Climbing Mount Kinabalu

[shorty]

Hi,

Am Sabahan, from KK.

Like most of those who have been there, there are 2 ways to go up to the summit. i.e old trail and the new trail (Mersilau). Old trail is shorter as compare to the new trail.

My bro. has 2 times experiences with Mersilau but me none. By the way, we have been up there every year during our sec. & high school holiday. So his comment was Mersilau has more flora.

My experiences will only be on the old trail.

You can drive / take bus, taxi, tumpang.... to the Mt. Kinabalu national park at anytime. The climbing HQ is next to the park entrance. All payment is to be made by cash and on the spot. The locals are hired as a guide and your porter. Carrying your stuff cost RM7 per kg but minimum charge is RM70.

The guide basically just to assist / keep an eye on you in case you need help (not really proper medic trained). They will wait for you along the journey.

About this period, I am not too sure about the weather. The best is you are only sweat when you reach the rest house (before the summit) instead wet by rain. It would be very cold if you don't dry clothes for change. Food selling at the rest house is about RM15 per item.... even hot water cost $$$. For sure, a rain coat (for yourself) and plastic bags (for your clothes, items, cameras...) are must. Very rare chances that climbers did not experience rain.

You will rest (here or other huts) like others mentioned and continue the journey in the early 3 a.m. to reach Low's Peak catching the sunrise. This is the time either you use a torch (no moon) or no torch (full moon). It's beautiful looking down the villages / town faraway and the clouds beneath your feet at night....

After enough of wind blow, photographing on summit, you will return to the rest house and pack up to return to your starting point.

The distance: HQ to starting point (3.5km) by park's bus. Starting point to rest house (6 km). Rest house to Low's peak (3 km).
Normal walk distance: 1st day (6 km), from starting point to resthouse.
3am onwards (12 km), from resthouse to summit, summit to resthouse, resthouse to starting point.

Please note that you have to book a bed at the resthouse in order allow for the climb. else you can't go up.

Hope this general guide helps. You can do the booking online http://www.suterasanctuarylodges.com.my/

 

[thengz]

Hi,

Am Sabahan, from KK.

Like most of those who have been there, there are 2 ways to go up to the summit. i.e old trail and the new trail (Mersilau). Old trail is shorter as compare to the new trail.

My bro. has 2 times experiences with Mersilau but me none. By the way, we have been up there every year during our sec. & high school holiday. So his comment was Mersilau has more flora.

My experiences will only be on the old trail.

You can drive / take bus, taxi, tumpang.... to the Mt. Kinabalu national park at anytime. The climbing HQ is next to the park entrance. All payment is to be made by cash and on the spot. The locals are hired as a guide and your porter. Carrying your stuff cost RM7 per kg but minimum charge is RM70.

The guide basically just to assist / keep an eye on you in case you need help (not really proper medic trained). They will wait for you along the journey.

About this period, I am not too sure about the weather. The best is you are only sweat when you reach the rest house (before the summit) instead wet by rain. It would be very cold if you don't dry clothes for change. Food selling at the rest house is about RM15 per item.... even hot water cost $$$. For sure, a rain coat (for yourself) and plastic bags (for your clothes, items, cameras...) are must. Very rare chances that climbers did not experience rain.

You will rest (here or other huts) like others mentioned and continue the journey in the early 3 a.m. to reach Low's Peak catching the sunrise. This is the time either you use a torch (no moon) or no torch (full moon). It's beautiful looking down the villages / town faraway and the clouds beneath your feet at night....

After enough of wind blow, photographing on summit, you will return to the rest house and pack up to return to your starting point.

The distance: HQ to starting point (3.5km) by park's bus. Starting point to rest house (6 km). Rest house to Low's peak (3 km).
Normal walk distance: 1st day (6 km), from starting point to resthouse.
3am onwards (12 km), from resthouse to summit, summit to resthouse, resthouse to starting point.

Please note that you have to book a bed at the resthouse in order allow for the climb. else you can't go up.

