The team met at Heathrow on Friday 8th July for a very long flight
to Borneo. We knew we were almost there when we had a brief tour of
Brunei whilst waiting for the final leg of the journey – a forty minute flight to
Kota Kinabalu. Relief, exhaustion and apprehension were all intermingled
as our bus pulled up outside the Step-In Hostel which is to be our base in Kota
Kinabalu for the month. A night's sleep and we were all feeling much
healthier and happier, so we headed out to Mamutik Island for a morning of
jungle training and swimming in the South China Sea.
The next day, still acclimatising to the heat and aiming to drink four-five litres of water a day, we packed our large rucksacks with as much water
proofing as possible and turned our attention to the rainforest. Eight hours
later, a bus ride and a 4X4 convoy deep into the jungle, we arrived at Long
Pasia, the start of our four day trek. It hadn’t rained for a week and we
were quietly hoping that we may stay relatively dry. The morning trek
through the jungle was exciting as we saw new plants and insects, however the
heat made the trekking hard work. By three pm we were just a short way from
the first night's camp and looking forward to resting in the sun and learning to
put camp up as a team. However, the skies opened and torrential rain saw
everyone putting up their tarps, hammocks and mosquito nets as
effectively and efficiently as possible whilst trying to keep as much kit as
possible as dry as can be.
The long period of dry weather followed by the rains brought out
the leeches. No one expected so many so fast and by the end of the trek
only Miss McAlisdair had avoided being bitten! Zac was one of the most
delectable, modeling bites from head to toe. The next day the leaches
were still attacking as we trekked through the jungle, however this didn’t dampen
team spirits and we continued to enjoy the environment and the camp sites.
After four days of jungle trekking, covered in mud, blood from the
leaches and with a strange musty smell trailing behind us from our damp
clothes, we arrived back in Long Pasia for a well deserved bucket wash and home
cooked meal. Looking cleaner and more relaxed, the team met at the
village chief's house for a session of cultural sharing. They showed us
their local dances which we joined in. The students showed off their musical
talents with some extremely impressive and harmonious singing.
The team enjoyed their well deserved rest in Kota Kinabalu, before
heading back into the jungle. This time the destination was Kampung Kiau
– the village that our local guide Henry comes from.
We treked to a camp deep in the jungle, swapped hammocks for
tents and our nomadic lifestyle for a taste of living in one place in the
jungle. The group spent the rest of the first day and all of the next,
getting involved in a variety of activities. There were short treks for
those that wanted some extra exercise, swimming in a pool by the camp to bring
the temperature down and a huge river activity in an attempt
to catch an interesting supplement to dinner – frogs, crabs and small
fish. Everyone tasted the delicacies however small the quantity!
The highlight of the camp stay was learning to use a parang (a
small machete) to make items such as cups, bowls, spoons and blow pipes.
When the group learnt that the locals trek into the jungle with just a parang
and a lighter, able to make and catch everything they need from the land, they
were more than eager to begin to learn some of these skills.
Everyone took part in the night hike which provided the
opportunity to see the jungle in a different setting. Insects which
fade into the background during the day were under the spotlight, and eyes
became very focused as the group became more familiar with the jungle they were
living in.
From the jungle the group headed straight to Mount Kinabalu.
This was to be the hardest point physically in the trek. The first day
took the group 6 km up the mountain gaining 1500m in height. The first
half was arduous and the steps which were often uneven and very high, almost held
some of us back. The next quarter was mentally challenging but the team
pushed on and when the heavens opened and the winds picked up, the group put
their heads down, pulled together and battled on to reach the hut they would
sleeping for a few hours.
At 1:30am the alarm clock brought us back to reality; A hut
just below the summit of Mount Kinabalu and an exciting adventure ahead of
us. The atmosphere was tense as breakfast was forced down. Everyone
was excited and nervous, with questions flying around and hopes and fears
shared. Starting out in the dark we kept together and moved onto the
roped section of the walk as a group. Everyone was feeling the challenge
of the mountain and a determination to reach the summit.
As the final hour of the climb drew near, small groups started to
climb at their own pace, falling in with the rhythm of their bodies and their
breathing at altitude. As the summit photo was taken the group's thoughts
turned to the few who were not standing on the top with them. A special thought
was spared for Mr Davies who was unable to come on the trip.
Climbing a mountain is only ever half the challenge and returning
to the park entrance was no easier than the climb had been. The steps
were hard on everyone and both muscles and knees were screaming out by the time
we returned to be reunited with a warm shower and a clean bed in the hostel at
the bottom of the mountain. However the spectacular views on the way down
and feeling of accomplishment at such a great achievement soon worked their magic
to help sooth away the pain.
Well done to all the summiteers!
Finally the school visited the Rainforest Discovery Centre where
they completed the project phase of their trip.
They helped rebuild a path which had been washed away in recent
flood. The humidity in the forest made the
work much harder but the reward of a swim in the pool and a visit to Sepilok
orang-utan Rehabilitation Centre made it worth while.
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