MOUNT KINABALU CLIMB; 9-12 APRIL 2010

ONG HOCK SIEW, Organiser,

Tel: +603 79600521 Fax: +603 79600517 - email: ianonghocksiew@gmail.com

TO PROSPECTIVE CLIMBERS

MOUNT KINABALU CLIMB – Friday 9 April to Monday 12 April 2010

Dear Friends,

THE CLIMB IS ON – WILL YOU BE PREPARED?

Have you ever wondered if you could somehow find it within your own personal ‘reserves’ to climb the highest mountain in South-East Asia – that great granite massif that stands in excess of 13,490 feet above sea level. When you stand there at the starting point, what will be the state of your preparation. Will you be ready????? No one else can help you at that stage. You have to make the climb by yourself!

GREAT BENEFITS AWAIT YOU

Your life will never be the same again when you find that you can achieve things that you hitherto thought unlikely and perhaps even impossible. You will ‘take’ on great health when you prepare for the climb and you will find great friendships on the climb. Great difficulties bring out the best in people. After you have made the climb, you will not want to go back to the times when you were unfit and frequently tired. There is so much good that will come out of the climb – get excited about it and get ready!

MOST OF YOU HAVE COMMITTED – YOU PAID THE NON-REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT!

Most of you have paid the non-Refundable deposit so there is no turning back now. This is good. For a big group like this (53 climbers), all of you will need to follow instructions very clearly. Is this the biggest group I have taken? Not by a long way. The biggest was 112 climbers. So long as you diligently do what I list out, you will enjoy this climb and it will probably be one of the highlights of your life. If you don’t, you will definitely suffer and it will be no fun at all.

THE TRAINING REGIME – IT IS ALL ABOUT DISCIPLINE

You need to exercise discipline immediately. Those of you who say, “I still have much time; I will start next week” will probably end up doing very little training. The whole climb is about life itself – it is so hard for us to exercise discipline (it is much easier to merely talk about it). Try doing 6 km tomorrow on the Treadmill and you will know what I mean.

Please read below in the Appendix about the whole Training program. Follow it strictly or exceed it and you will have a great climb. Nothing I tell you now can describe the climb fully for those who have never been there before. There will be pain and there will be suffering!! But training can make all these “little” things much less relevant.

THE NEXT TRAINING BRIEF – SUNDAY 10 JANUARY (04-30 pm) - AT THE TAMUN TUN PARK

Please come for this next Training session. We will just do it for an hour and I will give another short briefing on the program. The mental preparation is just as important as the physical training. Dream about the climb and sleep well. Who knows? In your dream, you may find it in your reserves to dream about coming with me to climb Africa’s highest mountain (Mt Kilimanjaro) in the latter part of 2010. Why, if Kinabalu is possible, why not Kilimanjaro???

Interesting, isn’t it? God made us all to be Over-comers and there is not one reason in the world why we should limit ourselves to the small hills in our lives. Think about it, chew on it and sleep on it. Be the man or woman that you can be (no less)!!!

God bless you all as you move forward on this venture!

Post climb comments

Hi Climbers,

I have gone through all the video clips and they are great. Had some good laughs looking at how some of you really struggled through the climb. We are still waiting for the other photos to come in for us t compile and put it into a CD.

I am leaving for Perth on Tuesday. Mindy and my grandchildren have migrated and I need to be there with them at least for the first part of their new journey. I should be back to KL on 10 May. After that, we can have that gathering for cimbers in my house. I will let you all know the date.

Some of us did get together after the climb. I had some really interesting games with the Kepong gang. They are really good sportsmen. In badminton, the score is 'draw'. They won one and I won one. In table-tennis, I won everything (believe it or not) including the games where I used the shoe (hahahaha!).

I have promised to join them for future games and we should be able to do some new things too. This recent bunch of climbers (which means all of you) are a great bunch. Let's catch up soon and get your photos ready, OK!!

Anyone keen to make some money on Internet Marketing can email either Sam, Jit Nee or myself. We will let you know how you can make some good incomes sitting in your own homes.

Chow!!

Ong Hock Siew

We all made it!!!

