KLimbing Trip, GF2013

Last (Good Friday) long weekend marked a first as I took a drive up to KL for Camp 5. Caught up with Daffy again after a long time, met Edward for the first time and Reg Brian and I got the luxury of reclining on the backseat and gouging on an endless supply of Japanese snacks that D&E had brought along. Panda was the star of our road trip, and alternately called Panda Son and Rupert depending on whether he was in the safety of his parents’ arms or fighting for survival in the hands of his captives / being courted to the monkey on the dashboard. A blessing in disguise that Slumber wasn’t around to be abused. I didn’t know Gerry was coming to KL too (she and Sandra were last min additions to Junwei’s car with Jiasheng as 3 people had dropped out but the room was booked) - that turned out to be a happy surprise!

After the expected causeway jam on Second Link (we consoled ourselves that the jam at Woodlands would have been worse), off we went! I tried to stay awake all the way but the seat was too comfy. Took a break for lunch at Ayer Keroh, where D&E found A&W through the GPS (seriously technology, why you got to be so darn useful). The outlet did not have glass mugs, the air con might have been broken, the wash basin was clogged up and the place was generally wanting in cleanliness (and service). Nonetheless, brave soldiers that we are, we ploughed through crappy burgers and oily chicken to get at the ultimate prize of A&W root beer float. On hindsight we should’ve just bought the floats and got some Zingers.

Arrived in KL at One World hotel around 2-3pm. D&E checked in while R&B&me hung around the 5-star lobby gaping at the shiny floor (I kid not – it was blinding 0_o). After checking out their (bath)room, we entered the paradise that is One Utama shopping mall, and which I only just found out is apparently the 4th largest mall in the world (important fact that totally excuses all the getting lost I’ve managed in that place, time and time again).

First stop: marvelously accurate HK-style service in a HK mango dessert place (I think their motto might be ‘customer is never right’ or ‘customer service is… keeping them waiting then snapping at them’). Next, R popped into an eye shop to conduct her KL routine of canvassing for cheap(er) contact lens. Little did we imagine that her chance selection of the Paris Miki outlet at an obscure corner of the mall would lead to her 2 companions getting fitted for brand new glasses, because we couldn’t resist the cool lightweight bendy-flexy speckies or the top-notch optometric service we received there despite being lowly students – we might have been masquerading, or shall I put it ‘letting them believe as they would’. Grabbed a pair of flip flops (no more stupidly expensive yet not-say-quality-veh-good havananas) and by the time all that was done, it was time (ok ok, we were late) to hook up with the other gang who’d spent the time climbing instead of having desserts and buying barang-barang. Dinner at the trusty Japanese food place where everyone ordered what they always order and then a movie, The Croods! D snuck in snacks from The Snack Sack and R snuck illegal shots of the cinema screen and the couples snuckled on both my sides. Check-in to One Avenue hotel went smoothly as it always has, and we settled down for the night – my roommates comprised of one scared of the dark and one unable to sleep if it’s “too bright”, as in all the lights switched off AND the curtains drawn shut AND an eye mask on (not say I say what or what lah).

Day 2, Saturday, KLIMBING DAY! After a hearty (both metaphorically and from all the chicken skin I gobbled down perhaps literally too) meal of supposedly the best nasi lemak in KL, we’re off to Camp 5. Highly anticipated break in to my new galaxy chalkbag from @shuhoohui, new poofy Metolius ball and all. Joined the lead gang since the top rope area’s warm and crowded and IT’S LEAD! My day’s climbs brought on 2 realizations: 1) I do love lead, and 2) Lead don’t love me. Hence I need to practice endurance more in order to hangdog less and get in more climbs (: Plus, all the bridging on the bridging route was surprisingly crazy scary! My footwork (or at least my confidence in it) must have deteriorated from lack of use and attention, and also maybe I knew that if I fall, my seriously lightweight belayer Ms Kong would likely fly into the wall. I also took a pretty big lead fall from the last route, a result of being unable to clip into the anchor (thank you forearms for serving me well, I know it was a lot to ask given the lack of prior prep and I’m sure you did your best and let’s do better next time). Thankfully, despite the slab-ish part I fell onto, the impact only left me a couple of little blue blacks. After climbing, we had dinner at Fish&Co and played bowling after (rather, everyone else played while I pranced around in pink & purple bowling shoes deftly sliding the balls super accurately into the longkangs). They played pool after and G,S and I were toocool4pool hence we went down to get some supper and found sushi. Perfect.

Classic Hanging-from-boulder-wall Camp 5 shot :) Spot Panda-san!

New awesome geeky (couple) specs

Lightweight belayer and heavyweight butt

Classic changing room mirror shot + Panda-san's fat head

Happy to be at Camp 5!

Punishment for my greed and stupidity

The worse injury I attained from this trip turned out to come from greed and foolishness instead of climbing – the next morning, running into a Killiney Kopitiam to overtake a family in placing my order for breakfast, I tripped on a curb and fell splat. As in, my big toe stubbed the floor and I lunged into the shop with such propelling force that I brought a couple of innocent by-standing chairs down with me. And there I lay on the coffee shop floor, pain in my bleeding toe and the shop gaping at this stupid girl ruining their morning peace. R helped me up. In a true mark of a good friend, I don’t think she even laughed (at least not right then. Or maybe I hit my ear too and was temporarily deaf). Joined the rest at their famous dim sum place and swallowed down my Killiney chee cheong fun which sauce was too thick and too salty. But the (egg) tart and (egg) custard bun were good.

We split up again after breakfast and after getting our requisite shots of caffeine, D&E&R&B&I were off in the opposite direction back to Sg. An unanticipated traffic jam on the highway just after we’d departed KL blew our soft plans to drop by Malacca for lunch and we zoomed down all the way to JB after a petrol / dirty toilet break. Proud of my Nexus 7 for lasting the trip’s reading and some surfing without requiring charging at all! Until the checkpoint, but still not bad. We’d intended to find R’s recommended ‘lok lok’ place to eat but it wasn’t open yet and we ate at an Old Town outlet instead then spent about 2 hours in the jam, mainly on the Malaysia checkpoint side. Reached home more tired than I thought I’d be and I might have fallen asleep on the sofa while eating. Goodnight KL, until next time!

Note for future: I spent about RM400 not counting specs. And One Avenue provides towels.