Would
you prefer to print out this information? Find out how.
You
will arrive in Laban
Rata (on the Summit Trail of Mount
Kinabalu)
at
about 2.00pm the most. You
can have some meals to
regain
back your energy in the resthouse's restaurant. Bear in mind that the
prices of the food there is quite expensive. It is because the raw
material are brought up there everyday - by foot. For
example,
the ordinary 'mee goreng' (fried mee) is about RM8.00 to RM10.00 per
plate (normally it would cost about RM3.50 everywhere else). Be
prepared with some extra money, so that you can have your meals
properly - at about 10,000 feet above sea level!
The restaurant serve
local and some western dishes.
Most of the Mount
Kinabalu
climbers will sleep
early, the latest is at 9.00pm after having dinner. It is because you
have to wake up early - at about
2.00am, to continue for the second
phase of the climb. If you
are susceptible to mountain sickness,
you may feel some headache,
nausea, muscle ache and giddiness just before dinner time. You can take
some medication to relieve the symptoms before you go to sleep. If you
want to know more, check through medical
advice
page.
The next phase
of climb will begins
at about 3.00am, when you are woken for an early breakfast (at least a
hot drink is advisable). You do not have to bring your alarm clock, as
the noise of other climbers and guides will definitely wake you up. The
restaurant is open at that time, but you can have you own hot drinks at
your own hostel. As there will be only one stop
at Sayat-Sayat
Hut
for
another registration, given a whistle for safety precaution and
refilling your water, it is advisable for you to bring your own small
water bottle. You will now head up to the Summit of Borneo
- the Low's
Peak.
Above Laban
Rata,
the trail continues
as a series of wooden ladders, fashioned out tree roots and branches.
This is where a good torchlight is essential. As most of the time you
have to hold something for stability, it is best if you have a
headlight. This gives way to flatter, more easy walking just below Sayat-Sayat,
when the true edge of the tree-line is reached. It would
take about 45 minutes to Sayat-Sayat.
This is the highest mountain hut
at 3810 meters (12,500 feet). The dwarfed vegetation at this altitude
contrast sharply with enormous silver black dome of the summit.
At some places, the trail
is
about 70°!
Never
leave the rope!
Ropes are fixed
at difficult places,
but these are more to inspire confidence than from necessity. Please be
close to the rope. You would
not get lost if you stay close by. There
are some places where the trail is very steep, almost 70°
angle. Be
very careful.
Sunrise
from Low's Peak, the highest peak of Mount Kinabalu. The rail behind
prevent you from falling into Low's
Gully.
Tough grasses
and other plants cling
to rock cervices, flowering and fruiting only a few centimeters tall.
You will pass the 8km mark with the South
Peak
and St.
John's Peak on
your left. From here the bare granite slabs stretch endlessly ahead to
the pile of jumbled rocks that is Low's
Peak
- reached at last in time
to catch the sunrise.
The view of the
surrounding peaks is
magnificent. By 6.00am, you will be able to see most of the peak very
clearly. This is usually the best time to take pictures of the sunrise
and the peak. By 7.00am, most of the climbers will start to climb down
the summit, back to Laban Rata.
On the way down,
try to ask your
guide to show you what they call it as 'sacrifice
pool'.
It is actually
a pond where the early explorers reported that their Kadazandusun
guides performed religious ceremonies to appease the spirit of the
mountain as well as the ancestral spirits who lived there. If you are
lucky and the the weather is cold enough, you can see a layer of ice
formed on the surface of the pond.
The
'sacrifice pool'. No, they are not going to be sacrificed. Notice the
white stripe on the left? It is an alpite (quartz) dyke.
Further
down on
your right will be
the South
Peak. If the weather is
clear, you will also be able to see
Kundasang and Ranau town from here. Along the summit plateau, you will
walk down with your Ugly
Sister's Peak
and Donkeys
Ears on your left.
