I climbed the Mount Ledang on 24-25th September 2011 Saturday and Sunday. Along with that, my task was to prepare the equipment for the speakers and be the guide for the students.
At 6.15 am my group, who were Mr Karim, Zahari, the two Azizs, one guide and Aishah the girl, made it to the top. We took our ablution at the water fall and it was freezing cold. We lazed around at the top, trying to make sense what could we see. Our group became creative by boiling water out of a can to make coffee.The scenery wasn’t that breathtaking. We were told we had reached the peak, but actually it wasn’t a 360 degree view. If it was at the peak, we would see everything. We were satisfied with our achievement.
Going up was hard, but going down was harder. Our legs were aching, and we went down by thumping our feet to the ground.
There were natural staircases shaped by roots and soil. It was amazing.
I outsped my group, the girls made the walk slower. A few of us made decision to overtake. All we were thinking was to get to the next checkpoint. We were going down faster than when we went up the night before.
The bad thing about going solo was finding the trek. As I was going down, I was trying to find the two bends. The two bends refered to two sharp corners which were covered with thorned leaves. They were bemban trees. I remembered the two corners last night, as they wer the first two obstacles we encountered. We had to dodge the thorny leaves. I kept that in mind. I remembered a very big dead tree lying across our path, but I did not find it.
The words that kept us going was just a little more, one more checkpoint to go.
All I depended on was the trodden trek itself; it went zig-zagging downwards. Just when I taught it would lead me to the end, it led to more way. The corners hid the path, I did not feel the length I would be passing. Sometimes the path went darker; up there the sunlight was covered by the leaves.
I heard the sound of children, but in the woods? Could it be true, or was it because I was too tired I was hearing things? There were children playing in the water down there, I was nearing the river. I hastened down and then I realised I was nearing the river. The path was still thick, I assumed when we were nearing the end, the woods would get thinner, but actually the bushes would be as thick. I saw the river and then went out from the woods into the road. I had been using the recreational trek.
The best meal was lunch on Sunday after noon. As we saw the Toyota vehicle nearing us, we knew it was meal time. Chicken cooked in hot tomato sauté and veggies took away our tire. With our trek suits covered with little soil, no sleep hours and hungry, we ate hastily like homeless people over donated food.
Then, some of us took a dip in the river to cool down their body after a four hour of jungle trekking.
I learnt many things during the expedition, where being a member of the Scouts, I did many things in the expedition. I learnt the methods to save up energy, save other participants, motivate people and boil water at the peak. I learnt to help others and at the same time get myself going as well.
Up until now I am still having the benefits of the climb. It makes me active and alive.So, I don’t understand why some people is making a mountain out of a molehill, but, that’s another story.
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