Hope this general guide helps. You can do the booking online http://www.suterasanctuarylodges.com.my/

Nice! Thanks! Now I can gauge roughly how much to spend. And I'll probably need some kind of plastic bag to protect my camera. Seems like its more likely that I'll bring a wide to mid-telezoom lens to minimise lens change and maybe bring my cheapo 50mm f/1.8 in case I want to take pictures at night. ;p

 

[billpepsi]

i'm climbing the mountain in july.

anyone got any idea if bringing an ef 50mm f1.8 lens for the climb is a good idea?

not sure if it's good for sunrise/sets.

For my last trip to Mt KK, I brought Nikon D70 and 18-70mm lens, I suggest wide angle lenses.

 

[skopio]

question for shorty: when is the best time to climb? consensus is march to may, which is peak period. are other months very bad for climbing? is it because of rain?

 

[Koelsch]

i'm thinking of going around end of july period, anyone have any idea how and where to check whether it's the monsoon period?

accommodations wise, i'm not that worried as my cousin in the tour agency would settle most of it for me. i just need to calculate how much we will be spending cos we are on a rather tight budget as well.

and any other things to do around besides climbing the mountain?

 

[Lady Ice]

- Pooring Hot Springs - great to relax the legs in after the trek and then can go to big waterfall from there
- Uncle Jim's cabin - lots of wildlife - on the other side of Sabah

 

[foreverlovex]

if you do not have accommodation up the mountain, i.e. Laban Rata or some other guest houses near there, you will not be allowed to go up and no camping too.

The guide system is implemented after an ang moh gal got lost in the mist and died of exposure. So please do not stray off the very obvious route. There days you can come down from another route after summit.

If you have limited fitness and trekking experience, Mt KK is not an easy trek despite having nice steps. On the other hand it is a very easy trail compare to the Himalayas.

 

[shorty]

Weather wise, I have no idea when is good. The weather on the Mt (half way through from your starting point) is different from weather in KK town or even the national park most of the time. But July and August is the raining season becasue of the typhoon ending route from Jpan towards Philipine and Sabah.

There were few climbs I known were not allowed to carry on from resthouse to summit due to heavy rain or strong wind.

About nearby places, poring hot-spring was mentioned. It's an hour drive from Mt. KK national park towards a town call Ranau.

Oh ya, if your uncle or who is living in KK, ask them to bring to Tuaran or Tamparuli for the fried noodle (Tuaran fried mee or Tamparuli fried mee).

To see rafflesia flower, it is at Tenom, another direction of road from KK town. But check with the Sabah tourist information near Jalan Gaya (end of Sunday market near HSBC Bank) about the flower blossom or not.

If you go to Sunday market, go as early as you can because of the hot weather.

Another tour is the river ride to see big red nose monkey after Panampang town. My wife, son and in-laws went for that. they saw monkeys and fire flies, they were excited by those.

Basically, Sabah has a lot of nature stuffs. But scattered around the state and most of them are at the inner, east or north of the state. We have bird nest in cave-man's cave, turtles, virgin jungles for research and nature tour, river rafting,..... Just too bad, my country and state government are not doing their work. Unlike you see the advertisement / promotions of Bali, Phhuket..... so popular.

 

[Lady Ice]

1. Ermm... are you sure they allow u to sleep in the dining area? I doubt so...
2. I don't think that is allowed too... Many people have said on this thread that you will not be allowed to climb if you do not have accommodation.

well did this 8 years ago last minute and was allowed to sleep in the dining area - had to prebook the space and cost @10 ringit a night at the time. It was the WORST night's sleep becos it is so noisy. You need to ask the agency or whoever for it. It won't be offered but it is a good last minute alternative.

Think you will need to bring your own sleeping bag for this.

 

[shorty]

Lady Ice: 8 years ago the National Park was still under government management. Now it has been privatised, can't do that anymore. $$$ counts and park's mt. climbing insurance coverage is also an issue. Anyway, there are also limited sleeping bags for rent up there at the rest house.

 

[laiboonh]

I happen to have 3 laba ratan climb slots for 29May-2June. (Some last minute backout) for details please visit http://www.sac.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2257&PN=1
PS: I claim no responsibility for your health condition. Please gauge your own condition.

 

[Pete]

Weather wise, I have no idea when is good. The weather on the Mt (half way through from your starting point) is different from weather in KK town or even the national park most of the time. But July and August is the raining season becasue of the typhoon ending route from Jpan towards Philipine and Sabah.

