These Men Are Blind But That Didn't Stop Them From Climbing Gunung Kinabalu
Five blind men showed that nothing is impossible by climbing up the highest peak in Malaysia.
By Darian Goh — 18 Sep 2014, 12:43 PM — Updated about 10 years ago
On Malaysia Day, nine Sarawakians attempted to climb Malaysia's tallest mountain, Gunung Kinabalu. The amazing thing about it? They are visually impaired.
Isak, a Kayan descent from Baram, will be leading eight visually impaired people all from Sarawak on an expedition to scale the mountain to show their love for the country. Three guides will help them in their over 4,000m climb.
Among the group, five of them beat all odds to successfully reach the top of the mountain
Five visually impaired Sarawakians have beaten the odds to reach the summit of Mount Kinabalu after a trek made more arduous by bad weather.
thestar.com.myThe other four members did not make it to the summit as they were injured due to slippery conditions. The bad weather made the trails slippery and dangerous.
Group leader Isak Ngau said the trails were slippery due to the rain and it made the going really tough. "Four other members were injured after they slipped and could not make the final stretch up the 4,095m Lows Peak," he said yesterday.
asiaone.com
Although the whole contingent did not make it to the top, 37-year-old Isak Ngau who led the group were thankful and happy that some of them achieved their dream of reaching the summit given the challenges
It was a bittersweet victory but Isak, 37, said the group was elated and thankful that some of them made it to the summit despite the challenges. The group started the trek from Timpohon Gate at the base of the mountain on Tuesday.
asiaone.com
Isak had previously climbed the mountain as a 21-year-old and still remembers the moment vividly. He had always yearned to return to the mountain with his fellow blind community members after conquering the peak 16 years ago.
Sixteen years ago, Isak Ngau made the trek up Mount Kinabalu and he could still remember the feel of the fresh air on his face, the scent of flowers and the chirping of birds and insects. "We were tired but excited at the top. We hugged each other and I cried," said the 37-year-old instructor at a training centre for the blind here. Since conquering Mount Kinabalu, Isak has always yearned to return to the mountain with his fellow blind community members. "I want to share my wonderful experience with them," he said.
The climb on Malaysia Day was to "prove to society that the disabled are like any other people and we are able to achieve our targets." And they did just that.
An instructor at a training centre for the visually impaired in Kuala Lumpur, he said the climb on Malaysia Day was to show that the disabled could achieve their goals.
thestar.com.my"We want to prove to society that the disabled are like any other people and we are able to achieve our targets," he said, adding that the climb was a project of the Miri and Bintulu Society of the Blind.
Mount Kinabalu stands at 4,095 metres. Although it is considered to be a relatively safe mountain to climb, there have been cases of deaths and injuries.