Climbing Mount Kinabalu Part 3 - Reaching the Summit

Continuation from Climbing Mount Kinabalu Part 2

The alarm went off at 1am and one by one, we reluctantly rolled out of bed to get ready for the hike to the summit of Mount Kinabalu. By the time we went downstairs to the common area to grab a bite from the supper buffet served, it was 2am and other groups of hikers were already chewing at their breakfast/supper of fried rice, meehoon, eggs and sausages. You would think we might overeat but the anxiety of the summit hike curbed our appetites. For that extra kick later, I also took a power gel.

At 2:30am, we were rounded up by our guides Jasili and John and were briefed on the ascent. We were told to stick to the white rope, basically our visual guide to keep us from straying off the path in the dark and if there was mist. Sayat-Sayat hut was our checkpoint and we needed to reach it before 5am or else we were not allowed to go on.

Climbing Mount Kinabalu Part 2 - Chilling at Laban Rata

Continuation from Climbing Mount Kinabalu Part 1.

After 4 hours 30 minutes of crawling climbing, my sister and I were eager for rest and a hot drink at Laban Rata. As we had booked our climb six months in advance, we were able to secure a room for our group of eight in Laban Rata. At 3,272.7 meters above sea level, even to step a 100 meters outside the rest house took effort so we counted our blessings.

Towels were provided at the reception upon check-in but as our change of clothes were with the porters and guides who stayed with the rest of our friends still making their way up the trail, we opted to freshen up quickly in the surprisingly clean showers first. There wasn't any hot water though as the showers were solar heated and reliant on the sun. As we had anticipated the delay of our clothes, we pulled on our outer jackets from our day bags to fend off the cold while waiting.

Laban Rata was much much much so much more equipped than the mountain huts on Mount Fuji. The dining area had magazines, games and free hot coffee, tea and water available for hikers. The walls honoured the guides and porters who has gone above and beyond their call of duty even before the earthquake to help hikers. One picture showed a porter carrying a huge water catchment basin up the mountain.

AirAsia and AirAsia X Free Seat [Promo period: 13 - 19 June 2016]

Have you already started planning for your 2017 vacays?

Well, if you haven't, this might given you that incentive to start planning on where you want to go next year! Because the AirAsia Free Seat campaign is back and gamed to run from 13 - 19 June! The travel dates are from 4 Jan to 21 Aug 2017!

AirAsia is giving away up to three million promotional seats in its latest Free Seats campaign across its entire short- and long-haul network. Starting from a base fare of RM0, excluding taxes and fees, guests can fly to any of the more than 120 destinations in 24 countries served by AirAsia and AirAsia X, the low-cost carrier said in a statement.

Simbae Pet Care - Dog Shampoo and Leave-on Conditioner

Doggy bath time is something my furkid, Cody and I do not look forward to. But it is a much needed evil to keep his fur clean, shiny and tick and fleas-free. The belief that dogs enjoy water does not apply to my PAWS-adopted furkid. He hates water and hates the smell of his usual doggy shampoo. A sentiment I share mainly because it gives off a medicinal scent that always has him diving for the earth and mud post-bath.

Enter Simbae. 

Prior to this, I have not heard of Simbae but a quick Google search showed a very elegant and refined collection of pet care products. 

Climbing Mount Kinabalu Part 1 - Timpohon Trail

I was nervous. My heart was racing with anxiety and also excitement as I stared ahead at the majestic sight that was Aki Nabalu or more famously known as Mount Kinabalu from the platform of Kinabalu Park HQ.

After over a year of planning, I was finally going to climb Mount Kinabalu. It was supposed to be a trip made last year but due to the earthquake that shook the region on 5 June, killing 18 people, the climb was postponed. It had been a sad day for Sabah and my group decided to pay tribute to the lives lost by summiting the mountain on the 1st anniversary of the earthquake. Fast forward to a year later and there I was.