Soon, you will arrive at Sayat-Sayat
Hut
and you can refill your water bottle with the mountain
water. (Some climbers keep the water from Sayat-Sayat
as a souvenir -
it's the water from 13,000 feet above sea level). 45 minutes later, you
will arrive in Laban Rata.
Sitting
at summit plateau with Kundasang small town at the background.
Another
view at the summit plateau of Mount Kinabalu.
Most of the
climbers will
arrive at Laban
Rata at about 9.00am. You can
now prepare yourself and your backpack
for the descent. If you arrive early, try not to sleep. It will
actually worsen your body, especially if you are prone to have acute
mountain
sickness. Pack quickly, have some breakfast, check out from Laban Rata
and climb down with your guide - slowly. If you do not have enough
training
before the climb, this would be the most difficult part for
you. When climbing down, you are exhausted and most of you weight will
fall on both of your thighs, knees and the ball of your foot. Be very
careful. Most of the accidents happens during the decent.
Donkey's Ears Peak.
If you start
climbing down at
10.00am, you will arrive at Timpohon
Gate
at about 1.00pm. There will
be a bus waiting for you there to pick you up and send you to the Kinabalu Park HQ
office where you will be given certificate. If you
reached the summit, you will be
given nice colourful certificate, but
if you only arrive at Sayat-Sayat
or only Laban
Rata (that should n
be if you prepare for the climb), you will only be given black and
white certificate - signed by your guide.
Wonderful experience, not very difficult, but the hike back down is brutal on your knees and thighs. Spend some time in a gym getting those muscles in shape first!
Mei Lian Dickey Wanaka, NZ
Posted at 12:58pm on Sunday, November 30th, 2008
Great web page. Some girlfriends climbed the Mt to celebrate their 50th in October. I missed out and was pleased to stumble on this page to see what has changed. I climbed the Mt in 1981 before heated showers! Unfortunately it rained so we never made it to the top. My aim to make the climb again certainly before 55!
Azrina Kota Kinabalu
Posted at 1:21pm on Monday, November 17th, 2008
Hi Pascal,
If you are planning to climb Mt Kinabalu, it is advisable to book the accomodation. You can do this by clicking to their website, www.suterasanctuarylodges.com.my/kinabalu_park.php but they will only book the accomodation for you, to arrange mountain climbing permit, insurance, mountain guide and porter you have to do yourself. If you would prefer someone to help you with all this stuff, you can go to any tour company and ask them to help you but ofcourse they will charge you depending on which tour company you went to. Approximately they will charge ranging from RM800 to RM1500 per person. For this arrangement, it is all inclusive of transportation, meals, accomodation, mountain guide, entrance fee etc. For the certificate, you have to pay on your own. Wish you luck on your trip :)
Pascal Hong_kong
Posted at 3:58pm on Tuesday, October 14th, 2008
Hey there,
is it possible to climb the mountain without a guide or do you have to book a tour?
angie Canberra
Posted at 7:04pm on Tuesday, September 30th, 2008
Hi,
Can anyone tell me the best time of year to climb Mt Kinabalu? I am planning on going in December but I hear it's monsoon season at that time in Sabah.
Jonathan Kuala Lumpur
Posted at 4:59pm on Tuesday, September 2nd, 2008
Thanks david chew for the valuable information u shared here. It helped us a lot. Thank god, we reached the low's peak on 25 Aug. Great experience indeed.
Jason Vancouver
Posted at 5:59am on Wednesday, August 27th, 2008
I am scheduled to climb Kinabalu with my sons ages 11 and 9 in December. We are all very fit.
Question 1: is this hike suitable for kids? Question 2: On Day 2 start,do you have to start at 2:30AM? Question 3: What is the latest you would start on Day 2 in order to get all the way back down to the park entrance? Question 4: is there any dangerous sections where you might fall? Appreciate any advice. jcagray@hotmail.com
Melanie Singapore
Posted at 6:07pm on Sunday, July 20th, 2008
Just return from KK. It was an amazing trip. Never thought i would ever make it, well i did!
