Kinabalu Diary

Day 1 started with 48 weary travellers arriving at KK airport (those travelling with Royal Brunei slightly more weary than others!) They may have been anticipating an easy day by the pool, acclimatizing to the 30+ temperatures and stifling humidity but it was not to be... After the swim test, kayak familiarisation, a basic introduction to jungle sleeping arrangements and a brief chat with the medical team, many headed to bed in order to be at their best the following day. Team 4 Play however lead the way in the bar, and should perhaps have been named Team Horseplay for some rather dubious activities resulting in the first ailment of the challenge, a suspected broken toe (which turned out to be merely bruised; just Cliff making a fuss which was something we got used to as time went on...)

Day 2 saw our intrepid Challengers journey down to the Adventure centre (TAC) for further training, with 'Jungle' Bob Hartley and a team of local guides showing them the ropes. And the parangs, hammocks etc. They also were given instruction on how to prepare food in the jungle although given what some of them produced the following day it seems many of them must have been suffering from jet lag at this point!

The dawn of Day 3 meant the waiting was over and the challenge proper was about to begin... The teams limbered up for the 4K river run and set off at pace along suspension bridges and through the villages on route, dodging some of the yappiest dogs in Borneo. The event was won by 110% DEET, narrowly edging 4 Play into 2nd place. Whilst the team relaxed (read collapsed!) on a football field, the helicopters arrived for the trip into the jungle. This was it, this was what they had been trained for...!

From the helicopter landing site, the group trekked into the jungle camping area, chose their spot and set about creating a home from home using nothing other than bamboo and a ball of raffia. Which, as the groups shortly discovered, is infinitely more difficult than it sounds. Their task was to create a functional jungle camp and also to cook a meal that would be tasted by the judges for up to five bonus points. The camps started to take shape and by the time judging took place, our jungle novice's had managed to produce something Ray Mears would just about have put his name to. The food, it would be fair to say, was variable. Some groups going for the safe bet of vegetable and noodle stew (with canned tuna sprinkled on top for a certain je ne sais quoi!) others bravely venturing into the dangerous realm of corned beef cuisine. Our team of food experts made their way round the camps looking for a 'good plate of food, well presented and demonstrating a passion about food'. Team 'All the Gear No Idea' came out top with a rice and corned beef dish beautifully presented on a banana leaf platter.

After their fine dinner the groups tucked themselves into their mosquito nets and tried to sleep through the noises of the jungle. And Bob's snoring. Most slept reasonably soundly and awoke early for breakfast and the trek out.

The first competitive event of Day 4 was one which requires huge tactical acumen to devise the best strategy for the team. It was time for the first bike / run! Team 4 Play stormed into an early lead and proved uncatchable. Several of our team members discovered that they were allergic to the gravel on the roads in Borneo when they hit it with significant force which resulted in some colourful but thankfully minor injuries.

So having trekked out of the jungle, done the bike run, it was time for a spot of messing about on the river, with an hour's worth of white water rafting just for fun. The sprit of playfulness didn't last long however. After a brief 'natural break' for those who hadn't been swimming, the competitive element of the water rafting got underway. Leaving at 30 second intervals, the team paddled in a hard race back to TAC which would once again be our bed for the night. Several discoveries were made by our teams on the event... Laura discovered that having had experience of coxing 8 Cambridge ladies down the Thames is of no use whatsoever in such an event!

The next morning, Day 5, started with Crispin giving a rather odd brief for the improvised rafting event. "Right guys, what happens here is that you run to the river, jump on your raft, then spend 5 minutes paddling round in a circle until you work out what is going on..." Despite the warning, that was pretty much what happened. Minor sense of humour failures were seen throughout the field however Gemma's team were pretty much bottom of the pile when it came to team (and stroke!) harmony. Nikki however got it right arriving at the finish line looking like the Queen of Sheba crossed legged on her raft while the 3 men in her team were wait deep in water pushing her along.

And then on to the next bike run, in the searing heat of the day with the previous 4 days' activities starting to bite. It was a tough event won by a sterling effort from Desperately Seeking Bandanas. Ed's bust up with Stroudy was perhaps the highlight of the race from a neutral's point of view, however we would advise future competitors that loudly questioning someone's parentage while running through a village may perhaps not be the height of cultural sensitivity!

The final event of the day (the penultimate of the challenge) was the kayaking at the Nexus lagoon. This saw perhaps the tightest finish of the competition, with Sean and Nick racing against Alys and Steve, both teams straining every sinew to try and win. 3 GAAF came in a very impressive 3rd which began their late surge in the competition.

From there, it was onto the buses and up to Messilau Nature Reserve to stay overnight before our ascent of Mt Kinabalu. Stepping off the buses at around 2000 metres, it was noticeably colder and gave a hint to what it would be like at the top of the mountain 36 hours later.

Day 6 and the ascent of the mountain was for many the highlight of the trip. With 3 different temperate zones on the way up, some amazing plants and animals, those who chose to take it easy and enjoy the scenery were rewarded with some stunning views. For the teams at the top of the table going into the event, it was a hard race up to the mountain but at least the views were glorious at the top!

After a rice and noodles based evening meal (which all agreed made a very pleasant change) most teams hit the hay early to prepare for the 3am start and the final push to 4095.2 metres. On Day 7 we set off from Laban Rata, shaking off the effects of a long week of exercise, lack of sleep and altitude, the teams made their way up to the top of the highest mountain in South East Asia. We managed to establish ourselves at the top of the mountain just ahead of half of South Korea, bagging the best spot by the sign and waiting for the sun to arrive.

Expectantly watching the horizon, many reflected on their week of over exertion, of meeting 60 new people and seeing many beautiful natural places. (Apart from Paul, our resident giraffe, who was singing a song about beer... You can take the boy out of Australia...) When the sun did arrive, the views were breathtaking, with the sun casting a perfect triangular shadow across what seemed like the whole of Borneo and an orange glow on some very happy faces. With the last task achieved, there was only one last thing on the agenda. Get down the mountain as quick as possible in order to get back to the 5 star hotel for cocktails and medals!

Now I would love to tell you what went on on that last night... But there was an agreement. "What goes on tour...."

Nathan Roberts, March 2007

 

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