Mount Kinabalu is the highest mountain (Gunung in Bahasa Melayu) in Malaysia and lies within Kinabalu National Park (NP). It is part of the Crocker Range (of mountains). Its summit reaches 4,095.2 meters. From the summit you will have the best view of the rising sun, and when you walk down, you can see several small villages. With good weather you will even be able to see Sabah's biggest city, Kota Kinabalu, at great distance. Visiting the mountain is not easy without any pre planning; you will have to register in advance, best way to do this is with the help of an agent or travel organization. Local government only accepts around 150 people on the mountain at all days, this means only 75 people can go up daily; as the other 75 are doing their descent at the same time. The permits often run out during peak season, so remember to make the necessary arrangements beforehand.
It is important to make reservations beforehand and as early as possible. The Mount Kinabalu Summit Trail is a very popular activity; and daily permits run out months before already. It is not an easy climb, but you will always have the beautiful memories of this amazing adventure. Mount Kinabalu is a relatively easy mountain to climb compared to many other mountains world wide; it is known to be one of the most accessible mountains in the world. To reach the summit you do not have to be in extremely good shape. People with physical limitations however, should not climb the mountain without consulting a physician first. If you are not an experienced climber; then you could consider a different route (Timpohon Trail) that is less strenuous. Yearly, over 20,000 people climb the mountain. The best time of the year to climb the mountain is between April and August. If you have opportunity to time your trip; do it so that you climb the mountain during full moon as then it is lighter at night when you do the final ascent. Everyone who wants to go mountaineering at Mt. Kinabalu is advised (obligated!) to use a mountain guide. Especially at the summit the guide can be very helpful (the last part is quite hard). The guide will be waiting for you at the Park HQ. If you arrange your trip via an agent or travel organization; the mountain guide will automatically be part of the package.
Start your climb as early as possible.
Kota Kinabalu is the nearest big city and you need to travel to this city first in order to get to the Kinabalu National Park entrance. There are numerous daily flights to Kota Kinabalu; even a couple of international flights. If you travel by an organized tour your driver will pick you up from the hotel early in the morning. From Kota Kinabalu you can easily travel to Mount Kinabalu yourself by either a taxi or a bus. From the Kota Kinabalu North Bus Terminal there are busses that pass the park entrance. Make sure you ask up front if the bus goes into the direction of the park (the following destinations are on the route to Kundasang where you can find the Kinabalu Park Office; Ranau, Sandakan or Tawau). The drive to the park entrance usually takes over an hour, busses often take a bit more time to reach the park entrance.
Checklist Mount Kinabalu summit trail
• A small and light backpack
• Umbrella or raincoat/poncho
• Headlight (or flashlight though headlight is better as you keep your hands free).
• T-shirt + sweater + windbreaker
• Photo camera of video camera
• Water bottles (though you can drink from fresh water streams too).
• Lunch
• Energy bars
• Walking stick
• Earplugs (so you can sleep when people around you are still awake at Laban Rata).
• Sunglasses and sunscreen (for the way down).
• Lip balm
• Warm hat, scarf and gloves
• Personal first aid kit with Paracetamol/Brufen
• Good hiking boots or sandals (no need for the most expensive 5kg weighing professional hiking boots though).
• Small towel
• 2 extra t-shirts
Mount Kinabalu summit trail tips
• Make your reservations up front as there is a daily limit of how many people are allowed on the mountain each day. The earlier you make reservations the better; there are stories of people arriving at the main office to be told all permits were given out already for that day.
• Watch out with taking your expensive camera all the way to the top of the mountain. Though it is not that cold up at the summit, the pressure and, sometimes harsh, weather are not the best circumstances for electrical devices you carry with you during the summit trail.
• Bring along warm clothing for the last part of the summit trail as it can be around 2 degrees at the top. Especially when it is still dark it can be really cold (with harsh winds). Warm clothing can also be rented at Laban Rata Rest House.
