On Saturday, 26 May at 5:30am, a bleary eyed group staggered aboard a bus with a brewing sense of excitement and anticipation at the two day adventure which was set to unfold. The group consisted of General Manager of Gaya Island Resort, Jeffery Mong, and several of the resort's team and members from YTL Hotels' Kuala Lumpur office, Reef Check Malaysia and also well-known celebrities, Elaine Daly and Carmen Soo.
Director of Public Relations for YTL Hotels, Tracy Khee, along with the rest of the Gaya Island Resort team who had elected to stay behind, gathered to give their final voices of support and a farewell wave to the chosen few as the bus embarked towards Mt. Kinabalu before making their own challenging climb back to bed.
The journey from Kota Kinabalu to South East Asia's tallest mountain at 4,095 metres in height took less than two hours. The time would jump every so often whenever a glimpse of the looming mountain was caught which would captivate and raise the excitement levels, with small lumps forming in the throats of a few as they realized the task that lay before them. Jeffery Mong though remained a calm figure with his only thought being an image of standing on top of the mountain with his team standing beside him while raising the YTL Hotels' flag which lay in the seat next to him to mark the company's entry into Sabah, Borneo.
Upon arrival, Anslem, the team's guide from Let's Go Borneo, assembled his group at the foot of the trek at Timpohon gate. His words were full of encouragement and advice however they couldn't help but realize how small they were as individuals when compared to one of Mother Nature's natural creations.
At 9:30am, the trek began with the sun shining brightly, lighting up East Malaysia's natural wilderness and barely an hour had passed before a lucky omen was spotted overhead; a rare sighting of a red-leaf monkey who reflected back the same wide eyed expression he received from those staring up at him. Anslem explained that his appearance was a sign that this would be a memorable climb.
It certainly was memorable, as 6 kilometres of ascending stairs, made up of a variety of wood, stone and natural soil, was not something you would quickly forget. It was a tedious ordeal which strained at the muscles and drained the enthusiasm like a dripping tap. It wasn't made any easier by the sight of the porters who would march up the steps, overtaking everybody, while carrying a weight of at least 40kg which included gas cylinders and many other items. A series of rest points was a welcome relief but it was the moments where seemingly all of Borneo was laid before them, with glimpses of the summit and encouraging words from each other being the main motivators to keep trudging on.
By 4pm, the weary team representing Gaya Island Resort stumbled into the Pendant Hut but were only afforded enough time to stake a claim to their beds for the night before being ushered into the dining hall for a briefing on the early morning attempt to reach the summit and the Via Ferreta. Officially regarded as the world's highest Via Ferreta, the brief split the group, leaving several excited and others apprehensive at what was waiting in store for them.
Dinner was served down at the rest-house, Laban Rata, which allowed them to replenish their energy and bear witness to the stunning sunset that cast a red glow across the sky before nightfall descended. Brief but enough to inspire the room to want to to see something promised to be even more beautiful early the next morning.
The toll of the previous hike told and by 9pm, the team had all fallen into a deep sleep but it wasn't long before the switch was flicked and the lights came on and a breakfast of champions, toast, was made available. When 2:30am arrived, the push towards the final 2 kilometres commenced.
A white rope and a guide showed the way as the group had to climb the first part of the remaining 2 kilometres by using the rope to help pull themselves up until they reached the final checkpoint. From there, a steep incline was their awaiting reward which continued all the way up to Low's Peak. Dozens upon dozens of shuffling bodies made their way forward, reminiscent to the zombies from The Walking Dead in their slow, methodical movements which was illuminated in the night by the bright stars which scattered across the sky's black canvas.
The last hundred metres proved to be the most draining but rewarding as the group scaled Low's Peak to reach the summit at 5:30am to witness the day's awakening. Dawn brought the rise of the sun which cast a light that revealed all that had been accomplished and a sight of Sabah Borneo from East Malaysia's highest point. Just as he had envisioned and set out to accomplish, Jeffery Mong, with his team standing around him, raised the YTL Hotels' flag proudly with the sunrise as his backdrop.
All that was left was the descent which was no easy feat. 8 kilometres of declining slopes and steps awaited, including the Via Ferreta. A course that involved scaling down the side of the mountain which pushed the inhibitions of the wary and enthused the excitement of others but was a challenge which was met by all. Finally, as the sun set to close the second day, the team returned to their starting point at Timpohon Gate.
Along with the rest of the team, Carmen Soo and Elaine Daly found the climb both difficult but rewarding and refused to give in to the challenge Mount Kinabalu had offered. They displayed the same steel determination they have shown throughout their careers to reach the summit and were proud to be part of the accomplishment and Jeffery Mong's vision.
Everybody who had been part of the assembled team left Mount Kinabalu with the memory of the sunrise still clear in their minds. The sunrise not only offered Gaya Island Resort's team a sense of satisfaction but on that clear morning, it had also presented Mount Kinabalu a shadow which it used to cast across all of Kota Kinabalu with the shadow's peak landing directly on Pulau Gaya and Gaya Island Resort, marking the resort and its team who had reached its summit with the honour of being Distinctively Borneo.