(From left) All geared up in Leermos, Austria in 2011, the writer, along with guide Renata, Lee, driver Nicola (squatting), Krespi, Lim and Hanjinicolaou started their cycling journey to Italy on the Via Claudia in 2011. — Photos: DANIEL LEE BIN SENG
It is no small feat to keep a trekking team together for nearly two decades, yet somehow we have done just that – and we are still going strong.
Our journey began in 2006, when my good classmate Lim Thiam Joo (TJ Lim) and I decided to escape the sedentary rhythm of our 9-to-5 lives by climbing Mount Kinabalu. TJ was working in London then, and during a visit home we agreed that Kinabalu would be challenging but manageable – a belief we would later discover was only half true.
TJ recruited four friends from the UK – Kevin Krespi, a Turk; Glen Barnes, an American; George Hanjinicolaou, a Greek; and Lee Ghai Keen (GK Lee) from Singapore – and we added two objectives to the adventure: open-water diving at Pulau Sipadan and raising funds for charity.
Kevin and Glen are experienced divers; the rest of us completed three months of PADI training before doing our open-water dives at Mabul Island, off Semporna.
(From left) The writer, guide Llewelyn, Lim, Hanjinicolaou and Krespi photographed at the foothill of Mount Yarigatake in Japan after their trek to the top in 2012.
Kinabalu proved punishing and while we reached the summit, most of us were under-prepared. We descended with legs like jelly, negotiating stairs like crabs. Yet the sense of achievement was immense, amplified by the fact that we raised RM88,000 for charity – largely thanks to TJ’s supporters in the UK, who had challenged him to summit the mountain. He did not disappoint.
That first trek set the tone for what became a 20-year journey. In 2007, better prepared and wiser, we climbed Mount Toubkal in Morocco.
The following year, we planned to trek Si Gu Niang in China, but a devastating earthquake forced a change of plans. Instead, we trekked around the remote Meili Snow Mountain in Yunnan, reaching the isolated Yubeng Valley, accessible only on foot or donkey. Facilities were rudimentary and we cut the trek short, retreating to Shangri-la – but the views of the snow-capped peaks bathed in golden light were unforgettable.
In 2009, Kevin, who resides in Switzerland, hosted us as we climbed Mount de l’Etoile and Pigne d’Arolla in the Alps. It was our first experience trekking on snow, using crampons and ropes, guided by professionals. From the summit, we glimpsed the Matterhorn in the distance – a sign that we were growing in confidence and capability.
That confidence led us to Mount Kilimanjaro in 2010. Tackled via the Western Breach, it was a seven-day ascent and two-day descent, supported by a remarkable team of about 26 guides, cooks and porters for just seven trekkers, as Jameson Miller from the UK was the addition to our group for this trek. Each day, they set up camp ahead of us, complete with hot meals and tents – a logistical marvel.
Over the next 15 years, with a few interruptions, we trekked annually: the Dolomites (twice), Japan’s Mount Yarigatake and the Kunisaki Trail, the Cairngorm Highlands in Scotland, and the Banff region in the Canadian Rockies.
We even attempted cycling in Europe – from Austria into Italy – only to realise, except for Kevin, that cycling was not our strength. Italy, however, kept calling us back, thanks to its superb trails, food and comfort.
In 2017, we returned to Asia to tackle Gunung Tahan – one of our toughest challenges, with muddy terrain, dense undergrowth and swollen rivers on the return. Covid-19 forced a three-year pause, but in 2023 we made our comeback with a trek to Mount Athos in Greece, joined by Tasoa Kotsoyianidis, whose drone footage captured the experience beautifully. Last year, we returned once more to the Dolomites, this time the Marmolada region.
As the years pass, destinations matter less than continuity. The treks keep us fit, grounded and connected. For those who have never missed one, the discipline alone has been motivation enough. It has been a remarkable journey – and as long as we are able, we will always look forward to the next trek.