What a climb! 44 of us made the climb and we all made it! 3 kids below 12 and 2 adults above 60. What a combination! We have thousands of pictures and lots of videos. I had such a blast watching the vidoes of the climb. The satisfaction that was on the faces of the climbers tell it all.

For many of the climbers, it was not easy. I could see the strain on their faces. Dr Soh Lay Sian and Dr Vasantha both did extremely well. They were the first to arrive in the group of 24 who made the climb at 7-30 am to the peak. They were so determined. Lay Sian arrived first and she was so happy. Dr Vasantha despite an "operated-on" knee also huffed her way to the top.

My Grandson Daniel started crying at Sayat Sayat (some 1,000 feet below the summit) and he continued crying for the next two hours. It is incredible because he cried for 2 hours. Where did the tears come from?? Still he made the summit in fifth place. Manson did well despite his broken spectacles. He was blind as a bat but he battled on gamely. Mandy his sister was quietly determined.

There is hope for the youths of our time. Many of them showed how they were resolute in their commitment and that augers well for the young. The old ones would not lose out too. Aik Jong at 61 was an epitome of health and fitness. He reached the top early. Barbara and Imelda showed what resolve was when they struggled through successfully to reach the top. Kamariah and Maria showed how persistence can be such a positive thing. They almost did not make it but they did not give up.

It is all about not giving up. Yes, my friends - it is about just putting your one foot after the next step. Life is like this. We cannot give up; we should not give up; we must not give up!!

We will get back to all of you after we post the next round of photos. Cho!

Ong Hock Siew

HI THE BIG DAY IS DRAWING NEAR – ARE YOU READY?

1…ARE YOU READY?
The time is drawing near and it will soon be here. Life is like this. When you need more time, it passes by very quickly. When you have a lot of time, it goes by so slowly. My friends, it is still not too late for you to put in some training these next few days. Do the step exercise at least 1,000 times a day (about 35 minutes). You will not regret putting in this extra effort.

2…THE LAST THREE DAYS BEFORE THE CLIMB
Whatever you do, for the last three days, please don’t increase your exercise. This is NOT cramping for your exams like many of you obviously do during your studies. You cannot make up for what you did not put in. You MUST wind down your exercise. In fact, the last three days (1-3 April) should see you doing only light exercises. So all those of you who have been walking Bukit Kiara like mad (like our two pretty doctors) can relax. Those of you who have not been walking like mad, you gonna sweat (boy o boy!)

3…STILL AFTER ALL THAT IS SAID AND DONE….
Still after all that is said and done, everyone will still need to exercise will-power and determination. It will be a long and lonely journey which each one will have to take. The lessons will be many.

For those who are really fit, the problem may come on the second day. You can be fit at level ground but altitude sickness can still ‘hit’ you. For those who are not really fit, you will be hit on your head(altitude sickness), on your legs (maybe cramps), on your stomach (maybe unwanted air) and on your backside (because you need to sit down many times)(hahahahaha!)

This is a journey that is unique only to you! Your experience will be like no one else. If you persist and say “I will do it even if I have to crawl, you will be there at the top!”

MY ROLE IS TO TRY & MAKE SURE EVERYONE REACHES THE OBJECTIVE!

4…IMPORTANT POINTS
We have climbed Mount Kinabalu many times & we will use that experience to help you succeed in your climb
We know the intricacies of organizing the climb and will take away much of the administrative things that have to be done so that you only focus on the climb itself
Safety is given paramount importance and risk is managed effectively. Every precaution like having more guides and people not having to carry things is arranged.
The whole climb is an exercise of “encouragement”. The climbers are ‘bonded’ into teams and they are encouraged to spur each other on. There is a huge sense of “camaraderie” and many end up as life-long friends after the climb
Clear guidelines are given to each climber on what to bring, what to wear, what to do, how to do it, etc. It takes the guessing out from each climber. More importantly, every climber is given information on what to expect.
Food is usually well-organized on the trip and effort is made to arrange meals at great places like the prawn farm.
You will be entertained on our climbs. There will be singing & sharing and each one is given song sheets to sing songs of motivation. Everyone will have a great time as they let their hair down and join in the fun.

