Dups' Journal

• Introduction and Dedication
• 19 Nov, Vancouver
• 19 Nov, Los Angeles
• 21 Nov, Singapore
• 22 Nov, Kota Kinabalu
• 22 Nov, Mt. Kinabalu Park
• 23 Nov, Laban Rata
• 24 Nov, Laban Rata
• 25 Nov, Poring Hot Springs
• 25 Nov, Kota Kinabalu
• 26 Nov, Kota Kinabalu
• 27 Nov, Bangkok
• 28 Nov, Phuket
• 29 Nov, Phuket
• 1 Dec, Phuket
• 1 Dec, Singapore
• 4 Dec, Colombo
• 4 Dec, Colombo
• 6 Dec, Colombo
• 7 Dec, Colombo
• 7 Dec, Los Angeles
• 12 Dec, Edmonton
• The Delay-O Song

23 Nov, Laban Rata

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5pm November 23, 2004. 13,272.7m ASL. Laban Rata Guesthouse.

This morning was a morning from hell. Mike has sworn bodily vengeance against the province of Sabah, Malaysia. We have discovered a serious shortage of cash. Maybe we should have brought a colour printer and made our own. Or perhaps, Malaysia was starting to switch to a barter economy.

1. Sutera who arrange the lodging has a working Visa machine.
2. We need 500RM or 150USD which is all we have.
3. Sutera is 50ft from the Sbah Park Office which has no Visa machine.
4. Sutera cannot take Visa for Sabah Park (“Different companies, sir, we cannot”)
5. Sutera cannot give us a cash advance as the park cannot people cannot collect enough cash for us. Their own cash transfer hasn't arrived yet.
6. We want to climb other peaks and now need special permission from another office... you cannot call them.
7. We drive 10 mins to Kundasan ATM – out of order (What is up with this place)
8. Mike “loses” his wallet (only a panic for 30 mins we did find it again).

From left, Megan, Chris, Andrew, Mike and guide Junnius.

I believe all in all it is surprising that Mike not only held it together but that his shaking wild-eyed look did not eventually translate into murder. Well done Mike!

So new plans. We will spend one day on the mountain and only do Lowe's peak and go straight to Poring after.

We've got a “guide” (the most non-communicating guide ever), we have a British lass by the name of Megan Laurie with us for the climb, sharing our “guide” -- Let's go!

Megan and Andrew on the way up

So here we sit at Laban Rata after the most humid and sweaty climb ever. At one point Chris looks like he has lost half is body water to sweat. It's steep. It's as if I'm going back in time but iut is steep. I remember the places we stopped, the places we took readings with Doc Rutherford, or even the places I fell on my 15-year-old ass. But we've made it this far. It is all good.

See more photos of the climb...

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