More pictures from DAY 4, mostly of the crazy antics that went on during the last night-meeting we had. See for yourselves the condoms and other items that had not-so-hidden intentions. (:
Monday, December 07, 2009
BATU CAVES! [4] pics
More pictures from DAY 4, mostly of the crazy antics that went on during the last night-meeting we had. See for yourselves the condoms and other items that had not-so-hidden intentions. (:
Sunday, December 06, 2009
BATU CAVES! [4]
0700 – oopsie, we woke up late today because my alarm didn’t go off! Hurrying, we managed to reach breakfast with time to spare.
0800 – We were welcomed by civilization today at Damai! Civilization included toilets, a playground, an insincere plastic wall, belaying area, benches, dustbins, pavilions and an ice-cream man! Heehee, my main aim today was to whack as many routes as I could because it was our last day on natural rock. So indeed, Val and I moved quickly to reserve our first route after warming up as a team.
0930 – ROUTE #1 Lead-man 5B on lead!
This was the adorable route that required you to climb into a hole and out. Basically it was a nice warm-up route and though claustrophobic, it was unique and fun! The pictures will tell it all if you can’t quite get my description of the route.
Oh yes, I loved Damai because the routes, being short and easy, were less intimidating allowing me to jump right onto the next route once Val had completed the previous one.
1020 – ROUTE #2 Stairway 5C on lead!
Another warm-up route on the far right of Damai. This was again an entirely new experience because it required climbing through a wide crack or avoiding it. I chose the former and once again, broke a sweat experimenting different techniques and looking out for handholds
1100 – ROUTE #3 KL Connection 5C on lead!
I was on a roll! But this climb made me lose my cool a tad because I didn’t start the climb properly and had to come back down to start again. Towards the top, I also had this naggy thought, “where’s the anchor? I don’t think I can last any longer”. But I shut it out, together with the fear of the long run-outs and continued till I reached the anchor =)
1230 – We slacked a bit before going on our next route
ROUTE #4 –
This was a short climb but the first half wasn’t easy. I only managed to get through it because Li Meng had given me beta regarding the awesome jug-gy handhold hidden behind the rope for clipping in the quickdraw. Thanks(:
1400 – While lunch and helping others out with some routes, I embarked on my next route.
ROUTE #5 – Thunder 5C
This route was longer and made me feel slightly pumped, but completing it was fun and I’d learnt to be more confident, even to the point of injecting some momentum and twists in my moves.
1500 – It was time for a lunch break but I didn’t eat because the fried rice was really spicy, and I could imagine how my throat would suffer as a result. So anyway, I just grabbed a bar to eat. After lunch, Valerie was pressuring me to do another route…like rain man, or monsoon, something…more challenging? More pumpy, maybe?
1600 – But as I was considering, the rain came in, and I had to (once again) clear up the quickdraws.
ROUTE #6 – Lead Man 5B on top rope
I decided to climb on the OUTside of the tunnel, just for a different experience. Since it was on top-rope, I felt more confident doing it, more comfortable, like it was a breeze. Haha, so anyway, I left Damai feeling happy that I’d climbed 6 routes. Though I know Philip was pretty disappointed that I hadn’t tried Monsoon..? Or Rain Man. Cos I’d joined the guys and some girls to go caving =p oh well, I wasn’t in the mood after the rain had cleared up. Heh.
1700 – Showered after getting back to the hotel and then we headed to KLCC. We were all pretty delayed so Val and I took the opportunity to shower at Ms Lim’s room (: it gave me an opportunity to get to know her better, (plus the cab rides too, since Rahul had to leave for a family emergency) when Val was showering. We would talk about the climbs and her fiancée and GUNNERS ftw!
1900 – The team went KLCC again tonight for dinner and last minute shopping for our gift buddies. We ate at Madam Kuan’s after waiting almost an hour for them to get our seats and food prepared. Like what Dad said, ATAS. The food was overrated, and overpriced and over everything. The curry laksa I had was good, but for the price I paid, only satisfactory…? Oh well, at least our whole team ate together (:
2200 – Our night debrief was unforgettable. We quickly wrapped up our last day’s crag climbing and went straight into gift exchanges! Haha, I can’t remember it all, but it was a night I’d never forget. There were laughs and tears, more laughs than tears but I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
Three condoms (for having fun yet staying protected like climbing!), one vibrating, was exchanged, some butterfly wings (to our butterfly-phobic Alistair), an eyebrow pencil (to our eyebrow-less Zhengwei), photoframe (to Rah the camwhore), Christmas stockings (Jac) and headgear, and yes, a pregnancy test kit (which will “come in handy when I’m drunk on brandy).
