THE WAY IS SET….

1…The response was fantastic…..
We had the second Mount Kinabalu climbers meeting and the turnout was really good. We tested the group and we were so pleased to see this group in fairly good condition. The home exercises were demonstrated and the climbers encouraged to consistently do the exercises at home. So what else did I share?

2…Friendships that may last a lifetime…..
I told the group that besides the excitement of reaching the peak, many of the climbers will become friends for life. I also told them that if they were to continue this life-style of goodness, they will see a significant change in their level of healthiness. It is a great joy to experience “great” health. Why settle for a life that the chickens live when you can be an eagle.

3…The wonderful story of renewal – the way of the eagles
Do you know that eagles pay a price. Eagles live a lifespan of about 70 years. However, they can reach this milestone only if they do something when they are at the age of around 35 to 40. This is when they must make a decision. This decision embodies the “renewal” of life.

4…The process of renewal – paying the required price
At this juncture, the eagle must decide to find a place in the craggy hills where it must spend at least 150 days. If it doesn’t spend this time in renewal, it will never live its full span of life. During the 150 days, a few things happen.
1. It’s beak has grown too long for it to be effective. It must break its beak against a rock until the old beak breaks and then it waits for the new beak to grow and strengthen. This is a painful process but it is something that must be done.
2. Once the beak is strong enough, it will use the beak to break its nails which has grown too long such that it cannot grasp its prey anymore. It will break off its nails and claws and wait for the new ones to grow. This again is a painful process and it is something that is not an option.
3. Once the new claws and nails grow, together with its new beak, it will tear off all its old feathers. The old feathers have grown too thick and heavy and it must be shed off. All the old feathers will have to go and new feathers grown. When the new feathers are all grown, the eagle is now ready to take off on its “new” flight. With the lighter and new feathers, the eagle will now fly and soar higher than it has ever done before.

5…The flight of renewal
It is the flight of renewal and its latter 30 years will be more fulfilling and enriching than its earlier 40 years. What an illustration of the process of life. Today so many people think that their aging is set in cement and when they cross the threshold of 50, they should retire and just wait for death to come. How wrong they are!!

6…You have the best years ahead of you – never look back
If we take the model of the eagle, I want to say this to those who are 40, 50, 60 and even 70 that there is much living ahead of you. You can lead still fulfilling lives of tremendous achievement if you constantly renew your life and your existence. It is a principle that resets your body clock and helps you find new horizons in your existence. You don’t need to look back because you can look forward with vigor and vibrance.

7…New qualities come….. It will make you better
I am telling you that you can climb many more mountains in your life and where you have lost out in a bit of flexibility and speed, you can more than make up for it in wisdom and strategy.

8…It’s the determination and purpose that counts
Yes, you can climb Mount Kinabalu at whatever age with whatever pains you have so long as you understand that you should always move forward with determination and purpose.

9…SEE YOU ALL AT THE TOP!!

___________________________________________________________________________________

10…Featuring climb Personalities - Sam
Today I feature Samantha, my wonderful Assistant who is helping me to organize this climb. Young and vibrant, she specializes in event and project organization. She has done many adventurous outings and she is climbing Mount Kinabalu for the second time. In her time with me, she has learnt many new skills. Today, she is also a reasonable diver and she can execute front and back somersaults with ease.

She loves the outdoors and is game for anything that requires some degree of difficulty. She loves dogs and has two of her own. Engaged to a wonderful guy, she finds the outdoors something that gives her fresh motivation on each trip.

The climb is on....

We had the first meeting of climbers for the 4-8 April 2008 Mount Kinabalu climb and the response was great. 10 people came and together with the others who have made the commitment, we now have about 43 climbers committed. There are more who will decide shortly and the 50 places is expected to be all taken up by next week.

This is a record of sorts - usually the full climb places will only be taken up about a month before the climb. We are still 3 months before the climb and the time for preparation is more than enough.

