Gunung Tahan Expedition 2012

Gunung Tahan, is one that been heard of many times, chapters of stories, experiences been shared in these years.

Somehow, the feeling towards this mountain was virtual.
We were nervous because we knew, it is a tough mountain, but how tough would it be?
How cold should we expect for the extreme weather?
What's the difficulty that would be our challenges, not just to the physical, but also mentality as well?
It's all way beyond we could imagine.

We heard a lot about this mountain.
The stories that’ve been told is not just about stories, the lessons behind been taught too, we’ve been given expectation on how’s the trip going to be cause it definitely not going to be the same.

Nerves-racking prior trip, excitements overwhelmed as the day grew nearer.

Each time after listening to relevant stories from adviser and seniors, I always have the urge to ask further, curious to know besides miraculous scenery, what is it that made this mountain so amazing??

I always get the return of answer that said: it can hardly described, you have to taste it yourself, feel it with your true heart.

And today, I am actually sitting in down here writing about my Gunung Tahan trip.
11 in total of us. We went and we came back safely.
It’s been a week after returning from the trip, and I believe the taste of that day lingers in our mind like a fine wine on the back of one’s palate.

Where to begin? Back on trails again have bring nothing sort of amazing.
I am so full of emotion and I am struggling with finding the words that will bring you into my world for a brief moment.
Its been quite awhile with hot weather and the city covered by haze. Forecasted weather been checked by Pek Hiong and we’re told to expect for the bad weather, but the weather for this 5 days turned out to be positively lovely besides some rain did hit us in a few night. Overall we were so blessed with the kindness.

First and second day, a blue sky followed us, the sun drenched us, and warm air blanketed our every step. There aren’t a lot of views. it’s mostly about hiking through a dense, shady and lush forest that feels secluded, it’s not about views or streams or waterfalls, but it’s a very nice place which has wooded, hilly trails as hikers can hike on an old logging trails with pretty good elevations which brings out our aggression, good enough to get ourself in shape.

The way going up to the peak on the early morning when the sky is still dark, but as the day goes lighter, the rock formation trail was like a paradise. Each step it gives a feeling of refreshing tranquility.I felt energized and at peace with the world. When all of us reaching the peak, the break of dawn welcoming us. It was indeed a delicious day.

Each hiking trip with ODA is best described as a unique voyage and I can’t help but associate it with magic.
ODA always create miracles, in every trip, in my life, and I’m sure in others life as well.

When I was writing this, I recalled that one of my post which has described how nervous I was towards Gunung Bujang Melaka in the night prior to trip.

Today, worries is there, it was due to the long off from any trainings which has brutally proven my cooled-off body system. But fear no longer appear.

They no longer hit my mind, there’s one fine statement which rhymes a rhythm, especially when tiredness has already blinded every other senses, cause the pair of soar legs so reluctant to move even just an inch further, at this point, we may easily drown i the negativity and the idea of giving up/ staying in the comfort zone will usually what win the fight- ''But one step at a time, we know we can make it.''

It’s a place that brought me confidence in believing in miracle, the power of right mindset, like that saying- where there’s a will, there’s a way.
Appreciation always there for what that brought me to where am I today, counting the blessings I was.

For the past two years I’ve had the pleasure of participation in trips, and I learnt lots of knowledge and able to pick up certain skills.

This is my twelve hiking trip, but I had not for once feel the real meaning of what it means by reaching the top signifies only half of the journey, completion meaning when one whole team reach home safely.

For the first few days of ascending, we experienced a long way of steep climb and we still able to reach each check point earlier.
The satisfaction can easily make me feel a little too over happy on hitting the planned schedule.

What shocked me was on the very last day, the last few hours climb which may be seen as the easiest part throughout the journey as we were going home, but….it was also where I found I no longer wish to walk. Each step it drained me up not merely physically but most importantly the mentality part which has hit the lowest point.
Why is it so? The going back home, the fact that it was the last few hours no longer motivate me?
And it was the day, I tasted the true colour of what it means by completion of a trip.
It was10am in the morning, we departed right after breakfast. Albeit its only just a few hours, hungriness already been felt.
Power bars- gifted from GahGee has played an important role at this point and it’s tasty!!
And i can see the reason on why there is emergency meals in our planning, why we need to cook each meal following tightly on the allocation, the reason on us carry the foods up and down, in and out, rather to have extra but never the less. So wat does it means by ‘completion’?

A lesson that hit hard in mind.

Stay longer in the jungle has big difference, tiny mistake from us can lead to big impact. Just like for example I was being careless on buying a fresh cauliflower has led to wastages, extra works needed from Miing Rueng and Fu Yaw, which what they had done for the damage control is eyes opening too, which I have never seen the way before.

Ofcause all these were just a portion of the trip, this tougher trip has made everything been cared in detailed, many things revealed.

