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Mount Kinabalu is the tallest trekable mountain in South
East Asia. This means you won't need climbing gear or mountain
climbing experience to reach the peak. Some days at the peak
are better than others, when the peak gets fogged in and you
get no view. You've just got to take a chance. I was lucky
when I went. It was perfect at the top.
From Kota Kinabalu, you take the express bus on the Road
to Ranau. The Road is a winding, uphill battle against torrential
rains, slick roads, smoke from mining explosions and thick
fog.
The base of Mount Kinabalu National Park is 1600 meters above
sea-level. Around the lodges are a bunch of trails. The Kiau
View Trail has two lookout points with disappointing views
from both. Same with the Bundu Tuhan View Trail. The interior
trails were short, pleasant walks along streams where there's
more chance of seeing wildlife.
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There are short trails
around Park Headquarters that are perfect for spending the afternoon
acclimatizing before the early start the next morning. |
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Get a good night's sleep because early the next morning everyone
gathers at Park Headquarters to meet up with the guides. You
can hire your own guide if you're traveling alone or with
others. Or, you can ask to join a group.
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Our guide Simba takes a
rest on high ground. |
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It's a constant upward
climb. |
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January 13, 2001
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.
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As we near Laban Rata,
the fog starts to set in. |
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In the fog, rhododendrons
give the trail an eery feel. |
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We're getting near the
treeline. |
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Sunset from Laban Rata. |
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| Laban Rata is like paradise when you arrive. It's
warm and there are (almost) hot showers. If you don't have a
jacket, you can rent one here. You'll need it. The peak is absolutely
freezing and if you think you can survive with anything less
than a thick jacket, think again. Get to sleep early, because
you'll wake up at 2:30AM to eat breakfast and start your ascent
to the summit. You've got to make it there by sunrise. Get used
to the altitude. Some people get sick on the climb to the peak.
You can take acetazolamide to suppress the symptoms but Lonely
Planet advises against it. I had some and didn't take it. |
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The view from the peak at sunrise is like nothing you'll
ever experience. After huffing and puffing through the thin
air for several hours, pulling yourself hand over hand up
ropes and dragging your body over boulders, the peak is a
dark, cold, uncomfortable rest spot.
And if you happened to get there early then you've got to
wait there for the sunrise in the pitch black dark huddled
with all the other climbers, freezing.
But as soon as the first glimmer of light shoots through
the opposite peak, everything comes into view and everyone
forgets about the cold. Some whip off their gloves and pull
out their cameras. Others just watch and take it in.
The feeling of being on top of the clouds is extraordinary.
Most people take their pictures and start their descent. I
stuck around until everyone else had gone.
Down below, Simba, our guide, was waving wildly at me.
I didn't want to come down.
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| The climb down is quick. Quicker still if you
decide to let gravity help and run down the mountain. It actually
takes more energy to try and climb down slowly since most of
your effort is used slowing yourself down. Two other backpackers
and I jogged down the hill and got to the bottom in no time. |
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Heading down the mountain,
this guide is taking a picture... |
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...of all of us huddled
together at the last rest stop before the summit. |
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Laban Rata. |
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After taking a shower at Park Headquarters, I jumped on the
express bus towards Sandakan. There's only a couple of these
a day and sometimes they're full, so you've got to be lucky.
A lot of people just head over to Poring Hot Springs to soak
and relax after conquering the summit. I headed straight for
Sepilok and the Orangutans.
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