Mt. Kinabalu

At just under 4100 meters, Mt. Kinabalu is the highest trekkable mountain in South East Asia. It rises 2500 meters in altitude on a path that is 8700 meters long!

After spending one night at the Park Headquarters (1600 meters) I set off with two other travelers and a guide at 8:00AM up the trail towards Laban Rata at 3300 meters. It takes just over five hours of uphill climbing (2500 stairs in addition to the incline!) punctuated with seven rest stops for water refills and trips to the tandas (toilet) before we make it there.

Laban Rata is where we stay for the night before waking up at 2:30AM and making the ascent to the summit to catch the sunrise. But all I care about when I first get there is FOOD. More than being tired, I'm starving. And as I wolf down two plates of whatever, I realize that the porters (men and women, young and old) that we saw coming down the mountain as we were climbing up, hand-carried all the food and supplies. They make this trip every single day with 40 kilogram packs so that I can have Pataya Fried Rice and fresh fruit! Damn.