Somehow I feel that the climb will be a great one. The last climb we did in August 2007 was a fantastic one. The comments were really complimentary and although there some small glitches, everything generally went well. We would like to make this climb equally fruitful and rewarding. The whole purpose is to get all 50 people right up to the peak

At the meeting yesterday, I made this appeal to all those present. Help me to help you to reach the summit. There was whole-hearted agreement. Mount Kinabalu will always be a personal mountain to ascend for each climber. On the trail, every effort will be personal. When you suffer in some pain, only you will know what you are going through.

The whole climb was detailed at the meeting and each stage of the journey was shared. What to bring, what to wear, what to do and what to prepare were all covered. Those of you who are reading this blog should find the same answers if you read down to the key parts.

What was highlighted was the training schedule. I said that there is much time but time as we know passes by so quickly. For those who do not need the exhortation to train, time will fly by and then the climb would have descended on us. Don't wait and say, "I have three more months..." Start now to train and you will be in fine condition to overcome every difficulty that will arise.

My challenge to the climbers is that they should prepare and condition themselves well. So I left them with two clear exercises that they should do (if possible, everyday) - 1...the step exercise (see earlier blog posts below) 2...the stomach exercises that should strengthen your back. This is training that you can do in th comfort of your house.

the other training is to atttend the training that we will call for. It is at these sessions that we will continue to share with climbers additional things about the mountain climb.

I ended by sharing with them 2 stories about past climbs.

Usually a husband and wife who makes the climb end up really loving and caring. They will wait for each other, encourage each other and help each other up. However there are exceptions. There was this seemingly loving couple who were Indians and friends of mine (I hope they don't read this) - the husband was huge and he had not trained for the climb. The wife was obviously fit and she was abounding with energy.

Right from the start she was ahead and he struggled to keep up with her. At the first shelter, I saw the first signs of problems. She seemed impatient as she waited for him to come up. As he huffed and puffed his way to that shelter, she looked at him and said, "Darhling, you arr too selow. You shudd da lissened to me and terrained with me." There was no response from the husband as he was too tired to talk.

Then at the second shelter, she waited much longer and it was only 10 minutes later that he struggled up. When he reached that shelter, she was rather irritated. She said,"Don you know that you rarrr a nudesens. You rarrr zlowing everybody and I yam tirrred of you. Your problam is you neffer neffer lisssened to me. You rarrr uzelesss!" And she walked on.

At the third shelter, it became more interesting. He took longer to come up and when he did arrive, their historical issues all came up. "I shouud not have marrried you. Why I borderrr with you, I can neffer anderstand. You are derrribal. I haf enouf of you!"

At Layang Layang where lunch is taken, the whole problem came apart when after he had recovered some energy, he shouted at her and told her to "shaaaddapp!"

After that they walked a mile apart and I understood they did not speak to each for a week afterwards. Talk about love and closeness. So husbands and wives who are climbing on this trip together, remember this story and try not to walk that same path. I still laugh aloud when I recall what happened.

the second story covers people who come expecting all the facilities to be there. One of my Senior Managers in the Bank that I worked for climbed with me. On the second morning, just as we reached that part that had a cliff on the right and another cliff downwards on the left, she turned to me and said,"Mr Ong, I have a bad stomach-ache. Are there toilet facilities that I could use as I can't stand it anymore.

I then looked up at the star-lit skies, looked right at the straight-up cliff, looked left at the sheer vertical drop into hundreds of feet and wondered how I am going to find a place for her to "unload". "Toilet", I said. "We will be lucky to find a place for you to squat. And that was what I did. finally I found a ledge that protruded out and I called her to that spot and asked her to do it there.

Then she said, "Can you please fgo a little further?" Which was what I did. After long moments of silence, she said,"I can't do it, Mr Ong." I said "What?" I was incredulous. Just a while ago she said that it was all coming out. Now she says that it cannot come out. I couldn't understand. "Why?" I said.