The reason for my gift was an appreciation to Haris for impacting TJCCC’s journey on natural rock, like leaving a mark. And since we all learnt to trust our feet this trip, it served as a reminder to step hard and have faith. It was an innocent (non-dirty) gift, and attached was a note with messages from everyone in TJCCC. I hoped it would make Haris feel loved(: he was shy, but he did thank me. Twice I think =)
0000 – Later, we gathered back in the guys room, but this time to watch Arsenal v
0200 – Yes I slept THAT late. The match ended with a 3-0. Sobs.
BATU CAVES! [3]
0615 – After a miserable six-hour sleep, we dragged our bodies to wash up and trod downstairs for breakfast. Once again, I just had sunny-side-up eggs with a slice of Val’s fruit and nut loaf.
0800 – We set off on the same cab and arrived at Nanyang! No trekking this time, just greetings from a pack of puppies and their mommy. Later on, Kelly named the mommy HUGGIES and this human-friendly puppy, which I played with, CUDDLES =) they were all soooo adorable. I wanted to bring one home.
0900 – ROUTE #1 Whimper 6B? (mother of all bridging routes) on top-rope
Basically, it’s the mother of all bridging routes because there’s absolutely nothing to grab on to, and stepping on the tiniest jutting out rock would be heaven up there… After numerous tries, I’d only made it to the ledge. Looks like I’m not the queen of bridging after all! Hahah, I did the route with the process in mind this time, and yes, I enjoyed myself. Gwen, Van and Jo completed the route later on, and I’m in
1000 – ROUTE #2 Old Shoes Beware 6C+ on top-rope
I wanted to try this route for fun, because watching Philip flow on it while belaying him urged me to attempt it. Philip had to growl while leading it, something we heard rarely and getting two-thirds to the top was an achievement for me already! This route taught me to trust my feet and finger strength. Composure was key too, in order to stay balanced on that inclined paper-like route.
1130 – ROUTE #3 Handphone Disaster 5C+ on lead!
This was my first on-site lead on natural rock and I certainly had fun! It was like a learning journey on the way up the unconventional route line. There were big run-outs I noticed, and falling would cause serious injury, but I didn’t worry too much about that. Instead I just kept going and appreciated nature up-close.
1300 – Lunch today was Fried Rice! And teh bing (:
1430 – Towards the late afternoon, it started to get cloudy and it drizzled slightly causing us to pack everything and climb routes quickly but clumsily in order to clear the quickdraws. Philip told me to climb fistful of hangers which I did!
1500 – ROUTE #4 Fistful of Hangers 6A on top-rope
I was indeed climbing faster than usual, and that probably clouded my judgement on making certain moves. Through the climb, I could hear Philip telling me to slow down and compose myself. Eventually, I did. The stalactite proved to be an obstacle for me, mainly because I was feeling pumped and wrapping my arms around it didn’t seem like a convincing move. Also, the top-rope pulled me back while I tried to cling on and step up on the stalactite. Thanks to Kelly’s guidance, I finally completed the route (when the rain had stopped =p). And I’d call it a good climb cos I completed it using my own sequence :D
1600 – We packed and left, returning back to the hotel. This time, the girls in our room (731) DID shower before dinner, which was at Kenny Rogers! We had the whole upstairs to ourselves and caused a riot. As usual, the dinner conversation inclined to something dirty, thanks to the horny boys, and girls..? hahaha. I laughed so much that dinner, I’d almost forgotten about my sore throat. A bit of shopping followed afterwards for us to get presents for our gift buddies. I had chosen glow-in-the-dark footsteps for Haris, my gift partner. You’ll find out why later!
2130 – A quick debrief this time about our climb (we apparently all had a better time today. And Philip said of all his natural rock climbing expeditions, today was the most energetic (: cool huh?)
2230 – Since Man U was playing
BATU CAVES! [2]
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!
BATU CAVES! [1]
26th – 30th December 2009
0930 – The bus ride to KL consisted of the following… Half of Confessions of a Shopaholic, TABOO! With the back gang of the bus (the noisier half indeed), card games like tai di, bridge and not forgetting camwhoring.
1600 – Settled in to SwissInn Hotel and took a quick nap before dinner. My roomies for the trip were Valerie, Vanessa and Kristal (: we shared the family room which many envied cos it was pretty spacious. However I can’t say the same about the toilet, where the water from the shower head and tap seemed to flow out unwillingly…
1800 – We took a train down to KLCC, dealing first with the inefficient, slow, and cranky ticketing machine. Dinner was free and easy so Valerie, Gwen, Clement, Kristal and I joined Mr Kao, Philip and Kelly @ little penang kafe. I had a not so yummy char kway teow but a satisfying chendol(:
After that we browsed around the shopping centre and did some grocery shopping for
2200 – Drowsily, we had a briefing about the next day’s climb @ this meeting room in the hotel. We then packed our crag bags, showered and went to sleeeeep.
0000 – Too tired to rendezvous with the rest of the girls.. (maybe cos their rooms were two floors down?) Oh yes, I felt a sore throat coming around so I drowned myself in non-tap water which probably explains why I woke up every two hours to pee.
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