• Try to leave from the main entrance as early as possible, preferably before or around 8am in the morning. Consider to stay the night before at a convenient location nearby the base of the mountain to avoid a drive of 2 hours from Kota Kinabalu city. When you start early, you will arrive at Laban Rata Rest House early which means your body gets more time to adjust to the altitude. Some people that arrived late during the day at Laban Rate had altitude sickness when they tried to do their final descent to Low's Peak summit. They couldn't continue and did not make it to the top. The more hours' rest your body has at Laban Rata the bigger the chance you can reach the summit of Mount Kinabalu.
• Refrain from smoking and alcohol consumption the night before the climb (and the day of the climb).
• People with knee problems should bring along a knee guard (brace) to use on the way down. There will be quite some pressure on your knees during the descent. Most of the injuries which occur on Mount Kinabalu happen on the way down.
• Though prices of packages vary the Mount Kinabalu Summit Trail is not cheap (anymore). Though the activity costs quite the amount of ringgits; the experience will last a lifetime! Mountain guides are not optional; they will save your life should you run into troubles!
• If you forget or are unable to bring along warm clothing you can rent some items at Laban Rata Rest House for a cheap price (they have jackets, gloves and warm hats).
• Try and walk/climb as slowly as possible. This way you will save energy and minimize chances of injuries. You will also be able to enjoy the amazing scenery a bit better; your guide will be able to point out the beautiful pitcher plants for example.
• Backpackers can always take a risk by just showing up in the morning on the day of their intended climb. Though chances are very big that there are no permits left that day; there often are cancellations which free up some of the permits. If you are lucky you can climb the mountain, otherwise you can enjoy the wonderful Kinabalu National Park (which is Malaysia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site).
• You have to begin your climbing before afternoon or you won't be allowed to climb on that day.
• If you bring your camera or video camera along; don't forget to give it to your mountain guide every once a while so he can shoot some pictures or videos of you and your group.
Linksource: http://www.wonderfulmalaysia.com/
http://www.amazing-borneo.com/
History of Mount Kinabalu
The mountain is located on the east Malaysian state of Sabah, on the island of Borneo. Mysterious and moody, but always a magnificent sight, Mt Kinabalu has captured the imagination of locals and explorers for centuries.
Cloaked in swirling mists, puffy clouds, golden sunsets and rich flora and fauna, the mountain is ever-changing in its sights and sounds.
Mt Kinabalu and its surrounding Park has a very wide range of habitats, from rich tropical lowland and hill rainforest to tropical mountain forest, sub-alpine forest and heath on the higher elevations.
In 2000, Mt Kinabalu was included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List to preserve and protect its natural heritage. It has also been designated as a Centre of Plant Diversity for Southeast Asia.
Legends
Kinabalu’s name is a mystery. The most popular view derives it from the Kadazan words, Aki Nabalu, meaning ‘the revered place of the dead’. The local Kadazan people believe that spirits dwell on the mountain top. According to another folklore, the name Kinabalu actually means Cina Balu which translates into ‘Chinese widow’. Legend goes that a Chinese prince ascended the mountain in search of a huge pearl guarded by a ferocious dragon. After his successful conquest, he married a Kadazan woman. But he soon abandoned her and returned to China. Heartbroken, his wife wandered to the mountains to mourn. There, she turned into stone.
Early Climbers
As there is no record of local people climbing Mt Kinabalu, the first honor goes to Sir Hugh Low, a British colonial officer from Labuan, who reached the summit plateau in 1851. However, he did not scale the highest peak, believing that “the highest point is inaccessible to any but winged animals” In honor of his journey, a peak, along with a mile-deep gully, a pitcher plant and a rhododendron were named after him.
The custom of leaving a signed and dated letter in a bottle at the top of the mountain gives a history of the early climbers. In 1858, Sir Hugh Low made a second expedition to Kinabalu with his friend Spencer St John. The highest peak was finally conquered by John Whitehead and his intrepid Kadazan porters in 1888. Whitehead also made the first zoological collection of the mountain’s animals.
In 1910, English botanist Lilian Gibbs became the first woman to scale Kinabalu. Along the way, she collected over a thousand botanical specimens for the British Museum. In the same year, Mt Kinabalu’s first tourist made the ascent, describing the trip as “purely a vacational ramble”.