6…REMEMBER YOUR COMMITMENT
Success in life is about commitment! It is about the inexplicable call to achieve greatness and goodness. No summit was ever reached without dedication and no goal was ever attained without difficulty. The true measurement of a man or a woman is when the odds are stacked heavily against him or her. This is the key that opens every door of excellence!

When you stand on the summit of the highest mountain in South-East Asia you will know that there are such occasions in your life which are highlights; where you have done something far beyond your normal capabilities and competencies. “Feel the wind in your face!”

Yours sincerely,

Ong Hock Siew




7…FINAL CLIMB DETAILS
You will need to pay for your own porter so don’t bring unnecessary stuff. Someone once brought 3 huge bottles of water for the porters to carry. They had to pay a huge amount. It is much cheaper to pay the “high” price of water at Laban Rata. A good raincoat is probably one of the most important things to take along.

You will be given plastic tags for your bags. Remember to put the tag nos on your bag at all times. This will allow us to handle the moving of the bags easily. Look below for other important notes


8…THINGS TO TAKE
In this list, the items to be taken for the other days besides the 3 days climb have not been included here. If snorkeling is to be done, the necessary swimming gear and clothes should also be packed.

A number of items mentioned here are optional (highlighted) and these items will be brought by the team leader. So where leader is marked in brackets, you can choose not to bring those items. There are also many suggested items and when you bring many of these things, you will just give it away at the end of the climb. So think carefully about what you should bring. All the second day’s items should be packed inside plastic bags and put into a soft bag (in case it rains) for the porter to carry. Pre-pack and organize all this well in KL

FIRST DAY’S ITEMS (SEE DRESS CODE BELOW)
Money for expenses

Water bottle (must)

Camera Jacket
Vitamins & fruits

Sweets & chocs

Films

Raincoat (must)
Toiletries

Deodorant

Watch

Sun-glasses
Spare plastic bags

Hat

SECOND & THIRD DAY’S ITEMS (PACK IN PLASTIC BAGS)
i)…For climb
Knee cap

Ankle guards

Gloves

Suntan lotion
Spare under garments

Spare longs

2 Woolen pullover

Windbreaker
Balaclava

Panadol

Suntan lotion

Raincoat

IMPORTANT NOTE: For those doing the 2-30 am climb, please make sure you are warm enough and the raincoat is essential

ii)…FOR PERSONAL USE & HYGIENE (PACK IN PLASTIC BAGS)
First-aid (leader)

Other drinks (option)

Breath freshener

Toothbrush
Toothpaste

Spare tissue

Spare specs Towel
Pen & paper (option)

Underwear (4)

T-shirts (3)

Socks (3)
Longs (2)

Spare Shorts (2)

Spare batteries Slippers



9…DRESS CODE (FOR 3 CLIMB DAYS)

DAY 1 OF CLIMB (which is Day 2 of trip)
Wear: Shorts & a good t-shirt (will sweat)
Carry: Raincoat (must bring), Wind-breaker, Small torchlight, Water bottle, Fruits, Munchies
Bring also a plastic bag to put stuff in case it rains.

DAY 2 OF CLIMB (which is Day 3 of trip)
Wear: Longs & a good t-shirt that won’t itch (will sweat), Windbreaker, Raincoat, Hat, Good gloves, Gardening gloves
Carry: Water bottle, Fruits, Munchies in a small bag or carry haversack)
Bring enough water as you will get thirsty, Suntan lotion is useful as sunburn can be strong

DAY 3 OF CLIMB (which is Day 4 of trip)
Wear: Shorts or longs (your choice), a good t-shirt & jacket (will sweat but can still be quite cold)
Carry: Raincoat (must bring), Wind-breaker & Water bottle (pack rest of things for porters)

10…CLIMB DESCRIPTION

“One of the most beautiful mountains in the world” & “a really fascinating climb” are some of the common descriptions used to comment on the climb up Mount Kinabalu. A better way perhaps to describe the climb is to perhaps say that “it is the most climbable difficult mountain in the world” because although it is high and relatively tough, any ordinary person who is quite fit and very determined can make it to the summit. At almost 4,093 meters or 13,430 feet, Mount Kinabalu is South-East Asia’s highest mountain. The sense of accomplishment as you scale Mount Kinabalu makes the climb extra special. Additionally, the natural wonders that ‘burst’ into sight as you climb across three vegetation types cut across terrain that contains almost half of the world’s flowering plants, more than 1,500 species of orchids, more than 400 species of butterflies (Great Britain has only about 50 species), more than 150 species of montane birds and 9 species of pitcher plants (& still counting), many different species of rhododendrons, oaks & other exotic vegetation makes the climb unique & unforgettable.