Mersilau trail started at 950am reaching Laban Rata-345pm. Night climb 235am reaching the peak 540am. Everyone along the way were very helpful.To me desending is the worst of the whole climb(11am-330pm, my toe nails were painful and both of mine leg has give up on me.
I really appreacited and enjoyed some of the people i met along the way, all are very helpful and special thanks to all my KL team mates. Tips: Be confident and never give up on yourself.
David Chew Penang Malaysia
Posted at 3:54pm on Thursday, July 17th, 2008
The Night Climb Experience
All of us did not sleep for the whole night despite hiking through Mersilau’s trial, maybe we were too excited or perhaps it was too early too sleep. There is no electrical socket in the room in Laban Rata for you to charge your hand phone or re-chargeable battery needless to say about TV or any nightlife. You are expected to sleep at 7pm and there are signs that warn you against making any noise after 8pm. The beds were quaky every time somebody move and the door give out a loud sound, the heater were too hot, don’t turn it on if you are comfortable wearing your jackets to sleep. I think the electricity will be cut off after 9 pm and will only be on again by 1.30am, keep your head lamp beside you as the power trip is very frequent there.
By 1.30am there will be a lot of noise, every now and then you’ll hear a “boom” sound, somebody just jumped down from the double story bed to the wooden floor and everybody is busy preparing for the climb. There is no hot water in the toilet and washing your face with the icy cold tab water will definitely make you fresh. Eat as much power or energy bars for breakfast as you will need a lot of energy for the next 6 hours. After your breakfast it is advisable to take 2 pcs of anti nausea table as most of the people will have altitude sickness. It will get worse when you climb up later. Don’t bring too much weight, a bottle of 500 ml water will not be enough but you can re-fill at the check point. Bring some chocolates to help you to boost your energy later. Reload the batteries on your camera ahead as most of the people will arrive at the summit plus minus a few minutes during the sunrise. You can’t afford to lose any second at that moment as it is the most valuable moment of the whole journey. If your gloves are not water proof bring some latex glove and wear it first before putting on the cotton gloves, there is a high chance of raining or your hand will be in contact with water during the climb. The outside temperature will be approx 3 to 8 degree Celcius and sometimes the wind can be quite strong, for Asian people who are not used to cold weather put on more clothes and don’t under estimate the weather. The best shoe for this climb will be the “kampong adidas” rubber molded shoe with soft studs which you can purchase very cheaply at Tamparuli (opposite library) or at Kundasang market.
Check with your guide what time the sun will rise and how long he estimated you to reach the peak, our guide advised us to leave at 2.15am but due to our lateness we depart at 2.45am and we reached the summit approx 5 to 10 minutes after the sunrise. My advise is always trust and listen to your guide he know what is the best for you.
The night journey started with the rocky trail to the smaller building above the main building at Laban Rata. After that there will be a lot of wooden staircase which were quite slippery and wet. People seem to be climbing in a straight line and just after 5 minutes you’ll see some people stop to have a rest. Well the oxygen is thin and you’ll get tired very easily, after a while you’ll reach an area where there is a white rope. This is where the real climb begun. There is no more soil and plant after here, there are just big boulders. If the climb is steep hold on the rope tightly and take a steady step each time. Look out the people in front of you, they may just stop at the middle of the 45 degree cliff. When you climbed up this first 45 degree cliff you are actually at the edge of another big cliff, at this time you won’t see much as it is too dark, actually the cliff on your right is about 200 meters down. OK I shouldn’t scare you but just lean your body near to the wall and hold on the rope tight and walk steadily, if should be fine. After a while you’ll reached the check point, by then you’ll consumed more than half of your water and remember to refill it here.
