Sunday, May 24, 2009

Mt Kinabalu, Sabah, East Malaysia

Rob and Jim outside the open air satay restaurant in Kandasang, Sabah in the foothills of Mt Kinabalu

Dusk the night before the ascent at the Kinabalu Pine Resort.

The Timpohon Gate track is the most direct way route up Kinabalu at 17.5 km return (see Track Notes below). The track is wide and well maintained with at least 200 people (tourists, guides and porters) ascending and descending each day

Jim, Caleb & Rob at Laban Rata guesthouse (3272 metres) with a glimpse of the expansive summit area that waits the next day. Laban Rata is the overnight accommodation used by most hikers prior to the summit ascent the following day


Typical dormitory style bunk bed in Laban Rata. Rooms are often shared with other hikers and and vary in size from 4 to 12 beds. Accommodation is simple but comfortable

On the first level of Laban Rata is the restaurant, dining room and check-in desk.

Laban Rata is a home in the clouds perched on the side of a BIG mountain.


A snapshot of the hundreds of hectares of granite that await the next morning. The summit is 2.7 km from Laban Rata and takes the average hiker about 3 hours.

5:45am Sunrise on Low's Peak 4,095 metres
From Low's Peak looking toward Donkey Ears and the return route to Laban Rata

Donkey Ears with accompanying 8am cloud. Guided summit attempts always commence early to take advantage of any views on offer.
Cousin Gerald from Kuala Lumpur not far from the finish line of the Timpohon Gate.

DESCRIPTION:

At 4095 metres (13,432 feet) Mt Kinabalu has been described as the easiest high mountain to summit. It is one of the three tallest mountains between Australia and the Himalaya, outside of Mount Wilhelm in Paupa New Guinea (4,509 m/14,790 ft) and the challenging Mount Carstensz in West Papua (formerly Irain Jaya) 4,884 metres / 16,023ft.

Any adult with reasonable fitness, agility and stamina is able to successfully hike up Mt Kinabalu as no technical skills are required. Activities within the World Heritage listed Kinabalu National Park are highly regulated by the Malaysian government and the private management consortium (Sutera Sanctuary Lodges: link under Track Notes) which operate the guest accommodation buildings. Hikers must be accompanied by a guide at all times on the mountain and there is a natural expectation to stay overnight in the accommodation facilities provided at approximately 3,300 metres (the end of the first stage of the 6 km hike). Laban Rata is the largest of these plywood buildings which containers a restaurant (first floor) and dormitory style accommodation (second floor).

The Mount Kinabalu summit walk is very popular and limited to approximately 60 tourists per day. Bookings must be made months in advance to ensure you get the days you require. The popular months are from May - September as the rainy season commences from October greatly reducing the possibility of summiting. The rainy season sets in during December, January, February and booking the summit walk during these months is a gamble as the mountain is often closed.

Booking agents offer the mountain hike as package deals which includes as standard a climbing permit, insurance, guide (compulsory), accommodation, buffet dinner and breakfast at the restaurant in Laban Rata. In April 2008 the approximate cost for this package was $385 Malaysian Ringgit ($140 Australian) per person. Other expenses should be allowed for return transportation to the mountain (can be arranged through hotels in the Kinabalu National Park area), porter fees (usually your guide will act as the porter carrying up to 10 kg) and transportation to Timpohon Gate which is the official start of the walk.

Excellent information on the Mt Kinabalu hike and general information can be accessed from these links:
http://www.mount-kinabalu-borneo.com/index.html &
http://www.climbmtkinabalu.com/index.html

The North Face of Mt Kinabalu also boasts the world’s highest via ferrata (iron road) which began operating in 2007. A via ferrata is a man make construction of cables, rungs and footholds which open up isolated scrambling and climbing routes to hikers. Clients receive basic instruction on how to properly wear the harness and use other safety equipment which is attached to steel cables offering excellent protection. No technical skills are required.

Mountain Torq Via Ferrata are continuing to add additional routes with their premium experience being the 4-5 hour Low’s Peak Circuit. If you are considering this route it may be wise book local accommodation at the base of the mountain for the end of the day as a 2am start with 3 hour summit ascent, 5 hour via ferrata and 5 hour descent adds up to a big day out. Check out their website at http://www.mountaintorq.com/

LOCATION:

Kinabalu National Park is situated 90 km from Kota Kinabalu (KK), the capital of Sabah in East Malaysia. KK is vibrant city and wonderful holiday destination due to its close proximity to spectacular islands which are a haven for deep sea diving, snorkeling, island resorts and excellent seafood.

