Turn the camera back to the more normal orientation, shift the angle slightly to the left and below I've posted an alternate interpretation of my Norwegian friend admiring the view.
My Italian friend was just out of the frame to the right, capturing his own images so he's not hiding in plain sight in this shot.
Most of the plateau at the summit of Mount Kinabalu is just barren granodiorite but in some of the more sheltered spots a few hardy plants clung to the rock for a life largely undisturbed by man. We're about a half-kilometer off the beaten track here. At my back is another large rock formation that provides a degree of shelter from the winds blowing from the east.
On the closer ridges of the Crocker Range at the bottom left of the photo you can see the radio masts that the trail runs by. A little further to the right and up you can see the complex of buildings at the Park HQ. Behind the Park HQ there;s a ridge and behind that ridge, the blanket of cloud shrouds the rainforest.
Shortly after taking this photo we'd make our way back to the trail and set off on the 10 km hike back to the Park HQ. From there I would take a minibus to Kota Kinabalu and a rather nice hotel with a rather nice shower and very comfortable bed.
But that was all ahead of me. Here I was admiring the view myself and trying not to think about climbing down that massive staircase I'd climbed up less than 24 hours prior.
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