Mount Kinabalu

This meetup group is much more interesting than those groups joined earlier. At least most of the time, we stay tuned in channel 5. The guys are fun and okie okie with any arrangement. The girls are as usual, having their's own cling (sort of boring)

Though I reached the submit (as 2nd position in the group), I give up participating in the 'walk on top' events. Katherine's word was then in my mind "Don't be complacent and don't force yourself to do something not within own limit".

But now, when I get to see the ferreta's photo now, I regretted. Will I return to KK just to do the ferreta? My agenda is MUST reach the submit and then hopefully join some events to make the trek a bit different. But, looks like this trek is similar to Mount Ophir where summit is the only reward at the end of trip.

Training before Mount Kinabalu

This meetup group is extremely active in sport... it's wonderful to have people of same interest and on the same channel of communication. This is a pretraining for Mount Kinabalu trek on 28 Oct 2010. First time I ever get worry for not able to catch up with people on the trek

Business Trip to Taiwan

Was in Taiwan for the ACCS project. Finally! Time to meet the troublesome users... but my 2 weeks there change my perception of them. They are not users... they are my friends. They are not troublesome... they are responsible people who need to get their job 100 percent done with no errors

Via Ferrata

Joined another meetup group for pre-training to Mount Kinabalu in October. It is different from rock climbing because we were harnessed up in a team. If anyone is to go slow or refuse to move on, will simply hang the queue. You can never turn back....

Gunung Datuk Trek Camping (Malaysia)

A totally new experience of trekking. The 2.5hr trek can be easy ONLY if I do not need to carry the 10kg backpack with me. To camp at Gunung Datuk, we need to bring our own water (3litres), tentage pole (4kg), canned food (1 kg) and own necessity eg. sleeping bag, wind breaker, etc 

Be it Nepal or Rinjani, I never think water is so precious. 3 litres of water to last 2 days (inclusive of cooking, rinising dishes and cleaning up). If I am a guy, I would have brought 5 litres up.

A Day at St Ignatius School With Under-Privileged Kids (Batam)

Another meetup group - Singapore Adventurous Nature-Lovers. As compare to Rinjani, this is more meaningful. Guess Rinjani is more of trekking than doing much for Charity Awareness.

This charity event is organised to gather funds to build them a playground. But upon moving around the school, I found playground is actually not the top priority.

There is no proper table for writing and their meals are always accompany with flies

Living in a corner without light, yet their drawing are still bright

To encourage them, we give each of them a inspiration card whereby they drew and wrote down their hope. I do hope that days come.

Rinjani Trek

Going up to base camp is not difficult. I am the oldest and yet the forth person to make it there. Feeling proud, I slept late and took almost quarter tank of oxygen that night before summit.
On the day of summit, I took my first 'oxygen' puff when I was about 2 km away from the top. Easy lah! After another 1km, I took another one because there is another team still behind me. Soon, I couldn't catch up with my breathe anymore and leg cramps as I stress my heart and body.
If I pushed myself a little bit more, 300m from the summit is never a problem.... but I just want to take my 'oxygen'... I didn't make it to the top... well, I never regret and I never learn. :(

Rinjani Countryside Tour

The villagers lead a very simple life, but their creativity is never simple

Cloth weaving village.

It takes 1 year to weave a cloth of such complicated pattern. Of course, the price is expensive but turn around and think... this cloth is their 365 days meal.

These are usually a morning job when sun is not that strong. But if it was a draught or rainy season, there is nothing called 'morning job' anymore... 

End of Rinjani trek

Many thanks to the potters who run up the mountain to set up the our tents and meals. It took me almost 2 hours to clear my tent and they took less than 3 hours to clear the whole campsite.

Struggling to descend with our good boots and hiking pole... The potters (in slippers) are already at the bottom, no way in sights. 

Summit of Rinjani

Smoky sunrise when volcano errupted

Full sunrise view

I refuse to ascend though it is now 300m before summit. So, I didn't make it to the summit... guess it's because I smoke again.

Volcano still flaming though it was errupted 4 hours ago

Mount Ophir Summit

Sun rise before we reached the summit. It took us another 2 hours to reach there.

This is the toughest part of the journey. I was basically swinging myself up instead of climbing straight up

The 'Meetup team' spirit at the summit

I just activated my life... 40 still not too late, I guess

Would I be back again? A 'Yes' to Thorung La Pass, but....

Mount Ophir Midnight Crossover

Experiencing another kind of crossover trek which started from 12:30am to 2:00pm

Kind of boring trek. No scenic view and what we do is just walk and walk. Sleepy more than tired...

Laser Tag

Shooting is never my cup of tea... but I wanted to try... I wanted to expand my network.

Another 'Meetup' team. The game need a lot of running around... this is when I realise that 40 can no longer be a beginning...

I thought by hiding it resolve the problem, but not really... The truth is I didn't do well in defending or hiding.

  

Game over! Finally! Trekking is still better.

Bukit Timah Hill

A briefying of the steps training

Just finish the 2 rounds of hamburger steps.

The last 'Meetup' photo taking. The team was dispersed 2 months later.

Bukit Timah Hill

Some of us will be doing the Rinjani (Indonesia volcano) trek in early April. These are the group of trekker buddies... but I guess none of them is as enthusiatic as me to do the Nepal trek... I may need to switch my search engine

Bukit Timah Hill

My first trek in Singapore, Bukit Timah Hill

Looking for company to do the next Nepal trek, I decided to meet more trekker buddies.