In a sheepish voice, she said that there were little prickly things poking at her bottom. So at 3-30 in the morning, I told her to wear back her four layers of bottoms and there I was; "Plucking grass and clearing the spots of weeds for her." I told her I don't even do this for my mother.

Then she went back to the spot and in no time at all, I heard some really loud explosive sounds and everything came out. "Full of shit, eh," I said.


More next posting!



Tee Chee Keong
Wong Huey Min
Lee Choy Cheng
Cheng Wai Cheong
Ho Kim Faa
Chee Yan Soon
Leny Painan
Chia Eng Huat
Julius Cheah
Grace Ngoo

IT'S ALL IN THE DECISION

DOING SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY IS MUCH SIMPLER THAN YOU THINK.....
When you want to do something different in your life or if you want to do something extraordinary, it's actually much simpler than you think! All you need to do is to decide. There is great power in the act of making the decision. Time and again, I have found that if I am willing to make a decision, things actually will fall into place.

CLIMBING MOUNT KINABALU EAST
Mount Kinabalu East is a serious mountain climb where you have to use ropes and ladders to make the climb. The trail follows the same West trail (where most people make their climb) until you trek past Gunting Lagadan and almost hit the ropes. That's when you turn right and trek down past some waterways and ravines. Then it is a straight-up climb which stretches for almost 2,000 feet.

NEVER THOUGHT I COULD DO IT
Although I love adventure, I am not an out-and-out Adventurer. When the suggestion of climbing Mount Kinabalu East came to me, I dismissed the thought thinking it was crazy for me to consider it. Still, the thought won't go away and it became a small obsession for me. "What if I trained hard for the climb; what if I did regular work-outs to build my strength; what if I focussed on getting assistance on rock-climbing techniques" were some of the thoughts that stayed. The "What ifs" came fast and frequent. if I had dwelled on the what ifs, I would probably have never climbed Mount Kinabalu East.

JUST MAKE UP THE MIND.....
As with every other major undertaking I have taken on in my life, I knew I had to just make a decision. And that's what I did!!! I told everyone I knew that I was going to climb Mount Kinabalu East. It was a blind and crazy decision and that's how it was done. I JUST MADE THE DECISION!

EVERYTHING ELSE FOLLOWS THE DECISION
Everything else did follow the decision and the plans started taking form and format. Even though the planned trip was 6 months away, I started moving. The plans, the preparation, the training, the focus, the determination all came together. The excitement soon followed and although there were plenty of doubts, there was no turning back

AND THERE WILL BE DOUBTS.....
Everytime, we make a decision to do something that seems somewhat crazy, there will be plenty of doubts that will follow us. I had my fair share of doubts but because there was now also purpose in the whole scheme of things, every doubt I had was quickly dealth with. As the vision of reaching Mount Kinabalu East grew stronger, the resolve and the dedication grew bigger.

THAT'S WHAT LIFE IS ALL ABOUT.... WILLINGNESS TO PAY THE PRICE FOR EXCELLENCE
Success is all about making clear commitments and then when the decision has been made, we should be willig to pay the price required for that success. Those of you who have made that decision to climb Mount Kinabalu with me will understand what I am talking about (after the climb has been made). I have no doubts that all of you will make the climb successfully!!! The lessons for life that we will learn will help fortify us for the future. WE will learn that with faith, hope, courage and resolve, we will be able to tackle most things that come our way.

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I know this seems rather odd to appear in my blog however please bear with my jibberish as I get my blog verified by Google! =)

The climb is definitely still on! Don't wait, don't hesitate and don't doubt. Join me!

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THE NEXT CLIMB IS ON....

THE NEXT CLIMB IS ON....
Yes! The next climb up Mount Kinabalu is from 4-8 April 2008. We have 50 places and already about 30 have been taken up. I am excited as I look forward to this climb. The people who have committed are a 'fun' group. Most are friends of mine or friends of friends.

