宜兰雪山;

It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.  

- Edmund Hillary 

Gotta pen down everything before the the trip get to the back of my mind, and also as a closure for the year. So..here it begins, my virgin trip up an average mountain at a height of 3886m for entry level hikers. Well, technically we began the climb at an elevation of 2000m so the  trail distance was reduced to 10.9km to reach the peak. A short two day one night hike, but it was truly a test of mental fortitude rather than physical strength for me, an unique, thrilling and rewarding experience albeit I constantly questioned myself during the hike: why am I doing this; what am I gaining from this; is all these pain worthwhile etc. Not forgetting all the self murmuring that 'me will never do this again' during the long way down from summit. But as ironic as it sounds, just like what Gerald, our leader told me; mountaineers have short term memories, as much as they can complain for all they want during the trail, they forget all the pain once they get back on the ground. And somehow I'm feeling it already, to be on the top of a mountain is a gift from the nature - the finest beauty.  

Unique; definitely. Along the trial I was greeted by different terrains, the lalang fields, the man-made steps, the muddy path, the rock piles, the black forests, the rockfall zone, the iced path, the exfoliated mountain sides, the sandy slopes. Everything was eye opening for me. I did have some guesses on how the trail will turn out to be prior to the trip, but what I experienced was certainly more than what I imagined. 

 Rewarding. Stunning views, sceneries that you don't get in everyday life, caught a beautiful sunset before the sky falls into complete darkness during the night. Photo above credits to Andrew who spent most of the night setting up his tripod to capture the night sky, but to be there witnessing it with my own eyes was the most rewarding moment of the trip. And to be frank, the actual night was way more impressive than this photo alone. I have never seen so much stars ever, feeling so surreal while the group of us lie flat on the ground, refused to stay in the hut despite the subzero weather at night. It's a pity that I didn't catch the shooting stars while some of the rest did, but I'm sure I will cross path with it someday. 

Thrilled. My biggest fear during the hike came from the first 500m or so coming down from the summit, it was indeed very challenging both mentally and physically to suppress the fear that I might just roll down the mountain while we come down from the steep rocky mountain top. I could feel every muscle in me tensed up, taking baby steps as I semi-crawl across the hardest part of the journey down. Just so thankful that I didn't roll down from the steepest parts and eventually step my feet on the ground again.

What goes up has to come down, coming down from the mountain remains as the toughest part of the hike personally. It was a good note to end the year I would say, something I have never tried in life. I'm not sure how likely I will go for another hike like this but definitely no regrets. In fact we seldom regret stepping out of comfort zones in life, or at least for me. Life is short, and there are so much more of the world to see. All experiences in life are equally valuable. :)