‘Almost an obsession’

Peak of achievement: Mohd Noor holding a banner at the summit of Mount Kinabalu, having completed his 111th climb on April 20,2010.

Mohd Noor Mat Amin has conquered Mt Kinabalu many times but he now aims to be the only person to scale it more than 300 times.

TO commemorate Malaysia Day’s 50th anniversary in 2007, Mohd Noor Mat Amin planned something incredible.

He attempted to climb Mount Kinabalu 50 times in 50 days.

Sounds crazy, you might think.

Two years later, he attempted another feat, at 7.15pm on Dec 31,2009. He made his descent and reached the Timpohon Gate at two in the morning.

Five hours later, he was already at the gate to start his second climb of the day.

The first few days were tough, reaching the peak at 7pm. But he persevered and eventually reached the summit at 2pm.

For 111 times in 111 days he kept going. There were good days, but mostly bad.

Rain was a challenge. There were times when he almost gave up. There were times when water was cascading down the ridge during heavy downpours.

The site near the final checkpoint was the most treacherous when it rained.

Every day, he spent seven to eight hours climbing and about the same time descending. Making one’s way down can be treacherous, especially when it is dark.

There were days he made it in good time, seven hours ascending and five hours descending. But there were few of such good days.

He had learnt his lesson in 2007 where he had planned to complete his feat in 50 days but only completed it in 60 days.

So in 2010 when he was unable to climb on one particular day, he summited thrice in two days. He completed his 111th climb in 111 days at 2pm on April 20,2010.

Just to give you an idea, a climber has to start at around 7am from Timpohon Gate at Kinabalu Park, normally climbing for six or seven hours to reach Laban Rata, about 6km away. It is a mandatory stop.

After a good rest and a few hours’ sleep, one has to start climbing at 2am to be able to reach Checkpoint Sayat-Sayat before 5am.

It will be another two hours of gruelling climbing to reach Low’s Peak, Mount Kinabalu’s highest point.

The wardens usually advise late arrivals to turn around after 5am.

For most people it is a once-in-a-lifetime achievement.

But climbing Mount Kinabalu 161 times is something else. It is almost an obsession for Mohd Noor.

Mount Kinabalu welcomes visitors and climbers. During the peak of the climbing season from April to June, at least 300 people registered to climb in a day.

But since the movement control order, about 100 are allowed with strict SOP.

I met Mohd Noor last week at a popular mamak restaurant in Bangsar. He had another surprise for me.

He is planning to climb Mount Kinabalu for 165 days this year or early next year.

To spend almost half a year climbing the same mountain every day borders on madness. But I am not surprised.

He joined Utusan Melayu group as a photojournalist in September 1993, a year after I joined as group editor. I had heard about his climbing skills even back then.

When Malaysia launched its Everest Project, Utusan Melayu was one of the co-sponsors and partners.

Naturally, his name was submitted to join the expedition scheduled for 1997. He trained at Mount Manali and Chaukhambha II in India.

He was part of the 1997 Malaysian quest to climb the highest mountain in the world, Everest at 8,848 metres.

He was with the climbers at Everest Base Camp. Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was the minister of Youth and Sports at the time.

At 2.30pm Malaysian time on May 23,1997, two Malaysians, M. Magendran and N. Mohandas reached the peak.

I have always wondered why he didn’t pursue his dream to climb Everest or other mountains.

His reply? “No sponsor, boss.”

But he firmly believes he can make mountaineering history back home.

Mohd Noor, born on Feb 2,1967 in Tepoh, Kuala Nerus, Terengganu has always challenged himself to carve his own name in Malaysia.

At one time he had seven entries in the Malaysian Book of Records.

On the 20th anniversary of KL Tower, he walked up and down the 2054 steps of the tower 21 times in 24 hours.

But it is Mount Kinabalu again that he has set his eyes on. He wants to be the only person in the world to climb the mountain 326 times!

Johan Jaaffar was a journalist, editor and for some years chairman of a media company, and is passionate about all things literature and the arts. And a diehard rugby fan. The views expressed here are the writer’s own.