After this it is quite safe, the path will be very wide but by this time you are already tired, your legs are pain, your head is heavy and you are having difficulties in gasping the air. Forget all that just take a long breath via your mouth and nose at the same time and take a small step at a time. Just keep moving and don’t stop. It was tough and a lot of people were almost giving up. Your guide will be your motivator, he’ll stand beside you and motivate you to move on. I saw some people just walk 1 to 2 inches a step and the head was always down like a zombie. My wife crawled with both her hands and feet and one of our friends sit down and slide on his buttock going backwards, the other guy asked our guide if he can get the certificate if he gave up at this point. I bend my head down and walk with my feet bend open like a penguin and stop for a while in 20 feet or so. No matter what it is or how you chose to do it just kept on moving.
At approx 4.30 am you’ll see the peak which was printed on our one Ringgit note on your left ( if the sky is bright enough and there are no clouds ) after a while you’ll see a bright orange color lamp post ahead you, well that is the summit. By this time you can see there is a line of head lamps of people ahead of you, they are already climbing up the summit, at this moment this is my greatest motivation, I managed to walk faster and catch up with my team members and then took over them.
Then we reached the foot of the final peak, but I saw there was an orange light on my right, damn!!!! That was the sunrise on the horizon and we were at the bottom of the last peak, our guide told us that if you still want to take some photographs of the sunrise you got to climb up the last peak in less than 3 minutes or you’ll missed it, ( the last peak is blocking the view of the sunrise, you have to get on top in order to see the sunrise ) At this point I couldn’t careless about my tiredness, breathing difficulties or what so ever. I just took a very deep breath and I dashed to the summit by using both of my hands and feet without stopping. I was panting like a horse when I reached the summit. At that time there were about 30 to 40 person whom already reached the summit. The first person I saw was an “aunty” aged about 50 to 55 years old we met during our Mersilau’s trail she was waving to me. Damn again……despite hard training and going to the gym for last 6 months I lost at an “aunty”???? Damn lousy I am….or maybe she used to be an athlete. Without wasting any time I took out my camera and started to photograph the amazing view of the sunrise, this is what it is all about, to enjoy the sunrise at almost 4100 meters above sea level. It was simply amazing and made all the effort you put it worth. Nevertheless after just taking 5 photos my camera ran out of batteries, damn I should changed it yesterday. By the time I’ve change the batteries the sunrise has finished, the sky was not orange anymore.
At time everybody started to pose at the Low’s peak signboard, it is a very small space, the highest peak is just a piece of rock measuring 1 to 2 cubic meters. So quickly take your photos and give way to the others. Most people would spend about 30 to 45 minutes at the summit area despite the guide’s advised which was just 15 minutes. On the way coming down from the summit there were still a lot of magnificent views. At 6.00am the sky was as bright as 9am it was perfect for taking photos. By 6.30 am it was already as bright as noon ( I think so ) and people have started to walk down back to Laban Rata, the walk were slow as everybody still have not taken enough photos. The sun was so bright plus the altitude sickness gave me a severe headache. I wish a have some strong pain killers at this moment. Coming down was not as tiring but it is hurting your knees, if you wear a knee guard it will definitely help. Our guide advised us to walk down zig zag this will reduce the direct pressure on your knees.
Be careful on choosing the route you take, always look for the smoothest route, think fast and think smart, if not you’ll just endangering yourself. My headache unable me to think properly I mis-judged many times and I slipped some two dozen times. Luckily I did not hurt myself. Pain or no pain, tired or not just don’t think about that and just keep on moving you’ll reached the check point, again remember to fill up your water as it would have been almost finish by now. They will ask you if you wanted to purchase your certificate, if you used the Mersilau’s route you are entitled with two certs, it’s just RM12 for both. You’ll collect it when you reach KK park’s office.
The route after this was the most dangerous as you’ll be climbing down the cliff again. Be careful and listen to your guide and don’t play a fool. If you fall it is going to be very serious here. Most of the time you have to go down buttock first and your hand have to hold the rope for your balance.
