I was expecting to be tested but never in my wildest imagination did I picture my self to be so tested. Mian went bolting down what looks like a stack of boulders that is Lows Peak like a monkey. May be he needed a bit more exertion to generate heat than I did coz he was shivering like crazy when we were up there. With him goes my poncho flapping in the wind. I was telling my self I wud be ok with my real mountaineering jacket that I got from second hand shop for RM30. It proved to be what it said, very warm, but sadly was made for mountains with snow, not rain. Rain water was trickling down my neck n spine and I was a bit worried. Wished I have my usual blue hat with me, the one with the eagle feathers but I guess it wud have been blown away shud I have them on then.Half way down the peak, I met Eva again, now with all of her 3 frens. They didn't make it to the peak. They were climbing down slowly, all huddled together as protection against the wind. The wind did in a way help to make my way down just a bit faster. I took a more treacherous route in order to pass them n catch up with my poncho. A very strong gust at the wrong time disturbed my already inperfect balance n the next thing I knew I was sliding down a boulder headfirst before I lost consciousness.
Somebody, a guide I think, pulled me up to sitting position. The place was a bit protected and comparatively comfortable and I was in two minds to just lay down there n sleep the rain over. Luckily I didn't. They told me later that the temp was at minus 2 degrees n I wud have freezes over there n u wud be reading about this in the newspapers instead of at this blog.Grogily I made my way down, ZZ with me. He was still determined to perform his leadership responsibilities at that moment. Our own guide was there at the summit plateau, making sure that everybody got down from the peak. He wisely didn't climb up. Zaman was the last one to come down. I thot the worse was over. I was wrong. It was less cold then, but I was getting wet. The lining of my jacket was slowly soaking in water n its getting heavier, and so was the rain. We were surrounded by mist, visibility was about 6 metres but they have foreseen that n provided white shiny guide ropes nailed to the rocks. We followed the rope but we were actually following streams of water down the sloping surface of the plateau, with much less efficiency of course. Its ankle deep at places. My water proof boots have no defence against water coming from above n water was sloshing in them. I thot about food, but theres no way to eat in this driving rain.I spied a small boulder, just nice enuff to sit down n retie my undone boot laces. It cant be done. The fingers were still numb. Just to get hold of the end was a big challenge. I just sort of twirl it around and hope for the best. When I stood up, I cud feel my left knee. Its painful, starting to get swollen, must be from the fall that I had. Just in that short space of time, everybody but ZZ n the guide was gone from my view.
We soldiered on. I was so soaking wet, my pants was starting to drop down n it made walking that bit slower. Just as we neared the Sayat-sayat hut, there was a bigger stream than the rest n I slipped again, in the middle of it, for the 4th or 5th time that day. Luckily I was not carried away by the current. Its still not to be the worse drenching that I wud have, apparently. ZZ pulled me up n we said hi to a group of ppl shivering in the hut.There were 3 elderly female caucasians who looked rather jovial considering the state we were in but two of the girls there were visibly crying. One loudly. It was warm enuff to risk taking of my soaking glove. But for the first time, I shivered. And not due to close proximity to lots of females either. I opened my pouch n offered the bag of oatmeal cookies to the girl standing beside me. She didn't react, may be still in shock. But the boy behind her snapped it up n begins to distribute them to members of their group. I broke a snickers bar in half n pushed it to her face. This time she grinned n took it n started chewing rite away. May be she just got a more expensive taste than her companions.
U cant walk from Sayat-sayat to Gunting Lagadan. U have to climb down. Sometimes by aid of ropes. Its sure was a lot easier climbing up in the darkness as compared to climbing down in the day lite in full view of where u will fall if u make any mistake. And the rain didn't help. What were series of stone steps that we climbed up now turned into series of waterfalls. The places where u were supposed to have a foothold were then underwater. U just have to sort of poked around and try. But the worst one was that place. Theres a narrow ledge of about 30 ft that we have to negotiate by hanging for dear life to a rope that swing along it. That is bad enuff, but now in the middle of it there was a tumbling waterfall. ZZ went across first, with the guide shouting instructions. Then as if he forgot I was there, he the guide went across too. I was concentrating on the rope and when I was about to plunge into the water, I looked across for a bit of motivation n nobody was there. They were really gone. I only see them again at the rest house having a nice warm breakfast later.
Suffice to say that the good thing was that nobody was there to hear me shouting curses with every step for now both my rite n left knee was in pain. But there was a repeat of that show later when we were going down he 6.5 km from Laban Rata to Park HQ. I put on a brave face as I neared the Laban Rata rest house. The digital thermometer there says its 7 degrees Celcious. No wonder I felt a bit chilly in my drenched gear. I stood below the porch and opened my bag to take out my cigarette. I was looking fwd to my first smoke of the day. The box of duty free Dunhill Lena took back from Langkawi for me looks limp. I opened it n when I pulled, only the filters poped off. Everything else has turned to mush. That was a bit cruel, dont u think?.
