KOTA KINABALU: It is quite unusual to see someone walking in reverse, more so when it comes to scaling a mountain.
However, it is not something novel nor odd for disabled farmer Edward Taning, 59, who is attempting to climb Mount Kinabalu in reverse to raise funds for the community in Ranau.
Dubbed Edward Gostaning Project Summit Kinabalu, it is aimed at raising funds for Pusat Pemulihan Dalam Komuniti, which needs them for bus transportation and to build a hall for SK Bundu Tuhan.
“Climbing the mountain in reverse is something different. I’ve done it in 1992, where I started walking from Inanam town and up the mountain. It took me 61 hours.
“Despite my disability, I want to prove to others that all of us can do the impossible. This is something I want to do for charity.”
Taning said this prior to paying a courtesy call on Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal at the Sabah Administrative Centre here, along with the project committee members, who are mostly from the Kinabalu Mountain Guides Association.
In the past, Taning, who has cerebral palsy, had also raised funds for charity for the disabled and rural schools by walking in reverse from Sandakan to Penampang district in 2009.
The farmer from Kampung Mang-kaladong in Kiulu also did a similar charity walk from Lahad Datu to Kota Kinabalu in 2012.
The climb is organised and assisted by Kinabalu Mountain Guides Association. It aims to raise RM500,000. Its deputy chairman II, Richard Soibi, who also acts as project supervisor, said the solo climb would take six days beginning March 8.
He said the climb would start from the Timpohon Gate and end at Kiau Gap, the observation platform.
“I’m sure with Taning’s experience, it will be a success. It is our hope that the chief minister will become the patron of this project.
“We also seek support from the Chief Minister’s Department for the fund collection and donors to be exempted from tax,” said Soibi.
Apart from raising money for the disabled and school, he said the project aimed to collect funds to purchase items for the mountain guide’s hostel at the Panalaban base camp.