Kota Kinabalu: Climbing Sabah’s iconic Mount Kinabalu may not be on everyone’s bucket list.Its sheer height of 4,095 metres above sea level may make even the young and vigorous think twice whether they are fit enough to take up the challenge, not to mention the thought of leg cramps and altitude sickness.
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For two ladies from Ipoh who climbed the World Heritage site mountain recently, it was not the first. What makes it more interesting is that both are not only lean and fit but well into their 80s.
Mental and physical endurance aside, they wanted to prove that age is but a number.
One of them, Liew Moh Kit, who turned 82 this month, was happy to reach the peak a second time.
“I really enjoyed the climb. Although the huge mountain made me feel so small, I was happy. It’s the same feeling I had when I reached Mount Everest’s Kala Pattar,” she said.
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The petite former teacher scaled Kala Pattar in 2003 at 65 in conjunction with her Brinsford Malaysian Teachers Training College’s 50th Anniversary. The feat earned her a spot on the Malaysia Book of Records as the Oldest Malaysian Woman to scale Kala Pattar.
She noted a lot of difference in Mount Kinabalu now compared to before. “During my first climb in 1998, I don’t remember climbing so many steps.”
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The mountain scenery, she said, was more or less the same except for the Donkey’s Ears which is no longer there after it got damaged in the 2015 earthquake.
“Walking down the steps scared me. I had no such fear during my previous climb, it was nothing but fun back then,” said Liew, who recalled celebrating her 60th birthday on Kinabalu in 1998.
Her reply for the reason behind her fear of the steps came as a surprise. “I didn’t want to injure my knee. Otherwise I wouldn’t be able to dance.”
Liew has taken up ballroom and Latin dancing as a recreational activity in addition to doing daily three kilometre walks.
On diet, she said she eats everything. “I also enjoy social drinking two or three times a week, but all in moderation.”
On the message she hopes to convey through her feat, she said: “If you make up your mind to do something and you are set for it, you will achieve your goals. “Don’t be distracted by people’s comments, believe in yourself and of course you have to trust someone to take you through safely there and back,” she said.
She said encouragement from friends and support from family is also important. “Your family gives you support to be sure you are safe and the encouragement that you do it well.”
For fellow climber, Chee Moy Chun, 85, it was her seventh time up Kinabalu since 1994. Of the seven climbs, she made it to the peak five times.
This was her attempt to make to it to the Malaysia Book of Record as the Oldest Malaysian to climb Mount Kinabalu. The record is currently held by a Sabahan who reached the peak at the age of 82 years and 10 months old.
“I didn’t reach the peak due to leg cramps, but I will be back next year to give it another try,” said the housewife who also drinks socially while enjoying a cigarette or two four to five times a week.
On how she manages to keep up with the active lifestyle at a ripe age, she said: “I am a very relaxed person, I am grateful to have no sickness, I take life as it comes, I stay away from stress because stress can be very bad.”
Like Liew, the mother of four and grandmother to eight, also sticks to her exercise routine religiously, taking brisk walks four to five times a week.
Also in the 23-strong group with Liew and Chee was James Lee, a 72-year-old former engineer and holder of the Malaysia Book of Records for the Oldest Malaysian Chinese to scale Everest, which he has done thrice.
Their climb was arranged by Borneo Calling Tour, that organises Kinabalu climb packages. The group started the climb from Timpohon Gate (altitude 5,000ft) between 9.30am and 10am on Feb. 22 with most of them reaching Laban Rata at 11,000ft before 5pm.
As preparation for the short spell of cold weather, they brought with them warm clothing like woolly head gear, a scarf, thermal sweaters, thermal trousers, windbreaker, good thick socks and a pair of warm gloves.
“We rested, put on our warm clothes and went to sleep at 8pm before getting up around 2am to have supper. We started our climb to the peak at 2.30am.
“We needed to be at Sayat-Sayat by 5.30am which is the cut-off time, and from there we continued to climb towards Lows Peak,” he said, adding that most of his team members reached the peak between 5.30am and 6.30am. He said climbing Kinabalu is like a walk in the park compared to Everest.
“Of course Kinabalu would not be easy for first timers, there are many things to learn, for instance young people tend to rush and that is bad because when you rush you tire yourself out.
“When you tire yourself, your body stability changes, so by the time you reach Laban Rata, you will start having acute mountain sickness. Older people tend to walk slower, so naturally it is better for them.
“For people who are not ready for the climb, I advise them to take precautionary pills against acute mountain sickness,” said Lee who has climbed Kinabalu 23 times.
For this excursion, he got his climbers ready three months in advance which included getting them familiarised with the trail.
“Climbing is my passion, I have climbed about 80 mountains from Japan all the way to China, India, Indonesia and of course Malaysia and Thailand.
“I have brought more than 400 people up Mount Kinabalu,” said Lee.
He believes in keeping one’s health through exercise. “I drink red wine occasionally, but I don’t smoke. I am very careful about my meat. I keep telling the young and old that exercise is God made.
“It is free, the air is free, the park is free, just don’t be lazy. Go for walks like Liew and Chee. They are on the right path and are very encouraging. I believe they can achieve much higher,” he said.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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