IT IS NOT MERELY A CLIMB; IT IS ABOUT A CHANGE IN LIFESTYLE....
I would like to start reaching out to all those who have committed to climb. I hope to change your life-style with this climb. It is not only about climbing a mountain. It is about preparation and changing your attitudes and life-style.

BANISH THOUGHTS OF FAILURE - IT HAS NO PLACE IN YOUR LIFE....
Many of those who are coming for this climb will have doubts about their ability to reach the peak. Let me start by banishing such thoughts from their minds. All those who climb with me will have positive thoughts about themselves imbued in them. You can choose to make your life different and it will be so. I promise you - if you allow me to input into your life, you will make many more climbs up even higher mountains. Don't let a 'doubting' spouse tell you - you can't do it! These are self-effacing comments that reflect the commentator's lack of confidence in himself or herself. Break out of the shell that has been structured around you. It is your life - live it!!!

2 SIMPLE STORIES OF SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECIES
Those who keep confessing negatively about themselves will find that there is truth in what they believe. Look at these 2 friends of mine - a husband and wife couple who are just in their early thirties. They keep confessing that they are not fit people and that they cannot do strenous activities like go climb a mountain. Eveytime I see them or talk with them, negative words about themselves will flow out from their mouths.

THE DOUBTERS WILL ALWAYS HAVE THE RIGHT REASONS
Little wonder then that they are constantly in poor health. They are so sickly that the slightest change of weather will see them really sick. Try to talk them out of their attitude and they will give you all the reasons how and why you don't really understand what they are going through. I have given up trying to change their minds. Recently the husband was taken ill and admitted to the Intensive Care Unit without Doctors even really understanding the reason for his condition. When I visited him, I sadly saw a countenance of belief that bordered on self-pity and self-belief in the wrong context. How sad. They don't need Doctors - they need to change their life-style and their attitudes.

A DIFFERENT STORY OF COURAGE AND FORTITUDE
Contrast this with a friend who was also quite sickly and had been so for years. One day when he was told that he should perhaps give himself a chance to come out of such a terrible condition of health, he saw that there was some validity to what was being said. When he saw that his lifestyle and attitude was part of the cause of his condition, he purposed there and then that he will change his attitude and embark on a life-style of exercise, fitness, proper diet and proper supplements. Today, he is literally a picture of health and strength.

YOU ARE WHAT YOU THINK.......
It must always begin with the mind - You are what you think!!!! How true is this statement. If you have always had health issues and problems, give yourself a chance and try my solutions. I have a fantastic Lifestyle program that I teach to people and everyone who has come into the program has said that their life has changed so much for the better. Yes, you can see your whole life change - you can see your health improve significantly. All you need to do is to follow my program.

BE DIFFERENT - BECOME WHAT YOU HAVE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE!!
Then you can climb the mountains of your life and take on the lifestyle that will allow you the energy to embark on such endeavors. Let me have your comments and I will give you an excerpt of what you need to do to change your lifestyle. Know this as a truth - even if you are really weak and frail in your health, I want to tell you that you can change your circumstances.

FUNNY HOW SAYING IT OUT LOUD IS USUALLY THE BEST FIRST STEP
If you want to change your whole life and perhaps come on the mountain climb with me, all you have to do is follow what I say now:

• Close your eyes for a while and take every other thought from your mind
• Now just say, "Yes, I have decided that I will climb this mountain!"
• Now go on and and say, "I won't change this decision and I will see it through!"
• Just add this thought to end, "I will pay the price of doing it, no matter what!"

Close by thinking of all that is good about climbing this mountain. When you do this, anyone who even attempts to disuade you will find him knocking on a solid wall.

Welcome! You will reach the peak of Mount Kinabalu as the first break-out objective of your changed life!

