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| Climbing Mt Kinabalu! |
The months of planning and
preparing for Expedition Mt Kinabalu 2012 have come to an end. The climb was a
success and now everyone has left, mostly by plane, back to their countries,
their homes and their families.
I decided on my last day
in Kota Kinabalu, to take a boat trip out to one of the nearby islands, to take
advantage of the fact that I was free for the day.
As the speedboat left the
dock I looked back at a cloudy sky, and noticed every now and again, Mt Kinabalu
emerging in and out from behind the clouds, childlike, as if playing a game. It
made me smile.
I reflected upon our
recent climb as I kept looking back at the mountain dancing with the clouds.
Although we had a few
parents who were climbing for their sons, most of our 64 climbers who
participated this year had never heard of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Over the
months before the climb they had contacted me, wanting to be part of our quest
to raise global awareness for Duchenne and to help make a difference.
The two-day climb was
challenging. The first day was a long hike up to 11,000 feet where we spent the
night at our lodging Laban Rata. Much of the group arrived in the pouring rain
and by mid afternoon a heavy mist had swept in, dampening any hope of seeing the
mountain peaks above. The tiredness of the day kicked in and the altitude
didn’t help, but we were all upbeat and happy to have the day’s climb behind
us.
The weather on Mt Kinabalu
is unpredictable, and sometimes the summit trail is closed if conditions get
too dangerous. With the rain beating down outside, we listened to this briefing
while we ate dinner.
The next day came around
quickly, and not many of us slept much. In the early hours at around 2 am, we
began to get ready for the last 2,000 feet to the summit. As we busied
ourselves getting equipped with jackets, headlamps and gloves, I suddenly
realized that not only had the rain stopped, but above, the stars were all
around us. This meant that we would have a most amazing view from the top, and
most exciting for me, we would be there to greet the sunrise.
As the dawn approached we
saw the shadows of the peaks on either side of us, and in the distance, a trail
of shimmering lights from everyone’s headlamps leading us to the top.
The last hour was a test
of physical endurance and mental resolve. The rock face was slippery and
relentless. Out of the darkness we clambered over the last of the granite
boulders as the sky transformed into a kaleidoscope of colors. We reached the
summit in time for the sunrise. After the long climb the victory was sweet.
Being surrounded by the sky’s comforting colors felt tranquil and peaceful.
The climb down had its
challenges, with some slips and falls here and there, but nothing serious. By
the time we arrived at the bottom, Mt Kinabalu was completely shrouded in its
cloak of mist.
Back on my island trip, from
the boat, I once again glanced back at Mt Kinabalu. I could make out the faint
outline of its peaks through the distant clouds. I smiled again to myself and
then smiled at the mountain.
I was reminded of our
oneness and how we all came together for something good. Everyone travelled to
Sabah, leaving behind their busy lives, to climb for all the boys and young men
with Duchenne. Our complaints of exhaustion, of our tired and aching muscles
faded to thoughts of the boys and young men who we climbed for. It was in the
quiet moments that we understood why we were here. It is the smiles I will
remember; smiles when we reached the summit, and when we got back down the
mountain.
But it is the smiles of
the boys and young men with Duchenne that I will remember most. The smiles of Albert,
Azmi, Edmund, and my son Dusty, innocent, pure and playful, that are etched
into my mind.
Again, like I always do, I
blinked Mt Kinabalu into my memory.
