I has been a very long time since I climbed Mount Kinabalu beyond Layang-Layang Hut. The last climb was in 2008 up to Low’s Peak and I can still remember the views of the majestic mountain. I participated in the last two Climbathon events – 2013 & 2014 – but those climbathon route did not includes the peak. The routes were only up to Layang-Layang Hut before we have to go down along Mesilau Trail.

A new expedition begins this 2015. I was invited to join our well known author on Kinabalu, Dr Ravi Mandalam’s team to conquer Mount Kinabalu – King George’s Peak (13,326 ft / 4,062 m asl). You can buy his book through Amazon at the link below this post.

King George’s Peak is situated on the Eastern Plateau of Kinabalu. The trail to the peak is the same as the Summit Trail to Low’s Peak, up until a junction just before Sayat-Sayat Hut, in which Eastern Plateau climbers will have to make a turn to the right. There are series of vertical ladders on the route along this trail, and I suppose, safety gear is a must on this route.

Climber’s route on Mount Kinabalu, Eastern and Western Plateau

I wrote about Eastern Plateau climb years before, and you can read about it here:

http://mount-kinabalu-borneo.com/blog/eastern-plateau-of-kinabalu-alternative-climbing-route-for-hardcore-climbers.html

As this is my first Mount Kinabalu expedition to King George’s Peak and my first true climb to the peaks after more than 5 years, I am very excited and anxious. My goal this time is to reach the peak safely and back with a lot of photos and video footage of the climb and I want to share it with all Kinabalu Blog readers. Wish me luck!

Photo borrowed from http://arrie6879.blogspot.com/2013/07/climbing-to-eastern-plateauking-george.html

I have been preparing the mandatory kit list for the climb since late last year. These will be the list of things that I will bring up to the mountain and hopefully all the items will weigh less than 8kg. Otherwise it will be too heavy. I am trying to be a minimalist climber this time. Haha.

My personal checklist for Eastern Plateau 2015 Mount Kinabalu Climb:

1. Salomon Sense Mantra shoes (the same shoes that I used for Hasuu Tasuu Trail Run (23km) and Mount Kinabalu International Climbathon 2014)
2. Adidas thick wool socks
3. 3/4 Adidas pants
4. 2 pieces of undergarment
5. Bath Towel
6. Sejadah
7. Kain Sarong
8. Toothbrush and Bodyshop soap
9. Red T-shirt (I grew up in STAR)
10. Cap with neck-flap (Japanese army style)
11. Buff scarf
12. Hong Kong Disneyland Raincoat
13. Thick 4Life Jacket
14. Compression T-shirt (white long sleeve)
15. Cargo pants
16. Eastpack (backpack)
17. Suunto Ambit 3R watch with HRM & Cable
18. Power bank & cable
19. Glove (Contractor)
20. Hiking pole
21. Headlight
22. Battery AAA (Energizer pack)
23. Electrolytes (Nuun) 1 tube
24. Sandal
25. Ultimate Direction Hydration pack with bottles
26. Bike bracket
27. White charger plug
28. Food – chocolate, nuts, grains, powerbar
29. Handphone & waterproof cover
30. Waterproof Plastic 4Life (cover layer inside the bag)
31. Deuter dry bag
32. Black OBW2014 T-shirt (for solat)
33. Handphone lanyard
34. Emergency Whistle

Anymore suggestion on the climber’s item? If you came here to find out the climber’s checklist for Mount Kinabalu expedition, this can be a good guideline. Add or deduct any item that you feel necessary. I will post a photo of all the items that I am going to bring along for you to see.

Cheers!