View my photo layout

Those of you who want a glimpse of what the climb up Mount Kinabalu is like, please take a peek at my photo slide show at the end of this blog. You will like the views and the climb up this fabulous mountain. My next climb is from 4-8 April and there are only a few places left.

Time to look at training and preparing yourself to reach the summit. Come and climb with me!!

If you climb Mt Kinabalu with me

If you climb Mount Kinabalu with me, you will have an experience you cannot forget... read on...

PART ONE

THE MOUNT KINABALU EXPERIENCE - ON TOP OF SOUTH-EAST ASIA

NOTHING BUT THE HIGHEST

Mount Kinabalu, Southe-East Asis's highest mountain should be one of our goals as we enter 2008 because climbing Mount Kinabaly is consonant with our desire to live excellently and to overcome the mountains that are before us!

MOUNT KINABALU - WORTHY OF THE EFFORT

Ask anyone who has reached the peak of Mount Kinabalu and he will share with you an enthusiastic account of the tremendous feeling that accompanies one who has made the climb successfully. With the wind blowing in your face and with cold etched on your hands, standing there tells you that you have lived the life of a winner. It is a reflection of the overwhelming determination that must be exercised to go past the pain barrier and to relentlessly move on, step by step until the peak is reached.

A SUBLIME ACCOUNT OF "VICTORY"

Traversing that great rock face and reaching Low's peak, that seemingly unattainable goal brings a sense of distinct victory. It is an account of unstinting dedication and the realization that each of us can have the power to overcome if we seriously apply ourselves to the goal. A successful climb requires us to live again that dream that is inherently below the surface of those of us who once dreamt of doing great things in our lives. It is a reminder of how we cannot fail to achieve great results if only we are prepared to plan the program and program the plan.

A WONDERFUL CHALLENGE TO THOSE WHO WOULD COMMIT

IT is against this background that I continue to organize periodic climbs for my friends and anyone keen to climb the mountain. It is a call to excellence, a call to commitment, a call to paying the price and a call to not settling for second best! For those who are serious and who would like to be counted and be found willing, the climbs organized would be excellent platforms for accomplishment, achievement & fulfillment. There is no better way to reflect and represent what our aspirations should be in life.

DREAM YOUR PICTURES, PAINT YOUR DREAMS...

Van Gogh, that unparalleled master painter & dreamer said those words that etched him into the annals of immortality - "dream your pictures, paint your dreams". We should have an equally clear dream - a dream of unsurpassed excellence! The question now that must be asked is, "Are we painters?" It is a question that only you can answer as you read this invitation. We hope you will respond and say without reservation, "I will be climbing this mountain because it is there before me!"

MAKING THE NECESSARY SELECTIONS

The people who will make this climb should meet the following criteria:

-- A clear desire to climb the mountain
-- A willingness to train and be fit for the climb (training done in your own home)
-- A commitment to the promise to train diligently for at least 1-2 months
-- An absence of serious physical impairment or sickness
-- A willingness to attend 2 training sessions before the climb (for assessment & briefing)

TAKING THE DECISION NOW - NO TURNING BACK

Your decision should be one that does not leave room for turning back. The climb will be made under the direction of someone who has climbed Mount Kinabalu 52 times. The program is woven into a structure of fun, enjoyment, camaraderie, encouragement and accomplishment. You will probably have the "time" of your life and it will bring home many precious lessons as we journey together to make our experiences richer and more secure.

PART TWO

AN ADDITIONAL NOTE FOR CLIMBERS

DEAR CLIMBERS,

TAKING A COMMITMENT EARLY IS WORTHWHILE

Imagine achieving the climb to the top - standing at Low's peak with the wind blowing in your face and knowing that you have achieved something extraordinary in your life. That is enough motivation for you to make the early commitment.

MOST ORDINARY PEOPLE CAN MAKE IT IF THEY DO IT RIGHT

Climbing Mount Kinabalu is definitely attainable and most ordinary people can do it! I have brought more than 1,500 people up to the top and the satisfaction they have in reaching the top is exhilarating. My role is to make sure you arrive at the top. My responsibility begins when you confirm to me that you will climb. The journey begins at that point because I will start preparing you (supply you with notes) and imbue in you the right thoughts - thoughts of a winner!