It was the morning of 4th June 2016. My group of seven and I had just grabbed a bite from the generous breakfast buffet at the park's Balsam restaurant and were waiting for our bags for the porter to be weighted. Just for the knowledge of those planning to climb Mount Kinabalu soon, it was RM13 per kilogram as of June 2016.

Milo Breakfast Day Run 2016 - Putrajaya

Who doesn't love a hot cup of Milo in the morning?

I do. When I was but a wee kid in primary school, Milo was the first thing I reached for in the morning, lactose-intolerance be damned. This malt favoured drink will always have a special place in my heart and also in the hearts of 50,000 Malaysians as evident by the recent Milo Malaysia Breakfast Movement.

5 Types of Workshop Seating Arrangements with CECC, Bangsar South

Ever sat through a workshop or a presentation and found yourself craning your neck for the best view? That's because the seating arrangement isn't suited for the workshop format. Conducting a workshop or a class isn't as easy as just putting rows of chairs and tables together. You need to start to think about the room layout and in particular the seating style for your audience. 

Whether you are setting up a business presentation, training classroom, hosting a full scale gala dinner or product launch, the arrangement of the seating can make all the difference. You have invited your audience to communicate a message, so it’s important that your audience is seated in the best way to achieve the maximum impact for your message!
source: www.stagingconnections.com

Here are five most popular seating styles for different events.

1. Classroom 
This style reflects the seating found in a school or lecture theatre, with chairs and trestle tables aligned in consecutive straight rows.

5 Things that Could Make or Break that PB

In April, I did two half marathons, a week apart from each other and in two different venues. Both routes were relatively flat so I thought a PB was possible, especially for the MHWH Night Run.

The above image is owned by Trainer Academy

But as I ran, my body told me two different things during those two races and I marveled at how so many factors contributed to one's performance. I also marveled at the many regrets and thoughts that ran through my mind during the run.

Here are 5 factors that could make or break that PB (based on my experiences)

Spartan Trifecta Weekend in Bright, Vic Australia - Dates Announced

Until now, Hawaii was the only place where one could attempt a Spartan Trifecta in one weekend. Well, this year, Spartan Race Australia has upped its game to include a Trifecta weekend in its schedule.

What is a Trifecta weekend? As the name indicated, it's a weekend (Saturday and Sunday) for racers to race all three Spartan Races: Sprint, Super and Beast over both days. Hence a Trifecta. Weekend.

The dates have been announced as 26-27 November at Bright, Victoria, Australia. Rumour has it that it will be a Friday - 4Hour Hurricane Heat, Saturday - Super and Sprint and Sunday - Beast and Ultrabeast. Woahhhhhhh. 

Registration is set to open on 4 June 2016 and according to Spartan Race Australia big boss, Max DeLacy, it will be all-systems go if registration hits over 2,000 by 15 July 2016.

LET'S MAKE IT HAPPEN!

So leave no space and time for second guessing and mark the dates for a weekend that will surely be known as L-E-G-E-N-D-A-R-Y. 

Keep checking back or follow me on Facebook for the registration link. 

Training for Mount Kinabalu

Okay, so when I say training for Mount Kinabalu, it isn't really so much of training but rather just waiting for the date of the hike to come.

I was supposed to climb up Mount Kinabalu last year on top of also climbing Mount Fuji but as luck would have it, white people decided to get naked atop the mountain and an earthquake happened, stranding about a 100 hikers atop the summit that day and taking the lives of a great many others. It was....shocking seeing as my hike was to happen three weeks after that.

The routes were deemed unsafe and the trip was postponed to the following year (this year). To make it more special and memorable, I decided I will attempt my hike on the anniversary of that fateful weekend and made arrangements for 3-6 June 2016 and will be climbing to the peak on the 5th of June to commemorate the anniversary of the earthquake.

Well, since I mentioned training, here's how I've been training for the climb. 5-6 sessions of bootcamp with Original Bootcamp a week and Sunday hikes at Gasing Hill.

How's that for training? Sufficient? Insufficient?