Kinabalu Earthquake 2015

The breaking news these past few days is a rare earthquake that struck Sabah just after dawn on 5th June 2015 at around 7.30am. The resulting rockfall & landslides on Kinabalu took everyone by surprise & have tragically killed & injured some climbers and one mountain guide to date. Its epicentre lay just east of the summit & northeast of the nearby town, Ranau. Measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale, tremors were felt as far as the capital city of Kota Kinabalu 100km away.


Our hearts go out to the injured and the families affected. Culling from various sources on the Web, the most heart-warming picture is painted of the mountain guides who quietly & heroically saved the 100 over climbers stranded on the mountaintop when familiar trails were wiped out by the landslides. Somehow they managed to carve out new routes down to safety, managing only with limited resources and even ferrying some injured on piggyback down the treacherous slopes.

We shall always remember our own hero, Mr Anddy Maz who accompanied our second son, Daryl & his 3 buddies on his first (failed) attempt in 2009. He wisely advised them to abandon their summit push when it was raining at 3am and one of the boys was suffering Acute Mountain Sickness. Please read my earlier posting in this blog. Our own family climb in 2010 by contrast was a relatively straightforward affair for Anddy & we individually reached the summit between 7am to 8am, the slowest but most determined member - feisty mum, petite wife, Theresa !

Adding to the lessons we have learnt from the mountain on our previous climbs, we must now remember to be grateful in Life and learn to be brave & virtuous in the face of danger & calamity, like the mountain guides who take calculated risks every single day on the mountain and who will continue to inspire all who come to visit.

Climbing Kinabalu 2012

Who says that climbing a mountain must always equate to "conquering" the Summit Trail ? After all, the important lesson we learnt from our earlier attempts is that experiencing a Mountain is really like experiencing Life itself; there will always be ups & downs and it's enough to enjoy the journey, the scenic views & company along the way, never mind if we don't always summit the top !

My wife & I decided in March 2012 to re-visit Sabah & the Kinabalu National Park in a different fashion from our first 2 "serious" climbs. We wanted to spend a leisurely few days at Kinabalu HQ or basecamp, to enjoy the varied forest trails at a comfortable altitude of 5000 feet, with daily temps of between 15 - 24 degrees C. Our favourite trail was the Liwagu Trail which basically starts from Timpohon Gate, where serious climbers get off the circuit bus to commence the Summit Trail, but instead we trailed the Liwagu River downstream, back towards Kinabalu HQ. It took us longer than the estimated 3 hours unguided because we stopped often to take in the awesome views & dip our toes in the icy cold river waters !

Every morning, we would have a hearty all-you-can-eat breakfast at Balsam Café, and at night we had the option of its la carte dinner menu or a short stroll to a kampong-style restaurant just outside the Park HQ gate. We stayed at the rustic Liwagu Lodge which gave us a spacious split-level apartment with 2 toilets & a wide verandah overlooking the next-door Botanic Centre, populated with interesting plants like the Nepenthes species of pitcher plant as well as the abundant native birdlife.

On our way up to the Park from the city, our personal minibus chauffeur good-naturedly stopped by a local attraction, called the 'Rumah Terbalik' or Upside-Down House for us to visit. And because we had plenty of time on the way back from Kinabalu Park, he knew the best spot (Nabalu Town) for us to pose with a backdrop of Mt Kinabalu, complete with fluffy white clouds !

The last 3 nights of our 1-week Sabahan escapade saw us back in Kota Kinabalu, in a nice hotel by the sea - the Sutera Magellan. This allowed us the liberty of taking the 5-minute hotel shuttle bus into the city centre for a live seafood dinner and a full-day side trip to the southwestern corner of Sabah called the Weston Wetland Park. The highlights of the latter adventure was an evening of proboscis monkey spotting, followed by a romantic dinner & firefly "display" once they switched off the lights completely.

Climbing Kinabalu in 2009 & 2010

When my wife, Theresa first "conquered" Mt Kinabalu in 2008 with her old classmate as leader & a merry group of like-minded people, it inspired our family to do the mountain as well. Our second son, Daryl attempted Kinabalu with 3 male buddies in October 2009. Unfortunately one of them suffered mountain sickness & they were also beaten back by rain & high winds at night, just 2 km short of the summit. He learnt a humbling lesson that weather will oftentimes decide success or failure on the mountaintop.

So the following year, Theresa sprung the idea of a family "vacation" atop Kinabalu for the four of us. It was an opportune time with both sons inbetween their studies & crucially, we chose April in 2010 to do our attempt, which was right in the middle of the "dry season". Of course, in any season, one can anticipate afternoon rains on a mountain, but there was less chance of heavy downpours / night rains during the months of February through to May.

To ensure a comfortable climb, we equipped everyone with sturdy hiking poles, Deuter backpacks (like the 25litre Zugspitze with an airy cross-frame & mesh back), lightweight quick-dry fleece tops & rain-proof trousers. For safety & trust, we booked Daryl's 2009 mountain guide, Mr Anddy Maz & he absolutely proved to be our guardian angel on Kinabalu.