4 things to make you succeed - my "Champions formula"

I use the same 4 points to produce and develop champions in my coaching programs for young people. It is these same 4 points that will definitely get you to the top!

• Desire - you must have an overwhelming desire to climb the mountain!


• Dedication - you must have a commitment that will make you pay the price of training


• Discipline - you will train and prepare even when you don't feel like it


• Determination - you will continue even when you think you are failing

Nothing can stop you from succeeding if you carry the 4"D"s above into the climb.

OUR ROLE IS TO GUIDE AND ASSIST YOU TO THE TOP

ADVANTAGES OF CLIMBING WITH ME

Why climb with me? The answer is very simple and it is listed below:

• I have climbed it 52 times & I will use that experience to help you succeed.


• I know the intricacies of organizing the climb and will take away much of the administrative things that have to be done. You only have to climb.


• Safety is given paramount importance & risk is managed effectively. Every precaution like having more guides & people not carrying their things is arranged.


• The whole climb is an exercise of "encouragement". The climbers are broken into groups 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.


• The "best of Sabah" is the experience. 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.

AGAINST YOUR POSITIVE RESPONSE TO CLIMB WITH ME...

If you decide to climb with us, we will make the necessary arrangements and do the following:

• Brief you about the climb
• Give you clear guidelines
• Provide you with lessons on the "home-exercise" program
• Run training sessions to test you on fitness
• Arrange trips to Bukit Tinggi - you will walk similar trails like Mount Kinbalu's
• Make the bookings for the climb
• Brief you on travel arrangements
• Lead you on the whole trip to Sabah and the mountain

YOU WILL NEED TO MAKE A 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!

I look forward to having you on this climb and I will make sure you stand on the summit of the highest mountain in South-East Asia and know that for once in your life, you have done something far beyond your normal capabilities and competencies.

"Feel the wind in your face!"

PART THREE

MOUNT KINABALU CLIMB QUESTIONNAIRE

PART FOUR

MT KINABALU - LIKELY TRIP SCHEDULE

Day 1...
07-15am KL to KK (Those on this flight will arrive 2 hours earlier)
09-30am KL to KK
01-00pm Depart for Salut
02-00pm Lunch at Salut Prawn Farm
05-00pm Arrive at Pines Hotel, Kundasang - Acclimatisation
07-00pm Dinner (Provided)
08-30pm Briefing
09-30pm Free Time

Day 2...
06-00am Wake-up call
07-00am Breakfast (Provided), Lunch (Provided)
07-45am Check-in Sabah Park for registration
09-30am Climb begins at Timpohon gate
04-30pm Arrive at Laban Rata
06-30pm Rest & Relax
07-30pm Briefing on next day's climb
08-30pm Free time
10-00pm Sleep

Day3...
06-00am Wake-up call
06-30am Breakfast (on your own)
07-00am 2nd day climb begins from Laban Rata
10-45am Reach Low's Peak - the objective
11-30am Descent to Laban Rata
03-00pm Laban Rata - Lunch (on your own)
03-30pm Rest & Relax
06-30pm Dinner at Laban Rata (on your own)
09-30pm Sleep

Day 4...
06-30am Wake-ip call
07-00am Breakfast
07-30am Descent to Timpohon & Park HQ
12-30pm Lunch at Park HQ (on your own)
01-30pm Board bus to KK
03-30pm Arrive at KK
04-00pm Check in to hotel in KK
04-30pm Rest & Relax
06-30pm Dinner at Supertanker (Provided)
07-30pm Free time

Day 5...
08-00am Breakfast (on your own)
09-00am Island snorkeling
12-30pm Lunch (on your own)
02-00pm Pack to go home
03-00pm Leave for KK airport
05-10pm Board plane for KL
09-00pm Home Sweet Home

CLIMB SCHEDULE

PART FIVE

ASSESSMENT OF FITNESS FOR MT KINABALU CLIMB

We will assess you on your fitness 2 months before the climb & a last one 2 weeks before the climb to determine your fitness & to see if you are in the condition to make it.

