Monthly Archive

Barely a year
after became permanently handicapped, im back in my game. Which is outdoor
activity and to be specific mount climbing. So for the 4^th time I
will try to climb the majestic Mount Ledang. This time it’s the hardest climb
because for the 1^st time I will be climbing from Asahan, Melaka and
I have to endure much obstacle mainly before the journey even have started.

The 1^st
obstacle is to persuade my family and close friends to let me went a head with
my plan to join the expedition. At the beginning they all prohibited me to go
because in my current condition (to those who does not know due to the accident
my right hand is not fully functional) it is to risky. Many people doubt my
ability to be physically active again especially in extreme activity that
usually need the person to be physically fit n healthy. But after much
persuasion and a guarantee from my UPSM mates that they take a good care of me
my family finally agreed to let me go. The biggest obstacle I have to encounter
is to convince myself that im still able to do this kind of activity. Yes even
me, myself and I  sometimes doubt it can
I still endure the physical strain of mount climbing in this condition. Even
more doubtful is do I still have the stamina to do it, because after the
accident my stamina have drop tremendously. Im no longer able to jog 6km non
stop like I used to do before I climbed Mount Kinabalu. So about a month before
the expedition ive started my training, and 1 week before the climb I successfully
passed the fitness test that every participant have to took. To pass this
fitness test, for boys they have to cover a distance of 2 km under 15minutes
and for the girls under 18 minutes. Now im physically fit for the task but can
I conquer the top of Mount Ledang? You have to read till the end to know the
answer.

So on the 4th of
September 2006 we began our journey to Asahan from Ayer Keroh, Melaka n we
reach the camping site at the foot of mount Ledang just before night fall. That
night, after having our dinner, we were gathered around to be briefed from our
guider on our journey the next morning and on the guidelines and rules during
the expedition. And when the guider asked if there is anyone who is sick or
have physical problems, I without delay raised my hand. After learned about my
difficulties, the guider asked me what’s was the heaviest thing I have lifted
after becoming a handicapped. And my answer was a box full with 24 bottles of
250 ml mineral water. Base on my answer he seems satisfied and gave me the
green light to join the expedition. Next morning around 9pm after having our
breakfast and finished packing our bags, we began our journey to Batu Gajah
base camp. Due to my conditions, I was given the privileged to carry a lighter
bag then the other boys and I have a special ‘body guard’ accompanying me. The
journey to Batu Gajah g is quiet easy for an experience climber such as me. The
track wasn’t to steep and there is many leveled spot for us to rest. The
difference between this track and the one from Sagil is using this track we
have to cover more distance because we have to travel trough several lower peaks
before we reach the top of Mount Ledang. But I wasn’t prepared for the final
climb to Batu Gajah. To reach there 1^st we have to climb a rocky
section near 90 degrees steep. Even thought there are ropes to help us climb
it, but I wasn’t sure are these hands of mine is capable of pulling the whole
weight of my body and bag pack. Fortunately my personal bodyguard which is
Padlee Akirul was there to carry my bag pack and safely accompany me on my
final journey to reach Batu Gajah.

I finally reached
Batu Gajah around 1.30 pm. The 1^st thing to do is assemble our tents
and cook our lunch meal. After that we all can have a nice cold shower at the waterfall
beside our camping site. Brrrrrr….it sure is cold, after 10 minutes we all have
started shivering. Then is the awaited even for the day. The UPSM juniors will
stage a musical gala for we the seniors. It sure is fun watching them tried to
sing fighting the cold night mountain wind. But 2 thumbs up to them for
successfully present to us an entertaining performance. By midnight most of us
including me have fallen asleep.
We wake up the next day and began our journey
to the top at 5 am. Nearer to the top the surface became steeper and at one
time we have to use ladders to climb it. Finally by 9 am we all have reached
the top of Mount Ledang and for me
alhamdulillah its d 4th one. After resting and enjoying the view up there, we
began our journey descending Mount Ledang. By mid day we have reached Batu
Gajah and after filling our tummy n dissemble our tents we started our journey
down to Asahan. By this time most of all have become very tired so some of the
teams have split into smaller ones with the weaker one were left behind.
I also
have been split from my personal bodyguard.  It all went well until the last 2 checkpoints.
This was when I lose my footing n fell because of the slippery track. It wasn’t
a nasty fall but because I fell on my right side of my body, my right hand was
flattened with my own body. It felt like my hand was being pulled out from my
body because of the un normal form of my right hand it had made my elbow very, VERY sensitive. Even if u
knock it softly It surely felt like an electric current run through my hand,
just imagine if I fall with my elbow touch the ground first. After that I can
even move my hand n it need to be stitched. If before I fall down I cant fully
use my right hand now I cant use my right hand at all. So for the rest of the
journey down I have to be escorted by not 1 but 2 body guards, 1 in front of me
n the other one cover me from behind because I cant take another fall. If I fall
once more im sure turn unconscious because of the extend of the pain. During
this time I started to regret my decision to join the expedition. All kinds of
questions keep running in my head : Could I still used my right hand? Have I
waste all my time n effort to improve my right hand condition like it was until
before the fall? (My right hand hv improved tremendously if compared to the
condition it was just after the accident) n what was the extend of the injury
of my right hand due to the fall? Also suddenly my mum’s words comes to me. B4
the expedition, finally when she gave in to my request she remind me that I am
a MEN now so I have the final say in things I want to do in my life but I also
have to take the consequences of my action. Yeah what she said was true n
probably this is the reaction of my action (the law of physics : for every
action there is a reaction)

By 5 pm I finally
reached the base camp at Asahan, and I was at the mercy of my fellow mates who
helped me to pack my things n get prepared to go back to UKM. The next day I
went to see the doctor to take a look at my injuries, gladly the doctor said I
only suffer a shock to my right hand n there wasn’t any permanent injuries.
Even thought I didn’t broke my right arm, I can only used my right hand like
before I fall down 1 week later.  So what
have I achieved during this expedition? 1stly I have proved to who ever that
doubt my ability to return to this kind
of activity. 2ndly I have learned that I still can do this kind of things but
at a greater risk then normal people (some of my friends fell down more then 5
times but they doesn’t suffer injuries such as me) and that makes me unsuitable
for this kind of this activity. I also have learned that I have to be
responsible for every decision I make cause sometimes it will not only affect
myself but people around me (this time my fellow mates who hv to took care of
me). And the morale of the story is it is how u look at life. At one point of
view some people say that im a very hard headed a.k.a. DEGIL type of person. I
like things to go my way, I like to proof to people that they r wrong n im
right. But if u look at another angle, im a FIGTHER n FIGHTER FIGHT. I dont
like to give in n gave up easily. Like what Sylvester Stallone in the movie
Rocky Balboa said : Life is aint about how hard u hit, its about how hard u can
get hit n keep moving forward. For me it aint about how high I can reach, its
about how many times I can get up when I fell down. AND THAT’S HOW I DONE IT!
In the end I realize the expedition is aint about proving people wrong n im
right. It aint about conquering mount Ledang for d 4^th time, its
about conquering my fear of being un normal. Its okay if ur different as long u
can do the things u enjoy.

(A wish of gratitude to all my fellow UPSM
members who have helped me all the way up to the top n way back down especially
to Mr Bom2, Mr Panjang n Mr Pong)