10.1…THE CLIMB COMMENCEMENT
The climb actually begins a long time before you arrive at Timpohon gate, the starting point. It begins when you make the decision to do the climb. That is when images will be conjectured in your mind and you will have many nights lying in bed wondering about the many descriptions of the climb made to you by people who would share with you their own perception of the climb.

Arriving at Timpohon gate is usually the culmination of many training sessions taken across usually 2 months and many training venues like FRIM, Tun Ismail park, Bukit Kiara Park and perhaps even Bukit Tinggi hills. The climb starts at Timpohon gate (6,000 feet) and it takes the climbers across about 4,800 feet of climbing up to Laban Rata, the mountain huts where the climbers sleep.. The distance of the climb is about 5.5 miles or 8.8 kilometers (one way)

The second day will take the climbers from 10,800 feet to the summit and this is where ladders and ropes are a common feature. There is no real climbing abilities in using the ropes as the ropes are meant more as ‘guide ropes’ and ‘assistance lines’. The sceneries at the massive rock-face on Mount Kinabalu are ‘out-of-this-world’ and truly magnificent. Standing at the summit with the wind blowing in your face is a “top-of-the-world feeling”. You will know that you have succeeded in achieving a big goal in your life and you will take this feeling with you.

10.2…THE STRAIN & THE DIFFICULTIES
Will there be difficulties? You bet! There will certainly be hardships along the way and difficulties that will require determination to overcome. Preparing the knees, ankles and legs well is a huge advantage. So is strengthening your lungs with aerobic exercises. Can someone with some pain in the knee do the climb? The answer is yes! Many who have pain in the knees and some joint problems have made the climb without too much difficulty. It is all about going at your own pace.
The greater problem in climbing Mount Kinabalu is the altitude sickness that will ‘hit’ most first time climbers above 10,000 feet. It will be a bother of some sort but it generally goes away after a while. It is all about the mind-set and those who are determined usually overcome it easily.

10.3…IN THE AFTERMATH…
For a few days, every muscle in your body will hurt and ache like mad & you will probably walk like a “crab in labour” but don’t worry. Most people will feel like that and it will go off in a few days. When the pain goes, you will have a fantastic ‘new’ set of lungs that will feel wonderful at least for a few weeks…..

REMEMBER “WINNERS NEVER QUIT, QUITTERS NEVER WIN!”

We will do it together!!

Ong Hock Siew

SOMETIMES THE IMPOSSIBLE CAN BECOME POSSIBLE...

We are all going on a practice session in Bukit Tinggi this Sunday (meeting at the BHP station after the Kuantan toll in Gombak area at 1-30 pm). Hope you guys and girls have all been training. Try and increase your step exercise to at least 25 minutes per day. Try it my friends - it is easier than you think, Intially it is tough but it gets better sas your muscles get conditioned to it. I am really looking forward to climbing with all of you!! See you all on Sunday.... Hock Siew

Below is an article of my 2 climbs in 3 days. Read it and you will understand why determination is the most important trait of all.

“THE SUCCESSFUL SEES OPPORTUNITY IN DIFFICULTY; THE FAILURE SEES DIFFICULTY IN OPPORTUNITY…….”

I knew what I was letting myself into when I told the group of climbers I was taking up Mount Kinabalu that I was going to climb it twice over three days. Many thought a 53 year old like me was crazy to attempt such a feat. Those who had climbed the mountain before thought I had gone mad. After I made the announcement, I started to wonder if I had done the right thing as doubt after doubt filled my mind.

