0600 – Alarm rings. We snooze.
0635 – Finally ready to face the day, we took turns washing up
0730 – We reluctantly left our comfy room for breakfast at the lobby. Though it was a buffet and all, it really had no appeal to me whatsoever. I obligingly ate two eggs and some cornflakes with milk before we all trotted upstairs.
0800 – The taxis arrived and we piled into them according to our respective groups (Ms Lim, Rahul, Xi Quan and I) half-asleep, may I add. The ride was pretty short and we arrived in awe just staring ahead at Nyamuk, taking in the scenes while applying sun block and mozzie repellant.
0900 – It was an adventurous trek about 400m inwards to come face to face with Fumakilla, one of the walls at Nyamuk. You really had to be there to understand the treacherous hike we took. A tiny slip would injure you seriously… There were steep slimy rocks and soil eroding everywhere. But knowing that every step brought us closer to the cliffs made up for all the trekking and hiking. Here, I just want to say that our club’s guys were really thoughtful and I appreciate them for extending a hand to pull us up on the way =)
1000 – ROUTE #1: Ulysees 6A on top-rope
It was so exciting, like when a child opens a Christmas present. Though you see the crag and think to yourself, “damn, how are we gonna climb this thing?” being up on the rope and off the ground is just so different. Handholds? Just feel for it baby ;) cracks are (Y) and it was just a discovery process for me. My whole perception of natural rocks changed then and there. Before, I used to take it for granted, like it was just a scenic backdrop to look at but now, it’s a challenge – a beautiful challenge to scale and climb on.
I hung twice on this route and given the chance, I’d definitely do it again, this time – zero hang, zero reliance on Val and enjoy the route! Oh yes, some time here, i had to do business. And so did Jac. If you take a look at the pics above, there's one of me and rah, holding up a ground sheet so Jac can. uh. yea. I went after her =p Ms Lim now calls it the pee groundsheet. XD
1200 – ROUTE #2: Because I got HIGH! 6B+ on top-rope
I really enjoyed myself doing this route, at least until I had to mantel. The ledge was good for resting and the holds were jug-gy too. Once I’d reached the second-last clip on the route though, it was panic and GG from there on. The smearing on smooth limestone was infuriating to the point where I felt was tempted to be lowered/cheat by grabbing the anchor. Kelly was cheering me on, giving me beta, but in the end she walked away. I am thankful she did though, because I knew I had to conquer this myself, my own way. Bottom-line, mantelling isn’t easy.
In the end, by sheer grunting, pulling, calling for tight and scraping (my knee) on the ledge, I got to the top (: Relief flooded over me and looking out at the view before my eyes just gave me this sense of accomplishment. <3>
1400 – After a quick lunch, Kelly asked Val and I to head to Shieldtox to try a 30m route. We obliged and were greeted by unfriendly mozzies, Philip, Jac and Rah plus some of the guys.
1430 – ROUTE #3: Bowel Movement (30m) 6A on lead (7 quickdraws…run-out was
I started off great, keeping in mind my tripod – which Jac said was important TTM. And the movements were really slow and steady like move, rest, shake off, carry on. But towards the 2/3 mark of the route, the holds became. Well, unholdable. I hung and climbed. Fell. Hung. I was on the brink of crying, before I prayed and asked for strength. I asked for courage and I drew a cross with chalk. I put my trust in Him and made it to the anchor, holding the final “dick” like. A dick. (Haha, sorry Rah, I couldn’t think of anything more creative!)
I came down happy, not overjoyed though, because I knew I could have done better if I’d better composed myself. Anyhow, I did the last few moves having faith and committing, so I’m contented(:
1600 – We packed up and left Nyamuk, trekking down the same way we came up and bid our goodbyes to the crag and the village boys. Arriving back at the hotel, we washed our clothes oblivious that the rest were bathing before dinner. XD SMELLY! (right Mr Kao??)
1830 – Dinner was yummylicious claypot rice and stingray with lime juice to quench my sugar needs. We then walked around
Right before I showered though, the boys (Xi Quan, Haris, Ahmed, Rahul, Zheng Wei and Dong Ying) barged in and lehpak-ed watching TV and making a ruckus. My attempt to get them out of the room failed, so I pretty much showered and changed while they were there. It was fun watching TV with them and laughing because I got to know Haris better and we bonded!
2130 – A debrief of our climb that day lasted longer than it should have though I learnt a lot from it. It struck me that all this time, I’d been climbing for results, climbing to reach the top, and I would do that by all means. Most of us were bred this way, to aim for the results, and not enjoy the process. But Kel, Phil and Mr Kao spoke to us today, making us understand that we should be process oriented. Also, it was no use climbing when you’re upset or angry because you’d lose your composure. Instead we should psych ourselves up before each climb. Don’t let the grade of the route deter you, it’s just a gauge. I was glad that I learnt that this trip. Winning the mental battle would really change how the whole climb turns out (: Aller Ashley!
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