The majestic Mount Kinabalu

Hey there! Thinking about climbing the highest mountain in Malaysia? Well, you come to the right place! But first of all, you need to know a bit about this mountain which is the pride for us, Sabahan.

Features
▹ The height of Mount Kinabalu is 4,905.2 meters(13.455 feet)
▫above sea level.
▹ Enlargement of the Crocker Range
▹ Temperatures in the mountains can reach 0 degrees Celsius
▹ Formed from granite young stone
▹ Mount Kinabalu is a symbol of pride for all people in Sabah.
▹ According to Sabah Kadazan Dusun beliefs, Mount Kinabalu is the resting place of their spirit after death. And it is very sacred for us.

Well, now you know a bit about this mountain. Next you need to plan for your trip. Below are the few tips that I can give to you. Enjoy reading! 🙂

How to get here?
▹ Distance from Kota Kinabalu to Kinabalu Park (National Park) is about
90 km.
(You won’t get bored through the journey as you will be entertain with the beautiful environment on the way there) ☺
▹ You can catch a mini-bus to Kinabalu National Park from Padang Merdeka.
▫ Just look out for the vehicles bound for Ranau.
▫ There is no timetable for such services and they operate on a “when they fill up” basis, which means you may need to wait a while for it to depart.
▫ Usually they will charged you RM25 per head for two hours journey
Don’t leave your journey until too late in the day as public bus services tend to wind down late afternoon. As a general rule of thumb, departures are usually more frequent until noon so heading there in the morning should decrease waiting time.

What you need to do if you want to climb Mount Kinabalu?
▹ Apart from the following packages provided by travel agencies you can arrange your own travel by:
▹ Find a place to stay; preferably staying in accommodation provided by Mount Kinabalu Climb & Booking Center as they are one of the best in managing climbers.

Summary for Climbing Mount Kinabalu
▹ Normal climbing duration is 3 days and 2 nights
▹ First Day: Usually you will spend the night in Kinabalu Park so you can be ready to climb in the morning the next day.
▹ Day Two: You’ll start to climb from Timpohon Gate (initial climb) to the level of 11.000 to 11.500 feet above sea level. You will spend the night at this altitude in the homestay provided there.
▹ Third Day: Early in the morning (usually 2.30 / 3.00 am) you will proceed to the summit (Low’s Peak). After all climbers are satisfied to enjoy the view from the summit of Mount Kinabalu, you can get back to Timpohon Gate.

Situations while climbing
▹ In the early stage you will climb through small streets that have rungs formed by topography and tree roots.
▹ Sunny weather can be foggy and rainy overnight. Always ready with a raincoat. It is ideal to wrap your clothes in a plastic bag before putting them into the bag.
▹ Along the route there are several short rest areas and water tanks to refill water bottles.
▹ Most climbers experience nausea and some vomiting during the climb. Do not forget to bring any related medication.
▹ The higher you climb, the more quickly you will feel tired. This is due to the oxygen content of the air is getting thin.
▹ You will quickly runny nose and you might be suffering from the flu. This is because the air is cool and moist.
▹ Most climbers will be loss of appetite. However, you are advised to eat to regain energy.
▹ The situation around the cold may cause a contraction of the calf muscles suddenly. It can cause muscle cramps. You are advised to take medication related and try not to stop suddenly to rest but try to walk slowly if you experience any muscle spasm.
▹ The surface is granite stone and very slippy (especially when it rains). You are advised to be careful, do not run around and wear shoes with rubber soles.

Basic Equipment To Bring
▹ Long-sleeved T-shirts / sweaters and extra clothes
▹ Shoes with rubber soles (sport / tennis / gym shoes / hiking boots)
▹ Shoes / slippers extra
▹ Gloves (at least 2 pairs), hat / mask
▹ Extra Socks
▹ Protective clothing rain and wind (raincoat / wind breaker)
▹ Towels, toothbrushes and other personal equipment
▹ Lip gloss (cold weather caused a split lip)
▹ Medications & plaster for blisters
▹ Torchlight
▹ Foods that have a high energy content (chocolate, nuts, raisins, glucose)
▹ Several plastic bag for multi-purpose.

Privileges
▹ Taman Kinabalu has a low ambient temperatures; reaching as low as 14 degrees centigrade.
▹ Mount Kinabalu can reach temperature of 0 degrees Celsius
▹ There are species of flora that are not found elsewhere (Rafflessia, Nepenthes Rajah)
▹ The scenery around is beautiful, peaceful
▹ Easy to climb (no experience required) But make sure you have train your stamina.
▹ Friendly residents. (Well, I guess most Sabahan are friendly)
▹ Good service@ 🙂
▹ Etc. As I can say it, but it’s worth the expenses. I guarantee that.

Activities That You Can Do at Kinabalu Park (National Park – Poring)
▹ Jungle Trekking
▹ Bird watching
▹ Natural hot water bath (Poring Hot Spring)
▹ Climb the Canopy Walk (Poring – Ranau)
▹ Climb a mountain
▹ Camping
▹ Exploring caves (Bat Cave – Poring, Ranau / Caves Paka – Mount Kinabalu)
▹ The waterfall shower
▹ Visit the exhibition and Conservation Centre
▹ Many more, a lot of activities can be done here (I will need more than a day if you want me to list it).