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I posted this tribute a few days ago through my Facebook. However, I decided to share this tribute in here, but I need to put some note on the matter in order for non Malaysians to understand the reason for such tribute.

On Friday June 5th, 2015, Sabah was rocked with 5.9 Richter scale earthquake. The hardest hit area was the Mount Kinabalu. It was said to be the strongest earthquake ever hit Malaysia since 1976. As at todate, it was confirmed that 19 people were killed, including Robbie Sapinggi. He was one of the mountain guides turned rescuers in the tragedy. When help was still being organised and hampered because of adverse weather conditions, all these mountain guides helped the injured and trapped climbers climbed down to the safety. 

When rocks blocked the existing trek, they would make new trek. Some of them would carry injured climbers at their backs, and they would do this many times, because they were the only experts which know Mountain Kinabalu like the back of their hands. Some climbers told that they even used their bodies as a step, so that climbers could step on their back before reaching a relative safe landing spots.

They did this despite treacherous trek and constant falling rocks. However, one of the mountain guides did not make it, and his name was Robbie Sapinggi. I wrote this tribute because I knew from my experience climbing Mount Kinabalu that I would never make it to the top and safely back to the bottom if there was no mountain guides like them.

The Unsung Heroes of Mount Kinabalu.

In 2007, I carelessly followed my friends from SIC scaling the height of Mount Kinabalu. Why I said 'carelessly'? Because I never ever climb a mountain before, not even an ant hill. I am a kind of person that shamelessly would say that blinking my eyes is an exercise. I prefer sleeping than enjoying the outside view.

After agreeing to join my friends, I hit the gym nearly every day to; what I thought physical and strength preparation for the climb. I thought I was prepared. But, oh man! Was I wrong. On the day of the climb, I was anxious but at the same time very excited. After paying a porter a fee to bring my bag to Laban Rata, I had to admit I was a bit sheepish for asking an old lady to bring my bag, we started our climb. Before that, one of the guides advised us to buy a stick so that it could be used while climbing. At first I was reluctant to buy it because I thought it was a bit expensive (I can't remember how much it cost me) for a stick. But later, I was grateful I bought it.

The first part of the climb was a bit easy though it was a struggle. I thought I was prepared, but when over and over again you were overtaken by porters carrying various goods such as gas tanks, steel bars and others, it really made you feel at awe towards these porters and guides. Our guides would climb up and down and checked on us all the time.

After a bit of rest in Laban Rata, we started our last climb in the pitch of morning darkness. It was a bit scary because basically you could not see much and had to rely and trust your guides and friends. The second part of the climb was more treacherous because of the stone surface, and it was drizzling. Admist all that, our guides guided us through the slippery surface.

Some of my friends did not make it to the top; the Low Peak. I was lucky, Even though I was slow and it really an effort, I did reach the top. It was really amazing and something beyond words to be able to achieve that.

I thought the descent from Low Peak to Laban Rata was hard because of the slippery stone surface, but I was wrong. The descent from Laban Rata was pure torture. Because of the constant drizzle, the surface was more slippery. On top of that, I was dead tired. My knees were killing me. I became one of the last members of the group. I had to watch my every small step to avoid stumbling down and left my hand or face permanently etched into one of those steps.

When I became one of the last members, one of the guides accompanied me. Once or twice, well maybe more than I remembered, he would held my hand to make sure my steps was firmed enough. At one of those resting huts that scattered throughout the trek, he asked me to stop and then he wrapped my knees with supporting bandages. When we reached the Checking Point, I was very grateful and relieved. I don't know how I made it through the descent if not for the guide.

I don't remember his name, nor his colleagues or the lady porter. But I'm forever grateful.
Maybe as tourists we don't show much appreciation to them even though they are the heart and pulse of Mount Kinabalu. Like Robbie Sapinggi, they are indeed the unsung heroes.

Note:

Like I mentioned before, this was the hardest earthquake ever hit Malaysia. Some people claimed it was because the spirit of Mount Kinabalu, they called it Aki Nabalu, was angry when a group of foreign tourists stripped naked on top of Mount Kinabalu a few days before. The locals believed that Mount Kinabalu is a sacred place, and the act of those tourists had shown disrespect to Aki Nabalu and thus the tragedy.

Whether we want to believe or otherwise, as tourists we should always respect local culture and belief, no matter what. Do not scoff at other people's belief.