Peik Lean Y.
I swore I wasn’t going to write another piece about trekking again! But I think that’s like promising not to drink coffee anymore?! And yes, this is another addiction. This is what (?) … the third piece … or is it the fourth piece on trekking? Heck … who is counting anyway. Not moi!
As promised, we were back on the Gasing slopes again on Friday. True to form and our maniacal intent, we were supposed to start trekking at 8.30 am on yet another public holiday. I am beginning to see a pattern here and all I can say is “Lord help me.” :p Due to unforeseen circumstances in the form of my benefactor, everyone had to await moi to complete the task for my benefactor. It’s important not to bite the hand that feeds me. After all, there are many more mountains I want to climb, seas I want to dive and exotic countries I want to explore! Ahem! : )
I think the fame of our little treks have spread far and wide ~ thanks to a few very enthusiastic ‘siau’ members who must have been promoting the little non events. On this beautiful Friday morning fit for another sleep-in, eight other “siau” people greeted me upon my arrival. Two more new faces got suckered in. :p Gosh! If I only have such enthusiastic sales staff, I would have over achieved my targets by now.
We decided to slow down the hyper and little monsters with bottles of water on their backs. Little monster had new trekking shoes … pheewwiiittt … with ankle high backs which we hoped would slow him down further. In any case, the plan was to split the group into two and let the folks run “wild”. It was a fantastic plan if I must say so myself.
The second group was definitely faster this time and as they did not need to keep up with the first group, they managed to push themselves further. We took a much longer trail this time. First across our favourite monkey bridge and then up our first little breath snagging hill! Then downward and upward again on to the second steeper little hill. And so on and so forth on the usual trail. We arrived at the bridge at the base of the “Mount Kinabalu” like steps towards the Watch Tower and was greeted by our hyper and little monsters who decided they had more than enough breath to do the extra rounds with us while their first group members await at the Watch Tower!
Then with the first group in tow, we took another way down to the same bridge again. Here, we detoured to the stream; which lost none of the magical beauty we saw a few days before. This time, I had my digicam with me and started clicking away like a professional shutterbug. The operation word here being “like”! : )
But uh oh! Before we could go further, “nature” called out to a member of the second group who had been having queasy stomach from the start of the trek. PW, one of the pioneers of the “Siau Club”, could not hold in her $#!& anymore. We told the first group to go ahead while we helped find a spot marked “X” for her to “plant” her pot of gold. It was a difficult task at first as every spot seemed crowded with shrubs. But at the end, “nature” prevailed and “plant” it she did! With a lighter PW, we trudged ahead and made it back to the Watch Tower.
From there on, the group split up further. It was the last league home but we decided that we could still push the group further. Thus, instead of taking the easy trek out, we climbed again up and down the two little steep hills towards the monkey bridge. And I must admit that the two new recruits took to the whole trail like experienced troopers! I was told much later that they were cursing under their breath! Hahahaha … No sweat, no pain. No pain, no gain. We have probably converted another two people into trekking because one did question us if we are doing it again on Sunday.
I wonder if the trail is doing the magic or it’s the enthusiasm of the members or we are just plain gluttons for punishment. We are probably a bunch of masochist who enjoys pleasure in pain … hmmmmm.
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