There were few climbs I known were not allowed to carry on from resthouse to summit due to heavy rain or strong wind.

About nearby places, poring hot-spring was mentioned. It's an hour drive from Mt. KK national park towards a town call Ranau.

Oh ya, if your uncle or who is living in KK, ask them to bring to Tuaran or Tamparuli for the fried noodle (Tuaran fried mee or Tamparuli fried mee).

To see rafflesia flower, it is at Tenom, another direction of road from KK town. But check with the Sabah tourist information near Jalan Gaya (end of Sunday market near HSBC Bank) about the flower blossom or not.

If you go to Sunday market, go as early as you can because of the hot weather.

Another tour is the river ride to see big red nose monkey after Panampang town. My wife, son and in-laws went for that. they saw monkeys and fire flies, they were excited by those.

Basically, Sabah has a lot of nature stuffs. But scattered around the state and most of them are at the inner, east or north of the state. We have bird nest in cave-man's cave, turtles, virgin jungles for research and nature tour, river rafting,..... Just too bad, my country and state government are not doing their work. Unlike you see the advertisement / promotions of Bali, Phhuket..... so popular.

Adding to Shorty's comments. Pine resort in Kundasang is a nice place to stay, plus, if your interested you might want to visit historical place like the memorial park in kundasang. Besides that if ur in KK, visit Gaya Sport in Inanam for a cheaper seafood lol. And, if you have time to travel around Sabah, go for Simpang Menggayau - tip of borneo in Kudat (its a wonderful place). Around 2.5 hours from KK.

BTW, im not from KK, worked there for a year, but im from Miri, Sarawak. lol.

 

[thengz]

Hey hey,

Currently in Kota Kinabalu now but I haven't got a chance to climb the mountain yet. Been working all the time here. :bigeyes: Closest I got to the mountain is seeing it from afar at the airport.

But I've got a few photos to share nevertheless. The sunset in KK is really spectacular, especially after the rain. Here's one I took at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport.

Pardon the blurness of the picture though. I tried using HDR on it, took 3 rapid shots, but I didn't have a tripod with me, so the pictures are somewhat unaligned. My first attempt at HDR as well, probably should have spread the exposure bracket more. The foreground is still pretty dim. Photo taken with my Tokina 12-24mm

Another photo, this time of some street urchins taken on my only free day:

Could have been much better if there was more bokeh, but I was already stopped down to the max for this shot if i'm not wrong. Taken with my Sigma 17-70mm.

Thats all for now! Hopefully I'll have a chance to climb Mount Kinabalu soon! ;p

 

[swishbrade]

Keep the photos coming bro. I havent had a chance to see my hometown for quite a while now. Hope you enjoy your stay

 

[thengz]

Keep the photos coming bro. I havent had a chance to see my hometown for quite a while now. Hope you enjoy your stay

Here's one of the Sutera Harbour sunset just for you. :bsmilie: The thing about KK is, the sunsets never go wrong. All I have to do is stand there and click. No post processing done to the picture at all.

Hope you liked it!

 

[swishbrade]

Here's one of the Sutera Harbour sunset just for you. :bsmilie: The thing about KK is, the sunsets never go wrong. All I have to do is stand there and click. No post processing done to the picture at all.

Hope you liked it!

Thanks Thengz! I'm scanning Zuji.com right now for tickets home I guess you are staying at one of the hotels in Sutera Harbour?

 

[thengz]

Thanks Thengz! I'm scanning Zuji.com right now for tickets home I guess you are staying at one of the hotels in Sutera Harbour?

Nah... Not so lucky. I'm staying at a 2 storied apartment across Sutera Harbour, near the Double 6 monument. Still very much better than the kampung on stilts in the picture.

 

[swishbrade]

Haha ya those kampungs on stilts are really horrible. Is there still a stench coming from them They really should have cleared them out a long time ago.

 

[thengz]

Haha ya those kampungs on stilts are really horrible. Is there still a stench coming from them They really should have cleared them out a long time ago.

Yep... There is that distinctive stench still. :bsmilie: Think the ammonia content is pretty high there. :bigeyes:

 

[Pete]

There's once the squatters caught fire.. i think its last year.. burned quite some houses there. But i guess they build it back.