Air Asia provides the cheapest fares to KK from anywhere in south east Asia including Singarore, Malaysia or Brunei. Air Asia fly direct from Perth, Melbourne and the Gold Coast to Kuala Lumpur (West Malaysia) usually with reasonable same day connections through to KK. Royal Brunei Airlines is the main budget carrier from Australia to the UK and stops to refuel in Brunei. Often well priced fares to Brunei can be obtained on this route, which is closer (and therefore cheaper) to Kota Kinabalu than Kuala Lumpur. Expect to pay around $600 for a return flight from the Gold Coast to Kuala Lumpur on Air Asia. http://booking.airasia.com/skylights/cgi-bin/skylights.cgi

TRACK NOTES:

There are two guided routes on Mt Kinabalu. The 17.5km Tourist Route (as detailed briefly below) and the more challenging Mesilau Route which is approximately 4 km longer and commences from the Mesilau Nature Resort in the Upper Kundasang Valley and 100 km from Kota Kinabalu. Mesilau Resort, Kinabalu Park and Laban Rata are all managed by the Sutera Sanctury Lodges consortium. Their website provides valuable information about accommodation options in the mountains and on the coast
http://www.suterasanctuarylodges.com.my/v2/labanrata.html. NOTE: Mini-Bus transfer fees quoted by this site are cheaper than those in the Day 1 Itinerary below as you have to wait for others staying in their accommodation venues to fill the bus before going anywhere which can waste quite a bit of time.

The Timpohon Gate Tourist route is recommended for first time hikers to Kinabalu. A suggested basic itinerary is outlined below:

Day 1

Fly into Kota Kinabalu and take a bus transfer to a hotel near the Kinabalu National Park. Perkasa Hotel Mt Kinabalu charge $300 Malaysian Ringgit ($110 Australian) to hire a personal mini bus and driver for transfers from KK to the hotel which includes all other drop offs and pick ups inside the National Park. A Twin Room at the Perkasa Hotel costs $170 Malaysian Ringgit ($63 Australian). Have dinner at the hotel or walk down to the local village of Kundasang to check out the night life.

Accommodation is also available inside Kinabalu National Park (managed by Sutera Sanctuary Lodges) and at other local hotels.

Day 2

6am Breakfast at the hotel and transfer to Park Headquarters (1,563 m) to register for the hike where you will be issued with an ID name tag which must be worn at all times. You can start later but it is best to avoid the 7:30am - 9:00am busy period. Bus drop off at Timpohon Gate (1866 m) with the guide and start the 6 km hike to the accommodation facility of Laban Lata (3,272 m). It is not uncommon for hikers from low altitude environments to experience headaches and shortness of breath from the 5km mark (near the lower helipad at 3,051m). This can ease off or persist until this point on the descent the next day.

With an early start Laban Rata is usually achieved by early to mid afternoon. Other accommodation facilities including Panar Laban & Gunting Lagadan may be booked and are quieter than Laban Rata. Spend the afternoon packing a small pack for the next day and looking around before dinner and an early night. Ear plugs are recommended as the kitchen staff and other hikers are very noisy by Western standards.

Day 3

2 am is the standard wake up for the summit departure. The mountain in generally clearer in the morning before tropical cloud begins to close in and hinders view from the summit from 9am on. If heavy rain is forecast the summit walk will be cancelled and hikers usually return to bed before waking to breakfast and the descent. This is simply par for the course when hiking on a high mountain - no guarantees are given for personal ability or suitability of weather.

The 2.7 km summit walk from Laban Rata is undertaken with headlamps, ID tag and guides. The ID tag is important as you will not be allowed to climb higher than a check point at 3670 metres if you do not have it. Most guides aim to depart Laban Rata between 2:30am - 3:00am to give their group the best chance of being on the summit of Low's Peak (4,095m) for sunrise. Low's Peak is usually attained between 5:30am - 6:00am.
Most groups spend around 1 hour on the summit area and depart about 7am for the descent to Laban Rata for breakfast and to pack the remainder of the equipment left in their room. Some guides may be keen to have less time on the summit as this gets them home a little earlier that day. If this occurs just keep telling them 'A little longer' until the main hiking group has departed between 7am - 7:30am. Departure from Laban Rata by 9am should see most groups off the mountain by early to mid afternoon.

Some people opt to travel back to KK that afternoon, however if possible plan to spend another night or two in the Kundasang area to enjoy the local food and culture. The satay and coffee in this area of Malaysia are especially good as it is one of a few places where local cattle are kept.

In our experience the local Malay staff are very friendly and have a service orientated nature. The guides are paid about $RM70 ($25 Australian) by the government for 2 days of following tourists on the mountain and will usually have a wife and 2-4 kids to feed back home in the village. Consider tipping your guide and driver generously.

HISTORY:

The local Malays trace their history back at least 800 years and as the highest place in a region, Mt Kinabalu is surrounded by myth and legend which is still respected (and revered) by many locals today. Like most high places in the world it is regarded as sacred by those who live in its shadows and foothills. The following site contains some useful references to the legends and history of the mountain http://www.mount-kinabalu-borneo.com/index.html

Upon hearing we were climbing Mt Kinabalu an extended family member who lives in Sarawak told me to ensure we respected everything on the mountain including the spirits of the rocks and trees. He works as an engineer for a multi national oil company and is married to a teacher. Local beliefs are to be considered, even if they are different from your own.

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2 comments:

dyanna said...

I like your blog.I'm waiting for your new posts.

Rob said...

Would you like information about other summit walks in South East Qld or overseas?