Fourth day seems to be the longest, it’s a day that drilled everybody’s legs to the max.
The shaking of the knees happened on me after miles, and I dare not even imagine how LaoShi , Pang,&  MR feel on the pain, I just saw them carried on slowly, stably without any mourn of it. And when there's people who need help, they will not hesitate any.
Their spirit is superb!!!

There’s a moment, tears rolling in th eyes and I wish to tell these people how great they are.

For Adviser, who has been in this hard core activity for 20 years, I always wonder how’s she bear the pain on the knees, the physical tiredness, and yet, still with her fast movement and her speed.
Her extraordinary will power, as what she always tell us - Nothing is impossible.
And her insist was to make sure each of us has a chance to witness the wonders each mountain can made.

Pang, who always has the heavy loads on her back, being the one to assist everyone where there’s river crossing, the one who gives the most helping hand in leading us to make sure every task will be going smooth.

I was mouth opened when she took out the full bottles full of liquids. And even the first few days itself during ascending, her leg was twisted a little.

What is the purpose, for both of them who keeps returning to the same mountain again with new juniors.
The answer is their loves putting in ODA, in this activity.

Sometimes I feel great when there’s people finding me doing a amazing activity and they will usually ask, how do you do it?

I personally think that the real question should be how do they do it?

After all the brainstorming, sleep deprivation, the long drive, the flew over, the packing – unpacking – and repacking, the weight, how do they keep smiling though it all, day in and day out?

People say that the most beautiful people are those who have known suffering, known struggle, known defeat and loss and have found their way out of the depths.

Heart- warming concern from Yan Mun and Gah Gee.The repeated checking over, the truest concern, the sincere advices, the CONNECTED heart &the gifts to everyone, the wishes.

A very special thank to Miing Rueng and Fu Yaw, & Pek Hiong.

They have set as a good role model to me.
The way they get each tasks done, the quality behaviour and the strong will power, i am amazed.

Pek Hiong’s advice been remembered til today, to listen to adviser’s advices, experiences sharing. Bear them in mind. All of that will be useful.
Seeing how strictly they doing things, allocating and using the limited resources, the seriousness towards every single thing.
Speaking of this, from what i saw and learn, it is always the 3 E's that come along when ODA perform tasks- efficiency, effectiveness and economic and not taking things for granted.
These are all the valuable thing i can learn from here.

I hope there’s word carries a heavier weightage in meaning than THANK YOU, I always feel thankful for what they willing to give out.
This 2012 G.Tahan trip has brought some realisations in me.
11 of us,during the whole trip we worked as a team, we walked as a team, we enjoyed the joyness as a team and we shared,so we help each other during the trip.
I also realised the importance of putting ourself in others shoes, while we sign for the tiredness, when we feel that the loas behind the back is heavy, every other people is the same to.
Everything in life, we have to find a balance point.
Struggles, tiredness, suffers are there, in the end it is us who need to strive to reach a balance, how we fight against through the toughness.
And i believe this is where the mountain shaped the good quality on the people.

Thanks Adviser again for the wonderful trip planning, thanks for the advices, Hilux - the ride for every trip, the care and inspiration in helping us to find our way from within, for proving us that the limitation is actually fake, unreal.
Especially for the forgiveness, the pinpointing and the reviewing session, I know it takes times and efforts for tick explanations to sure I understand and accept it.

Thanks for the companion to walk this trails with us again.
And wish you a Happy 20th Annivesary in your precious hiking journey.

Thanks for your efforts you have put on every ODA.
Today I have been so blessed that i could get the chance to learn from these wonderful, all rounded members. What can I say more?

Sometimes you imagine that everything could have been different. I didn’t want to be one of those people who spend my whole life stuck in the labyrinth, about how you’ll escape it one day, and how amazing it will be, but you never do it?

Reaching peak often gets the glory but the hike is really about moving people.

The scenery in Tahan Range is undoubtedly heavenly nice, with the stories it could tell, just imagine that walking in the oldest tropical rainforest in the world that carries a history of 130 million years, in this 5 days,we were living the life of the most simple way for everything, but it doesn’t deserve all the credit.

It’s a thing of beauty, YES.
The ART lie in how we see things through, how we feel it and absorb it.

I’m delighted I’m being given an opportunity to experience the uniqueness, I fell refreshing, regenerated. I found out and I face my truth, my failures, my feelings, and my dreams, I’m grateful inspirations still reaches me. And I am grateful for the humility the path of this activity teaches me. Exhalation.

This is the quote once gifted by ODA Adviser, quoted by Meng Zi:

天降大任于斯人也，

必先苦其心志，劳其筋骨，饿其体肤，

空乏其身，行指乱其所为，所以动心忍性，

曾益其所不能

LOVE is a Four Letter Word.

TEAM is a Four Letter Word too.