We arose to a glorious sunny morning with an abundant - and utterly naïve - sense of optimism. The eagerly anticipated trek - that would see us scale the highest peak in Sarawak (8110 feet) - was finally upon us and an air of excitement filled our beloved wooden house.
Rations were split, basha kits assembled and fortified med kits (huge quantities of Vaseline, Sudocream and pain killers) were all packed deep into our trusty backpacks. The first sign of the difficulties of trek came as we lifted our packs into the truck. Our packs felt like they contained bricks and the thought of lugging them for hours a day provided an instant reality check. Spirits remained high however as, as a team we bumped along the road to Pa’ Ukat - the start point of our epic adventure to the top of Mount Murud.
The goal of day one was a tempting one: spending the night at our Murud guide’s home-stay. The breezey open-plan house spanned the entrance to the village of Pa’ Lungan and our delightful hosts were waiting for us with rice and tapioca treats.
We had to get there first and now the endurance battle began. Our first obvious nemesis was the sun. In the relative low grounds the trails were open and although this help with footing, it allowed the yellow sky giant to torment us all the way. Passing an 80-year old man carrying 20 foot hardwood beams and an impressive Kelabit cultural site distracted us from the searing heat and we marched on as our lightweight trekking gear became heavy with sweat. Stopping rarely to replace lost water (and if we were lucky, grab a handful of Al’s nuts), we snaked along the winding paths, through muddy dips and over rickety bridges. By late afternoon seven tired bodies emerged over the hill to see Phillip in his field tending his buffalo. We floated the last few meters to his beautiful house, showered, ate a feast and sank gratefully onto the floor mattresses.
