In a time gone by, there was said to be a powerful dragon guarding a beautiful pearl at the very top of Low's Gully. In the 19th Century a Chinese expedition attempted unsuccessfully to steal the gemstone from the mythical monster. The wise dragon then laid down a curse on the Chinese and anybody else that foolishly dared to set foot in the gully again - they would be doomed
In February 1994 a British Army expedition comprising of two officers, five NCOs and three Hong Kong Chinese soldiers set out to become the first to climb Mount Kinabalu and enter and conquer Low's Gully.
During the accent of the mountain the men split acrimoniously into two groups of five. The fitter soldiers pushing on up to the 13450 ft summit whilst the slower men including the two officers laboured far behind. On the summit, the advance party decided not to wait for the other group to catch up. They descended north into Easy Gully (a hanging (jungle-infested) valley above Low's Gully); to the edge of a 500 ft vertical rock face requiring an 8 pitch abseil down; before negotiating a mile long section of waterfalls and rapids (also needing abseils), just to reach the head of Low's Gully. Dropping 2000 feet in the process - there was no going back
The slower group, led by Lt. Col. Robert Neil also entered the gully, but by now they had been left to try and navigate out of the treacherous gorge by themselves
The expedition made world headlines when it ended in disaster, with all the men lucky to escape alive from the Place of the Dead
On September 20th 1994 Major General Patrick Cordingley took the unusual step of publicly announcing the findings of an Army Board of Inquiry into Operation Gully Heights. Lieutenant Colonel Robert Neil and Major Ronald Foster were both severely criticised. The Inquiry said their leadership and judgement had been "flawed and over-ambitious". Corporal Hugh Brittan, Lance Corporals Richard Mayfield and Yiu Keung Cheung each received commendations for their conduct, bravery and leadership in Low's Gully.
This film is a dramatisation of those events; which was shown on British television in 1997. A follow-up documentary titled 'Return to the Place of the Dead'. With two of the men, Richard Mayfield and Robert Mann returning back to the gully (by helicopter and with a local guide); to search unsuccessfully for lost video tapes they filmed during the expedition, was also aired a few days after the film.
In February 1994 a British Army expedition comprising of two officers, five NCOs and three Hong Kong Chinese soldiers set out to become the first to climb Mount Kinabalu and enter and conquer Low's Gully.
During the accent of the mountain the men split acrimoniously into two groups of five. The fitter soldiers pushing on up to the 13450 ft summit whilst the slower men including the two officers laboured far behind. On the summit, the advance party decided not to wait for the other group to catch up. They descended north into Easy Gully (a hanging (jungle-infested) valley above Low's Gully); to the edge of a 500 ft vertical rock face requiring an 8 pitch abseil down; before negotiating a mile long section of waterfalls and rapids (also needing abseils), just to reach the head of Low's Gully. Dropping 2000 feet in the process - there was no going back
The slower group, led by Lt. Col. Robert Neil also entered the gully, but by now they had been left to try and navigate out of the treacherous gorge by themselves
The expedition made world headlines when it ended in disaster, with all the men lucky to escape alive from the Place of the Dead
On September 20th 1994 Major General Patrick Cordingley took the unusual step of publicly announcing the findings of an Army Board of Inquiry into Operation Gully Heights. Lieutenant Colonel Robert Neil and Major Ronald Foster were both severely criticised. The Inquiry said their leadership and judgement had been "flawed and over-ambitious". Corporal Hugh Brittan, Lance Corporals Richard Mayfield and Yiu Keung Cheung each received commendations for their conduct, bravery and leadership in Low's Gully.
This film is a dramatisation of those events; which was shown on British television in 1997. A follow-up documentary titled 'Return to the Place of the Dead'. With two of the men, Richard Mayfield and Robert Mann returning back to the gully (by helicopter and with a local guide); to search unsuccessfully for lost video tapes they filmed during the expedition, was also aired a few days after the film.