To top it off, we spent top dollar for private rooms with ensuite toilets at the Laban Rata Resthouse, ensuring an early night's rest before the final summit push at 3am. What we didn't bargain for was the next day's long descent & afternoon sprinkles, considering how much time we spent taking in the magnificent landscape above the clouds (see first family picture above). In retrospect, an extra night's rest at Laban Rata after summiting would have allowed us to enjoy more picture-taking time & a speedier descent to Timpohon Gate the following morning, to avoid the afternoon rain.

Dressing Up for the Occasion

If you think about it, Sabah & Kinabalu Park, a designated World Heritage site, encompass at least 4 different climatic zones. So the key phrase is "Dress in Layers".

Here's what my wife advises :
"On the lower slopes, you can actually feel hot if you're wearing trousers & long-sleeves plus carrying your backpack (see her breezy aerobics gear early on the Mesilau Trail). From Laban Rata to the summit, I basically wore a high-tech wind-cheating pair of hiking trousers (Arc'teryx) and thermal long-sleeved top (Marmot), with my spare aerobics gear underneath & wind-breaker outside."

Another truism about mountain-climbing is the fact that the weather changes ever so swiftly. You may start off with clear, blue skies first thing in the morning, but by the afternoon, the clouds may suddenly gather & rain on you by 3 or 4 pm.

Remember, as a dermatologist, I always throw in my best advice as :
"Slip, slop, slap" just as the Australians do, to protect against sunburn. Slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen and slap on a hat. Plus "wrap" a pair of sunglasses to protect your eyes as well. There's also an oral supplement that is essentially an antioxidant which confers extra protection. It's called "Heliocare or polypodium leucotomos". Use it with a few caveats in mind - there's not enough data for its use in the young & in pregnancy and it's always prudent to check for drug interactions if one is on medications.

Remember that even on cloudy days, you can get burnt because UV rays still get through. Bad sunburns can induce painful blisters. And the damage from excessive sun exposure in the longterm is Premature Ageing of the Skin and Skin Cancer. You have been forewarned.

Another thing, on a mountain trek like Kinabalu, alpine hiking poles (like Leki) will ease the wear & tear on your knees. Waterproof, sturdy hiking shoes (like Columbia) will guard against ankle sprains & frostbite at the summit where wind chill temperatures can plummet below zero degrees Celsius!

Graphic Description of Terrain

My wife, who's been doing 16 years of regular weekly aerobics workouts, plus undergone 3 months of local training was physically prepared. However, the first time is always memorable. Here's her description of the arduous terrain in her own words :

"It's highly advisable that you go up by the longer (by 1.5km) but definitely more scenic Mesilau Trail. And descend by the faster but boring Timpohon Trail. Local training is mandatory (stair-climbing, hiking the forest into the dark with headlamps), your quadriceps must not give up on you. I found my Leki alpine hiking poles very helpful for the hike up to Laban Rata."

"The steps are HUGE, all the way to Laban Rata. Layang-Layang, where the 2 trails meet, to Laban Rata is steep & tough, & you're doing this at the end of the first day. On the final summit morning, leave the poles at Laban Rata cos you'll be navigating staircases, pulling yourself up with ropes over stretches of granite rockface. Most dangerous is Panar Laban Rockface. Especially at night when you can't appreciate the slope. Do NOT let go of the rope at this point." (My wife pulled her right groin muscle at this stage since she's so petite)

"After Sayat-Sayat Hut, you face multiple Ridges before you can even see the summit. The air is thin & the going gets tougher. At this stage, it's mind-over-matter. If anyone can reach this far, he/she should be able to finish the climb physically but some people give up mentally at this point."

Acute Mountain Sickness or AMS

AMS can be mild to life-threatening. Basically the lack of oxygen at high altitudes ( usually above 8000 feet) & capillary blood vessel leakage lead to fluid build-up in the brain & lungs. Thus, the symptoms are headache & shortness of breath respectively. Once the person experiences nausea, vomiting & unsteady gait, AMS is serious enough to demand an immediate rest & possible return to a lower altitude. This was what happened to one of the young people on our expedition.

This is one medical condition that you cannot predict 100% even if you are healthy. In past experience, AMS may actually befall fit, young men rather than older middle-aged women. Nevertheless, it is possible to take some sort of prophylaxis. These are just 3 of the common remedies :

1. Aspirin or acetylsalicylic acid
   
2. Diamox or acetazolamide
3. Ginkgo biloba nuts

We chose to take ginkgo biloba nuts (original brand Tanakan) 80mg twice a day for 5 days before & during the days of hiking / climbing. My wife felt only a mild headache when she reached Laban Rata which resolved with a single dose of Panadol 500mg while I felt fine while hiking the Nepenthes Trail at 6000 feet elevation.

Medical Notes

A word of caution for would-be climbers :
The spirit may be willing but the flesh may really compromise the success of your climb.

Though you may prepare yourself mentally & physically, there's no denying the medical facts which may spell disaster even before the start of the expedition :

1. serious heart & lung diseases like emphysema
2. serious brain / middle ear conditions like stroke & imbalance
3. certain muscle / nerve disorders like myasthenia gravis
4. old orthopedic injuries to the spine & major joints
5. poor vision & other visual disabilities

These are only some (obvious) ailments to mention & it's always wise to check with your regular doctor for his advice.