The tolerance test is simple. 3 readings are taken of your heart beat (pulse)

READING 1
The first one is your base rate taken at rest. This tells us your approximate base condition. A lower reading is generally reflective of a fitter base although this may not necessarily be the case as certain medical conditions may alter the reading. Assuming you are normal and without ailments and not anemic for whatever reasons, a reading of (say) 64 will probably mean that the person is fitter than a person whose reading is 76. The average reading for a healthy adult man is between 68 to 78 and a healthy adult woman is between 74 to 84. Children will usually post faster heart beats.

READING 2
The second reading is taken after 10 minutes of a fairly strenuous exercise (usually the step exercise on one step taken at 30 steps per minute).. This reading indicates the fitness tolerance level of that person and it is a clearer indication of the actual fitness level of the person. This is how fast his heart will need to beat to cater to the exercise and how efficient his general condition is in catering to the exercise. Consequently someone who has a reading 64/145 may indicate that his base rate is not actually reflective of his fitness. The variance of 81 shows that he is not fit at all and might even have a problem with his health. The person with a reading of 76/145 might indicate that this person is not quite fit but the variance of 69 is more acceptable. It is quite usual for normal UNFIT men to have a reading 78/145 or 82/155 or 72/140. The woman will usually have slightly higher readings and it is not unusual for a normal UNFIT woman to have a reading of 84/150 or 90/160.

Can such relatively normal unfit people climb and reach the peak of Mount Kinabalu? The answer is YES! But they will go through intense endurance and struggle somewhat So be forewarned. Prepare yourself well and you will have a good climb.

It is amazing what training can do to a person's base fitness level.. Time and again, I have seen people who had readings of (say) 78/145 go down to 68/125 after about 2 months of good rigorous training. Imagine what the improvement would have done to their health!!! My friends, if you are now at 78/145, once you have experienced the 68/125 condition, you will never want to go back to your previous condition of being lethargic and tired most of the time. If you feel tired and unfit (this is the platform for sicknesses and diseases to come in) and you want to improve your condition, just carry out the training program that we will work our for you in preparation for the Mountain climb and feel the difference after just two months!!

READING 3
Just the 2 readings of base / tolerance alone will not tell the complete story. Although it will indicate your fitness, the true picture of you fitness will only come with the third reading which indicates recovery. This 3rd reading is taken of the heart-beat after 5 minutes of resting from the strenuous step exercise. It is a reading of your condition after your have had time to recover. If your recovery is great, the mountain will not be a problem. Why? Because each time you pant and wheeze, a little bit of rest will see you recovering your base position. Such people climb the last part of the mountain with relative ease.

The likely reading of an UNFIT person would probably be 78/150/135 or 76/155/133 (Men). For women the reading will probably be a little higher. For such people, a little bit of strenuous exercise will have them wheezing and panting and after that, they will just sit there stony-faced and worn-out because they have not really recovered from their ordeal. How sad and how terrible to be in this condition. Such people will never be able experience the best of the outdoors and to understand how wonderful it is to be fit and really well. Many go through life in this terrible condition much like driving a car with punctured tyre and a battered engine. The good news is all this can be changed in only a short time. Just do the program that I designed faithfully and you will get to be in the condition that is ideal and the bonus is you will climb and reach the top of Mount Kinabalu with relative ease.

After about 2 1/2 months of training, the readings of unfit people could probably drop down to 68/125/80. Such a person will have little problem handling the mountain as it will only be the attitude that will need to be called into question on the climb proper. The readings never fail to tell the condition of the person and it is an extremely interesting way to get people to hunker down to realizing where they stand. Many heart problems, diabetic problems and other sicknesses could be averted if people choose to be fit. So choose wisely and be blessed!

