Mount Ophir
was this mysterious mountain when I was a blur coporal in NCC, envious of my platoon-mates who would get to climb it and earn a badge...
(only they didn't get to climb cos of the horrible haze that plaqued Singapore & Malaysia back in 1990s)
May 2006
my first trip up this 'mysterious' mountain...
only to wake up on the day of the climb and find myself in this very familiar environment
this stream...this rapids...this path...
ahhhh....
this is Ayer Panas! i've been here before! silly me...never knew that the trip up to Ophir starts right where I spent happy hours soaking and spalshing when I was a little girl...
and yup, the trail is called 'Ayer Panas Trail'
this was to be the only trip so far which I get to spend the night in a tent up in the mountains...
and also the only one (so far) which I injured myself during the descent
July 2008
my second trip up this not-so-mysterious mountain...
via a different route because the Ayer Panas Trails is closed for maintenance and 'forest recovery'
the route is easier...less steps and therefore, less thrill...
but the descent...memorable..
sliding our way down in seemingly unending trail of mud and more mud...
even the most experienced of us (KB) lost control and fell..
and let's not forget that 1hour plus of sliding in almost complete darkness...
that sense of relief when we finally step onto solid concrete steps..
and that moment of triumph when all of us made it back into civilisation, in one, muddy, aching piece...
Feb 2010
my 3rd trip..and the most disappointing + 'exciting' one...
it was from this trip that I realized the thrill of mountain climbing is in reaching the summit..
nothing else suffice..
it was from this trip that I realized how mankind can be utterly selfish...
yet, also realized that there will always be those who are completely selfless...
May 2010
Almost exactly 4 years later (+/- 1-2 days), I made my 4th trip up and down this rather familiar mountain.
This time, it was a different route again..
One that took us straight to the summit, skipping all the challenging and 'scary' bits
One that brought some of us beyond our own limits of endurance...
One that brought the entire team of 35 climbers to the summit of this 6th most difficult mountain in Malaysia
I admit, I am rather disappointed by not being able to go onto all fours, pulling on ropes and roots and crouching down to go through that cave,
and let's not forget that struggle up the infamous rock face
Although it was a huge relief for the others, some of us will always bear that tinge of regret inside..
the some of us who have climbed this mountain not once, not twice...but 3-10+ times...
I told some of the new climbers...
"we skipped the essence of the climb",
and in taking a straighter, faster route, we have not conquered Mount Ophir...
And with that tinge of regret...
I know that I will be back...for more.
~Opps I did it again...and again...and again...~
