Have you ever

October 10, 2017

Have you ever - hiked Mount Kinabalu, Borneo

A little short introduction about Mount Kinabalu. It is the tallest mountain in Malaysia. It is the focal point of Kinabalu Park in Sabah and also Malaysia's first world heritage site. The Low's Peak, which is the summit of the mountain standing at 4095.2 metres high and the climb usually takes about 2 days but it is possible to hike to the top within hours, I heard.

We spent 5D4N in Sabah and did like a 3D2N hike with Amazing Borneo tour operator. It is prohibited to climb the mountain without a registered tour guide.

DAY 1

We arrived at Sabah by plane and spent a night at Shangri-La's Tanjung Aru as part of the retreat before the adventure. It was also Jun Wen's birthday so we had a celebration at the resort. We had a great time at the resort and the beach is amazing. Little did we know that we were about to fall from heaven to hell the next day.

DAY 2

So this is where the adventure begins. Well, not exactly. The tour bus picked us up from the hotel and we were on our way to the Kinabalu Park Headquarter. Along the way, the bus actually stopped by a place where you can buy handcraft souvenirs made by the locals and also passing by villages with amazing scenery. We checked in at a hostel at the park when we arrived and dinner was served at the restaurant nearby. You can walk around the park to enjoy the fresh air but we hit the sack pretty early to prepare for the big day. The whole point of staying overnight at the park is for you to get used to the height so that your body is not threaten by altitude sickness when you hike the mountain.

DAY 3

We began our hike early in the morning around 10a.m. from the starting point - Timpohon Gate after we were assigned with a mountain guide and ID Tag for each of us. This would usually be taken care of by the tour guide. Make sure you are well-equipped before the climb - Shoes with good grip, warm clothing, wind breaker, head torch, walking stick, hand gloves, water and things like that. Each of us also carried a waterproof day backpack with extra clothing and personal toiletries to be used and get changed at the base camp (Laban Rata). You can also hire a porter to carry your bag for a fee if it will help to relieve the weight on your shoulder. The journey to Laban Rata takes about 4-6 hours depending on how fast you are but do remember to take your time and don't rush. Buffet dinner will be served at Laban Rata as part of the package. Also, be prepared for super cold shower (I'm not even kidding) at Laban Rata if you are intending to wash up a little.

DAY 4

We got up around 1a.m. for an early start and continued our hike at 2a.m. in hopes that we could catch the sunrise at the peak. It was pitch dark and cold so head torch and warm clothing are vital. This is the most challenging part of the hike as your body may experience mountain sickness due to low amount of oxygen. Slow and steady should be the way. We separated halfway through the hike because I think I was so focused on hiking that I went a little too fast. I was then accompanied by a group of native hikers which made the hike less scary. When I arrived at the peak (6a.m.), it was a little cloudy at the top but the views are still stunning nonetheless like you've never seen it before. We stayed up there for quite some time to take pictures and Joseph - our mountain guide was our photographer. He is really experienced and he knows how to take good pictures which is a bonus. We trekked back down to Laban Rate for breakfast before we continued to go all the way back down to the base of the mountain. If you think hiking up the mountain is dreadful enough, this is worse, so much worse. We could barely walked after that.

When you arrive at the bottom, and that's it you are done. You will then be transferred back to the Kinabalu park headquarter to collect your certificate of achievement! You will get a colourful climber certificate if you make it to the peak and if you don't, you will still get a certificate but it's in black and white. No matter what it is, it's the experience that counts.