I flew to Sabah early to prepare for the two climbs and I was lost in a world of uncertain feelings about such an attempt. What was worse was the accident I had three days before the climb when I tripped and fell into a deep drain and almost broke my knee. I could not walk properly the day before the climb, such was the pain I had.

At the lowest point of feeling unsure about the whole venture, I drew on my belief that my God would heal me enough to allow me to make the climb and I dwelt on my experiences in the MLM arena where belief and a total commitment to the objective made it possible for me to reach the unlikely summits of success in this flimsy field. I was accordingly inspired!

At the starting point, I banished all thoughts of failure from my mind and I stamped out the possibility of giving up at any point on the climb. I made up my mind then that I would succeed no matter what else happened on the climb. As I made that decision, wave after wave of positive endeavor came over me and I felt my spirit began to rise to the certain heights of unwavering commitment. I knew then that even if I had to crawl up the mountain, I would do it and reach the summit not once but twice.

What a change came over me. When the positive rises up within us to replace the negative, our complete disposition changes! I simply looked up to the summit of that great beautiful mountain and declared with complete certainly that I would be at the top. Right then, I knew that I will reach my objective. What a wonderful feeling it is when you have such confidence in any venture.

Every step that I took became a confident step. Every steep incline became a leap forward. I looked ahead to every little progress and every difficulty became a step of opportunity.

I started encouraging others and helped them up. There was joy in the effort and the feeling was exhilarating. As I stood on the summit on the first climb, I looked down the entire way to the mid-levels and declared that I will be up again. Going down and reaching the second group of climbers, I turned back up and made the ascent without any feeling of discouragement. Such was the desire that I couldn’t wait for the summit to come into view a second time.

The second time on the summit was special. I knew as I felt the wind blowing into my face that there would be many more mountains for me to climb. I have no fear as I look at the seemingly insurmountable objectives in my life. I know that I just have to keep taking the small steps with zest and enthusiasm and the big steps will come into view. What a feeling it is!

Welcome to the world of possibilities!


For those of you starting out in the path of A NEW CAREER OR A BUSINESS VENTURE, the feeling is the same. You will experience doubts and uncertainty and you will find the objectives targeted almost impossible. You have a choice. You can choose to look at the difficulties or you can choose to look at the opportunities. Only you have the power to make the right response.

Be a Man and a Woman of purpose! Choose life! Choose health! Choose success!! God bless you.

Time waits for no man.....

Dear Climbers,

April 4 seems such a long way off. We think we still have a lot of time. But time waits for no man. It will soon descend on us and we will find ourselves at the base of Mount Kinabalu looking at that great massif wondering if we can reach that seemingly high summit. Don't wait my friends

We were in Penang 2 weeks ago and guess what? When our group of 4 climbers (2 of them were there) took us to climb the Bukit Jambul hill, I almost had to stop and rest just before the peak. It was a nice but tiring climb. The view from the top is really worth it. Anyone headed to Penang should not miss this climb. I love it. it is easy to get there. Look for teh Equatorial Hotel at Bukit Jambul and then head up to the hills and drive past a children's school with a big Ultraman and you are very near the starting point. I was in Penang many years and did not realise that such a place existed.

I am now in Singapore teaching at an International Leadership program and guess what. I still tried to exercise and this evening attempted to walk from harbor point to Orchard road - a bit crazy but fun. took me almost 2 hours. I haev been doing the stomach exercises every night (300 times) and I love the stationary exercises that I also do. Tomorrow I will have to look for another place to run - maybe to the Botanical gardens. Anyone to join me. I had lunch with Wei today (he is joining us for the climb) and I guess the wide variety of people will make this trip really fun.

So remember, don't procrastinate and wait until it is too late. I guess Dr Soh Lay Sian and co will be training hard as usual so let's take their example......

Ong Hock Siew

Howdy Climbers

I am presently in Singapore running a Training program for a group of International Participants and it has been good even though I don't to run that often. Hope all of you are actively trainnig. Don't put it off!

You should be increasing the step exercise to at least 1,000 a day or 30 minutes a day by mid-February. Trust me, all the pain will be worth it when you climb the mountain effortlessly.

Chow, folks... Hock Siew