we drifted away to our respective distractions. There was a time when smartphones and tablets were still ideas in their inventors' heads. I can't quite remember how we killed time before these devices.

Laban Rata has been running on generators that power the lights and essential equipment. There hasn't been any hot water for bathing here for a long time now. That hasn't stopped half of our team from washing up, including me. How different can it be from Pulag? I found out. Not by much. It was still cold as hell, but water came out from the shower, making the process of soaping up and rinsing down much quicker. I was shivering, but happy to be clean.

As night fell, the clouds parted a bit more. I went out for a bit to check what was there to behold. This time we can see the the lit-up town of Kundasang or Ranau, I'm not quite sure. We'd be waking up in a few hours. I'll ask our guides by then.

Click here to read the last part of our journey