Prepared by Ong Hock Siew

PART SIX

TRAINING PROGRAM FOR MT KINABALU CLIMBERS

The program outlined here is a simple exercise program that has been used (with some modification over the past 25 years) for the Mount Kinabalu climbers who have done the climb with me. It is a simple program that focuses on improving your fitness level, you lower body strength (especially the knees and ankles) and your tolerance levels. It is importantly a low-impact program that the very young and the very old can do. It is also very simple such that no special equipment is required.

The base inputs of this training program came from seasoned and veteran climbers who have climbed the high mountains in the world. Feel free to adapt the program by adding in your other exercises and complement it with additional runs and trips as you think suitable. For people with LITTLE TIME and little avenues to do sophisticated training, keeping to the recommended regime will help you make the Mt Kinabalu climb successfully. Physical exercise as preparation for the climb should begin at least 2 months before the climb. This is the recommended 2 month schedule (9 weeks) and you can start earlier with the program as it will make you even more ready for the climb.

Week 1 & 2
First do a Tolerance test
Daily (morning), do warm-up exercises (a series of exercises for neck, shoulders, arms, waist, knees & legs (2 minutes)
4 times a week, do the step exercise (walking up and down just one step at 30 steps per minute pace) at home… for 12 minutes
4 times a week, do the stomach strengthening exercises (lying on back lift head and legs together)… … 80 times
2 times a week, do 2 circuit of the Bukit Kiara hill trek (or equivalent)

WEEK 3-4
Daily morning, do warm-up exercises (a series of exercises for neck, shoulders, arms, waist, knees & legs (2 minutes)
4 times a week, do the step exercise (walking up and down just one step at 30 steps per minute pace) at home… for 16 minutes
4 times a week, do the stomach strengthening exercises (lying on back lift head and legs together)… … 100 times
2 times a week, do 2 circuits of the Bukit Kiara hill trek (or equivalent)

WEEK 5-6
Do another tolerance test
Daily morning, do warm-up exercises (a series of exercises for neck, shoulders, arms, waist, knees & legs (2 minutes)
5 times a week, do the step exercise (walking up and down just one step at 30 steps per minute pace) at home… for 25 minutes
5 times a week, do the stomach strengthening exercises (lying on back lift head and legs together)… … 150 times
2 times a week, do 3 circuits of the Bukit Kiara hill trek (or equivalent)


WEEK 7-8
Daily in the morning, do the warm-up exercises (a series of exercises for neck, shoulders, arms, waist, knees & legs (2 minutes)
5 times a week, do the step exercise (walking up and down just one step at 30 steps per minute pace) at home… for 30 minutes
5 times a week, do the stomach strengthening exercises (lying on back lift head and legs together)… … 200 times
2 times a week, do 4 circuits of the Bukit Kiara hill trek (or equivalent)

WEEK 9
Daily in the morning, do the warm-up exercises (a series of exercises for neck, shoulders, arms, waist, knees & legs (2 minutes)
5 times a week, do the step exercise (walking up and down just one step at 30 steps per minute pace) at home… for 40inutes
5 times a week, do the stomach strengthening exercises (lying on back lift head and legs together)… … 200 times
2 times a week, do 4 circuits of the Bukit Kiara hill trek (or equivalent)


Remember, 3 days before the climb, you should start tapering off in the intensity of the exercise schedule. 2 days before the climb, you should only do very light exercises. In fact when Sabah is reached, the exercise regime should be reduced significantly (to very mild) and the climbers should be very relaxed. Tolerance test can be done as often as possible by climbers.

Remember “winners never quit, quitters never win!”

PART SEVEN

MOUNT KINABALU CLIMB 4 -8 APRIL 2008

COST OF CLIMB