Most of the people will reach Laban Rata at about 9 to 9.30 am, they will stop serving breakfast at 10 am, so if you are late you will miss the free buffet breakfast, the ala-cart ones is still available but it is very costly. Packed lunch will not be provided so “pandai-pandai lah” ( be clever ) to pack some of the buffet breakfast with you. If you use Timpohon route most of the people reach Timpohon by 2.00 to 3.00 pm. If you are not staying in KK park you might want to call your taxi to wait for you at KK park at 4pm ( there is handphone line along the way down ) When you reach Timpohon there will be a shuttle service to bring you back to KK park and the buffet lunch is served until 4pm, again if you reach there after 4pm, you have to pay for your lunch.
Hope you find this helpful….cheers enjoy your climb, if you make it to the summit this will definitely boost your self confidence. Lastly, don’t do this if you are not fit, you’ll regret it.
meg Tasmania
Posted at 8:18pm on Wednesday, July 16th, 2008
I loved this climb. The air was cool not humid and the scenery breath taking. I was fit and made the climb reasonably quickly but got altitude sickness at the summit. Just be aware because it can take the fun out; I was dizzy, vomiting and couldn't see properly. It can happen to anyone, so climb with people and look out for each other. Also its mighty cold at the summit, it seems silly in tropical Borneo but take warm clothes!! Worst was coming down, I can still feel my knees! And when a porter is coming up, let them past. These people work very hard for little money and climb twice a day. Enjoy!
Kamarul Shah Alam
Posted at 12:00am on Sunday, July 13th, 2008
I was at the summit Jun 3rd 2008. Unfortunately, my knee was injured upon descending. Started descending from Laban Rata @ 10:30am and reached the base at 4:30pm. All along the journey was alone because of the snail pace, nobody wants to accompany. Obviously was the last to arrive. With sheer determination, I reached the peak. With sheer determination, I reached the base. It really tested everything out of me and similarly, I had taken everything out of me to create a history of my own.
Miguel Phillipines
Posted at 3:46pm on Thursday, July 10th, 2008
Hi, I'm planning to climb end of July '08. I was hoping to do a 2 day and 1 night assault. Any tips on how to go about it? Is it possible to go all the way to laban rata the 1st day? Pls. E-mail me at mlcb16@yahoo.com
mokhsin singapore
Posted at 4:11pm on Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008
hi, i'm goin kinabaluing this dec... wondering if its a gd time and is gd pair of sandal gd enough as m use to wear sandal during hiking, just wanna b sure its ok to do the same for kinabalu hikes. do reply me here or email me at moski77@hotmail.com... thanks
(dis climb gonna be my honeymoon climb.. cheers)
Brian M'sia
Posted at 11:38pm on Thursday, June 26th, 2008
Just came back last week...had a blast there..the climb was magnificent...dun rush...stop and enjoy the sceneries..take loads of pics..good luck!!
David Penang Malaysia
Posted at 4:34pm on Monday, June 23rd, 2008
4 of us firmed to climb mid July 08, thks for the advise, Any body plan to sell their headlamp, if u r nearby Penang, pls contact me +012 421 8223
Annie Singapore
Posted at 2:26pm on Friday, May 16th, 2008
Looking forward to climbing Mt.Kinabalu begining of june. very excited. Hope can make it until Low peak. But still wondering what shoe it's good so that wont slip... thanks for the info
yvonne KL
Posted at 9:54pm on Thursday, May 15th, 2008
Looking forward to climb Mt KK nex week. Very excited. Thx for the great tips / info
Mary Morss Kuala Lumpur
Posted at 1:16pm on Thursday, May 15th, 2008
It's was fabulous. Made it to the summit ( 8th May, 2008 ) and every moment up and down was worthit. Planning to climb again next year
Mike Location unknown
Posted at 5:59am on Friday, May 2nd, 2008
Is a one day climb possible? Do they check for permits?
Cloud Singapore
Posted at 2:02pm on Monday, April 28th, 2008
Hi, I would want to know more about the costs at laban rata guesthouse dorm beds for 3d2n. Any advice from anyone. Can email me at cristianonic254@hotmail.com
Would
you prefer to print out this information? Find out 
