Mt. Ophir Trip 13-16 Nov 06 (Episode 3)

As seen from Episode 2, we DID manage to make it to the peak of Ophir, thank God! Would have been such a waste and a big disappointment to the boys if we didn't make it to the top due to bad weather. But, afraid that the weather will suddenly take a turn for the worse, our instructions to the boys was to QUICKLY take the pic and vamoose in 3 minutes!! (the other instruction was to dive to the ground in the event that they felt their hairs stand due to and impending lightning strike..hehe.) In the end we stayed for I think less than 10 minutes..but definitely more than 3 minutes ;)

So this is P and I, obviously happy that we're up at the summit too ;)



















And this is me!!
Check out the sports walking stick in my right hand! :)












On the pic on the left below, is the view from the top of that steep wall I was talking about in Episode 2. P and most of the boys went down the same way they came up the steep wall. As for me, I didn't manage to convince myself that I wouldn't slip on my way down..so I went down by an alternative route (pic on the right) that's beside this rock wall surface, less steep but with the same kinda ropes and lack of safety precautions. So a few of the boys and I went down by the alternative route.




















I don't usually believe in psychoing myself into doing things, but as I made my way down the 2 rock surfaces, I was literally psychoing myself.. "I can do it..I can do it...I can do it..." I found myself repeating to myself. I suppose the slip on the wall the year before really left an imprint in my memory..........but in the end, I made it :) So that was personal goal no. 2 accomplished ;)

One thing about this trip that the previous one didn't have, was bees and leeches. I guess the leeches were around because of the wet weather. But this time round, we met many many bees along the way. And they were larger than the usual ones...commando bees man. Somehow they like to buzz around people..and seriously, I was a little freaked out by them, because of the buzzing sound. Cannot stand buzzing sounds around my ears!! Think 3 of our boys actually got stung....thankfully none developed allergic reactions.

2nd night at the campsite was much better, the weather really held up the entire day, and so during dinner, we all could stand/sit outside the tents to enjoy each others' company. After dinner majority of the cadets retired to their tents. P and I sat outside in the cool weather to chit chat....was really nice and relaxing to be away from busy Singapore and sitting in the middle of the forest in the cool of the night and chatting..

Till the last episode of Mt. Ophir.....tata....... :)