Motivated by the excitement of the day to come we got up at 0230 and headed up to the restaurant for 'supper'. Once we arrived we managed some toast and egg before realising it was actually way to early for food and instead made sure we were well hydrated with tea and orange juice.

Able to leave most stuff in the rooms until later we packed our pockets with water and snacks, donned our head torches and set off as one of the last groups at 0300 in the morning. We promptly then spent the next hour over taking all the slower groups heading up at a painful pace. Once we got past the crowded staircases we started the roped ascent up the steep rock. Glad for our gloves we pulled and scrambled our way up onto the open plateau above where any plants could grow and made our way along the top of the mountain to the highest peak.

The white rope provided a clear trail to the summit in the dark but the altitude made the going slow. Luckily we had timed our walking well and arrived on the freezing summit only 5 minutes before sunrise. Huddled against what rock shelter we could find we stood in awe as the sun rose illuminating the peaks and cliffs of the mountain. A quick picture with the sign marking it as the highest point in SE Asia, 4095.2m, and we began the descent, taking regular photo stops as the sunshine spread and the clouds swirled around us.

I found going down much harder than the climb, as my knees struggled to take the strain. I used the ropes as much as possible and we got back down to the restaurant for 8, just in time for the buffet breakfast. Overcoming the nausea I had felt for most of the climb due to the altitude, I tucked into a full English, and made the most of having cereal provided. Deciding that there was still a lot of downhill to go I brought a wooden stick from reception and fashioned a wrist brace from surgical tape before we headed to pack up and vacate our room.

After the welcome break, and the addition of the stick, my knees felt much better and we headed down the mountain, cheering on those heading up. Everyone is really friendly wishing you congratulation and good luck, taking the time to stop and chat (or maybe it is just an excuse to have a break) and it made the route much easier and enjoyable.

As the markers counted down the kilometres to go (with each sign getting further and further apart) we finally made it to the final 0.5km sign and headed for the Trail Gate with renewed enthusiasm. We were cheered up the final steps before registering at the gate to say we had returned and getting our transfer back to Park HQ.

We stopped off at the Park reception to pick up our well earned certificates and say goodbye to our guide before enjoying a lovely buffet lunch in the restaurant. Taking some time to relax and recover (or in Emma's case, go off on one of the Park's walks) we chilled out before catching a taxi back to KK and settling in for an early night.