Wayne Dill’s journal about his participation in the Kota Kinabalu Challenge in Borneo continues here where Mr Dill sets out on the hard trek to Laban Rata, part of the way up Mount Kinabalu, the largest mountain in south east Asia. He took part in the challenge to raise money for Raleigh International. For more information see the website, www.raleigh.bm.Day 6: Thursday March 8, 2012.Breakfast is all about fuelling up for the trek. My rucksack is packed to a minimum and is filled with a lunch and water. And a few items of clothing.We queue up in teams at the gate to the trail and set off in two-minute intervals.At the one kilometre mark all of Saheb’s advice resonates: dress in as little as possible. I’m sweating profusely, my glasses are fogged over and the effort is getting the better of me. I remind myself, slow and steady, short easy steps; find a rhythm in my walking. It’s been an hour and I still have 6.5 km to go.Sophia from the China team catches up to me at the 2km marker. We take pictures of each other. “I collect mountains,” she says. “Slow and steady, be helpful to yourself.” It’s the last time I see her on the trail to Laban Rata. She is singing as she effortlessly walks away in a sure and powerful stride.My rucksack feels like a million pounds and my knees hurt. A young woman walks by wearing a grey mini dress, purple tights and white shoes. Her dress is bunched up around her waist and she appears completely oblivious to this fact.I rest for a 15-minute lunch at 5km. There is a family here having lunch and I decide to join them. A young man offers me chocolate and the gesture is unbelievably kind. Liza arrives and tells me that Dueane Dill is having difficulty with cramps and is out of water. I hand over the water purifying tablets and set out for the remaining 2.5 km to Laban Rata. There is nothing I can do or offer to assist Dueane in any way.At 6km I am completely exhausted. My right hand is so swollen that I can hardly close it. My knees are throbbing and I set my watch to alarm every 15 minutes and try to keep moving: slow and steady. This is now a laborious difficulty of nightmarish proportions.It’s been six hours of trekking and I have 500ml of water left. I’m at the 7km marker. Five hundred metres feels like light years away. I start begging God for strength, reciting the mantra of “slow and steady”.A building comes into view and I see Zul on the balcony. It is a moment of absolute euphoria and intense relief. Everyone comes out to cheer and applaud my effort. Inside the hostel at Laban Rata, I peel off stinking clothes @ man do they stink! I eat and drink and very quickly, all is right with the world. Dueane is welcomed with great fanfare, admiration and warmth. Despite the competition it is a moment of sheer camaraderie. Unforgettable!