It was 3 AM after a troubled sleep. The digital thermometer hanged outside the rest house says its 7 degrees but with woolen pullover n mittens, it was quite ok. I put off putting on my goose down filled jacket. I was even sweating a little by the time we passed Gunting Ligadan. My pulse rate was rather too quick. That was to be expected on account of the slight fever. Apart from that I felt fine, but still taking it slowly. I told the others to go ahead and fall in with a couple of Philipinas. It rained briefly and we put on our ponchos but afterward there were stars in the sky then. No sign of rain. Everybody talked of a glorious sunrise waiting for us at the peak.
After Sayat-sayat check point, the going was much easier. As we neared the peak, the sun broke for a few minutes thru the clouds. I missed the sunrise on top of Low's Peak but theres not much of a difference. The summit plateau is just a few meteres lower. The view was undescribable. Its hard to describe something that is so allien to what we r used to. But the weather cud change dramatically there. All of a sudden we were surrounded by mist. The wind started to pick up but I cud still see silhouette of the famous south peak on my left.
ZZ, the only one of us who was suffering from altitude sickness, was just 5 minutes ahead but Mian was already there waiting at the base of the peak, at the end of the summit plateau, for almost a quarter of an hr. He was shivering. He did try to go up but with his poncho blown to shreds, he cant stand the strong wind gusting in the -2 degrees temperature and came down half way. I gave him my poncho and with fingers that is getting numb, unrolled my jacket that was tied to my waist pouch. That was my undoing. It took sometime to put on the jacket and muffler in that condition that they got to the peak 5 minutes ahead of me and just manged to take thier pic when it rained.
It was about 6 AM when I got there. The wind blown rain felt like small bullets hitting the exposed parts of my face. I just stood there for about 2 minutes. The guides were shouting for everybody to climb down. We decide that it was too much of a risk to the camera n all the other pics we had taken just to take another one. It doesnt matter, I know I was there n that shud be enuff.
After Sayat-sayat check point, the going was much easier. As we neared the peak, the sun broke for a few minutes thru the clouds. I missed the sunrise on top of Low's Peak but theres not much of a difference. The summit plateau is just a few meteres lower. The view was undescribable. Its hard to describe something that is so allien to what we r used to. But the weather cud change dramatically there. All of a sudden we were surrounded by mist. The wind started to pick up but I cud still see silhouette of the famous south peak on my left.
ZZ, the only one of us who was suffering from altitude sickness, was just 5 minutes ahead but Mian was already there waiting at the base of the peak, at the end of the summit plateau, for almost a quarter of an hr. He was shivering. He did try to go up but with his poncho blown to shreds, he cant stand the strong wind gusting in the -2 degrees temperature and came down half way. I gave him my poncho and with fingers that is getting numb, unrolled my jacket that was tied to my waist pouch. That was my undoing. It took sometime to put on the jacket and muffler in that condition that they got to the peak 5 minutes ahead of me and just manged to take thier pic when it rained.
It was about 6 AM when I got there. The wind blown rain felt like small bullets hitting the exposed parts of my face. I just stood there for about 2 minutes. The guides were shouting for everybody to climb down. We decide that it was too much of a risk to the camera n all the other pics we had taken just to take another one. It doesnt matter, I know I was there n that shud be enuff.
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