I received a call from Mum on a Friday evening. She suggested canceling my Mount Kinabalu trip on the 3rd of July. I was stunned at the very least and violently objected to it. Apparently, based on what she had seen from television, she likened it to an expedition to the summit of Mount Everest (definitely a mouth watering adventure).

Included in the itinerary is the task of ascending to the summit of Mount Kinabalu; Low’s peak in the early hours of the morning at 2am. And that was her concern. At such an early hour of the day, it is all too easy to lose your focus and make life threatening mistakes without adequate rest. Our group will take all the necessary safety precautions before and during the climb.

As with every climbing trip, there is bound to be hidden dangers and risks. Who is to ascertain that we will be able to return back unscathed? But the possibility of that is not at the least high if we are under the supervision of the mountain guide. Still, we have to be cautious. I have since had a talk to her about what this trip is all about, and I am good to go.

When I was asked to go on this climbing trip last year, I had no hesitations. It was a brand new experience which excited me. And I am the kind of person who loves new challenges. Just recently, many including Mum have asked me this question:

Why do you want to go climbing?

I am 21 this year, and I would love to do something adventurous and exciting while youth is still by my side. However this is not to say that I won’t be able to do so when age catches up with me in the future.

I thought to myself, “Instead of traveling to other cities for the shopping and culture experience, why not take a chance to get closer to nature and undergo an endurance test?”

The reward of it all, a breath-taking view at over 4000m from Low’s peak which is enough to get the adrenalin of nature lovers rising. And for many, the invaluable building of character.

Mum, like all mothers will be Mum. Regardless of your age, they will always worry. Though her concerns about my upcoming climb was not put across directly to me, it certainly brought a smile to me that someone cares.

Starting tomorrow, I would be looking at the stuff we will need to bring to Mount Kinabalu. The first on my list would be a pair of trekking shoes.

At the moment, there are a lot of question marks lingering as this is our first time scaling a mountain. There is a scheduled briefing this Friday at X-Trekkers where we could clear our doubts on certain procedures and also have a much required face to face talk with the coordinator. I believe everything would fall into place then.