21

image by Sharin Said

" Moi, kamu kuat semangat, tapi tak kuat stamina.." said my 21 year-old Kadazan guide who refused to let me continue on the climb 1km from the peak.

"Saya mau pergi, mari-mari lah!"

" Hujan lebat, sangat bahaya! tau tak moi?"

*
The climb was treacherous for an unfit person like me. and here I was, thinking I was quite fit, doing regular jogs and all. Good, but not good enough.

21 year-old Stan, this American dude who I met during the climb was the epitome of fitness. What took me 12 and a half hours to complete, took him 5. He's been backpacking around the world for some time now, studied Latin throughout his life and is doing Chinese in Beijing now.

"How was the sunrise Stan? Absolutely gorgeous right?"

" Yea it was. But it's not so much of the sunrise, which was stunning, but more of finishing what you first set out to do. That feeling is fantastic!"

21 year-old Kadazan guide, Roger, who worked as a porter/guide on Mount Kinabalu since he was 12, goes up to the peak 3 times a week...

"Cantik tak sunrise the atas Roger?"

"Aihh, saya tengok sunrise sudah banyak kali di atas, sunrise boleh berapa cantik la? biasa sahje la moi."

What's a once in a lifetime experience for many, can be so common (too common?) to one person.

*

What got me thinking is that we're all 21, but different in so many ways.

Great experience climbing.