Disclaimer: This is a way overdued post but one of my most enthralling trips that I have embarked on. Did I leave out mind-wrecking as well? It was quite an accomplishment for me considering I didn't manage to train much prior to the trip. Carrying 8-10kg backpack to climb up the mountain terrains is quite a challenge but in any case, I came, I saw, I conquered (a goddamn mountain)! Mountain Climbing checked. Went with my cousins to trek up Mt Kinabalu at Kota Kinabalu, Sabah last April. We booked a package at AdventureQuest since there were permits and miscelleneous involved to climb up the mountain. Just a sidenote, there is no guarantee that every hiker will make it up to the summit, there is a risk involved in cases of bad weather conditions. AdventureQuest does bi-weekly trail training at Bt Timah Hill to prepare those going some decent groundwork. Went for one session and it was a killer and I wasn't in the best shape then. :/
Yes, and in case if you are wondering, this is also the mountain that was in the news recently, whereby an unexpected earthquake resulted in the death of ten students and staffs from TKPS who went on a leadership expedition in June this year. It was an unfortunate mishap and honestly speaking, there wasn't anyone to blame for it.
The Straits Times reported that Mount Kinabalu was closed for almost three months, after a 5.9-magnitude quake hit its western side and caused massive rockfalls. A part of the trail leading up to Laban Rata, at 3,272m, was reopened to climbers on Sept 1. The new trail, recommended by local agencies and foreign mountaineering experts, will be situated at a higher, steeper elevation than the previous route, which was declared unsafe after the quake. Work on the new route began late last month and is expected to be completed by the end of next month. When ready, it might prove to be a longer and more challenging climb for visitors.
Moving on..
The view from where we started our trail was already breathtaking, what more from the peak of the mountain?
Took the text from the brochure since I'm pretty lazy to summarize what is Mt Kinabalu. (You can totally skip this part)
"Mount Kinabalu, located about 90 km from Kota Kinabalu in the East Malaysian state of Sabah, is at
4,095 metres the highest mountain in this part of the world.
Climbers after passing by the last mountain shelter of Sayat-Sayat will be able to walk along what is part of a glacier many years ago and there are still evidences of the ice-age which melted less than 10,000 years ago; the scratches and striations in the rocks and the flaking and moulding in the vast granite slabs. Together with the summit pinnacles, the other major feature of Kinabalu's massif is the awe-inspiring chasm of Low's Gully falling almost 912 meters from the summit plateau. Mount Kinabalu is not volcanic and the gully is not the remains of a crater but rather it represents a weak zone in the structure of the mountain, a fault system that has been a focus for the eroding forces of ice and water."
Here's the itinerary of the 4D3N trip
The beginning of the trail at Tipohon with JX and JQ.
Finally reached the base camp after a gruelling 7-8 hrs or climbing. Our accomodation for the night at Pendant Hut.
What it looks like on the inside. It's a decent backpackers' place to bunk in for a couple of hours and the sleeping bags keep you warm since its like a cocoon. The temperature drops pretty low during the night, thank god we prepared some heat packs to tide us through.
I was squinting real hard since the sun was facing me directly. But that's not the point. Look at the damn view at the back. Is this reality?
Woke up at 2AM to continue the hike up to the summit and wait for the sunrise. During the hike up, you can actually see the milky way, the countless stars above you. A pity that view can't be captured on a digital camera or a phone camera. The climb up to the summit from the base camp was tougher than the previous climbs. We had to use ropes and the terrains were steep and it feels like the trail is never ending. I got breathless pretty often since we were in the higher altitudes.
Reached the summit at around 5AM and we were one of the first groups to reach before the mass crowd arrived. It was extremely cold up at the summit, and I'm not even prepared for such an extreme change in temperatures. I could hardly feel my face with the strong winds blowing, the heat packs were practically useless.
The mandatory summit shot.
The gradient and sunsequently the sunrise.
Brace up for the rocks.
You can actually see the clouds moving therefore you get some cloudy spots and clear blue skies. Thought it was pretty cool.
"WALK THE TORQ, Asia’s first Via Ferrata located in a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is designed for the
beginner in mind. It is a leisurely 2 – 3 hour climb offering dramatic mountain vistas with opportunities
to enjoy the scenic view, while being securely fastened to the side of the mountain." (AdventureTorq, 2014)
Took off my hands from the rope after some encouragement from the guys. That was pretty scary.
The views from the top was extremely worth the grind. The pictures simply don't do enough justice for the scenery you get there. We were on a tight schedule since JQ was in his last semester in NUS, JX was heading into University and I had to be back on Eco After Me, an independent project that I partake with my poly group mates after my internship period. In any case, our agenda was fulfilled :)
Went to a beach near the airport for lunch and drinks to celebrate our climb to conclude our stay at Sabah, Kota Kinabalu.
Here's the roundup of what we incurred during the trip excluding the food and drinks, excluding airfares. Airfares for AirAsia costs approximately $250 both ways.