The Kadazan
The Kadazan people – Sabah’s largest indigeneous community – still live on Mt Kinabalu’s flanks. Traditionally, they practiced shifting cultivation, chopping down forest to plant rice and other vegetables. Gradually, permanent terraced farm plots are replacing shifting agriculture to help slow soil erosion and preserve the natural forest. Many Kadazans now work as rangers and guides for Kinabalu Park.
Mt Kinabalu is located at the high point of the Crocker Range that runs almost from the northern tip of Borneo to its centre. The foundations of Kinabalu were set some 15 million years ago during the Pilocene period when a huge ball of molten rock was forced beneath the Crocker Range, hardening into a granite mound. Kinabalu itself was formed barely 10 million years ago when huge plugs of granite forced their way through crumpled layers of sandstone and shale. During the ice age some 100,000 years ago, glaciers began wearing away the summit plateau. Today, Mt Kinabalu is still growing at a rate of 5mm a year. It is one of the youngest non-volcanic mountains in the world. At its top, a 1.5km-deep gorge splits the mountain down the middle, separating the two arms of the eastern and western summit plateaus 1km apart.
Mt Kinabalu has one of the richest and most diversified fauna and flora in the world. This is all thanks to a wide climatic range (from tropical rainforest in the lowlands to temperate climate at high altitudes), heavy rainfall and diversity of rocks and soils. Many plant and animal species are endemic to Kinabalu and not found anywhere else in the world. More than half of the world’s flowering plants can be found here.
The world’s largest pitcher plant, the intriguing Nepenthes Rajah, grows in the Park. There are also 700 species of orchids, 600 species of ferns and over 24 species of Rhododendrons (one of the most spectacular flowers on Mt Kinabalu). One can also find bamboos, mosses, oak trees and figs among the 6000 plant species growing here.
Altitudinal zones are used to classify the common plant types on Kinabalu. Up to 1200m, lowland rainforest dominates the landscape. In the lower montane zone from 1200-2200m, plants more typical of temperate regions are common. Here, tree are shorter and ferns are abundant. The upper montane forest lies between 2200-3300m where the trees are stunted and covered in mosses – hence the name ‘the mossy forest’. The sub-alpine zone starts from 2200m and goes all the way to the summit where grassy meadow-like vegetation dominates.
Of the many mammals on Mt Kinabalu, black shrews, Kinabalu shrews and Thomas’ pygmy squirrels are endemic to the mountain. Kinabalu is home to over half of Borneo’s 518 bird species. Of the 29 species of birds unique to Borneo, 17 are found in the mountain. These include the red-breasted tree partridge and crimson-headed wood partridge. A common sight on the summit is the mountain blackbird. There are also numerous species of moths, small reptiles, insects and spiders endemic to Mt Kinabalu.
Link source:http://mountaintorq.com/
History of Mount Kinabalu
Cloaked in swirling mists, puffy clouds, golden sunsets and rich flora and fauna, the mountain is ever-changing in its sights and sounds.
Mt Kinabalu and its surrounding Park has a very wide range of habitats, from rich tropical lowland and hill rainforest to tropical mountain forest, sub-alpine forest and heath on the higher elevations.
In 2000, Mt Kinabalu was included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List to preserve and protect its natural heritage. It has also been designated as a Centre of Plant Diversity for Southeast Asia.
Legends
Kinabalu’s name is a mystery. The most popular view derives it from the Kadazan words, Aki Nabalu, meaning ‘the revered place of the dead’. The local Kadazan people believe that spirits dwell on the mountain top. According to another folklore, the name Kinabalu actually means Cina Balu which translates into ‘Chinese widow’. Legend goes that a Chinese prince ascended the mountain in search of a huge pearl guarded by a ferocious dragon. After his successful conquest, he married a Kadazan woman. But he soon abandoned her and returned to China. Heartbroken, his wife wandered to the mountains to mourn. There, she turned into stone.
Early Climbers
As there is no record of local people climbing Mt Kinabalu, the first honor goes to Sir Hugh Low, a British colonial officer from Labuan, who reached the summit plateau in 1851. However, he did not scale the highest peak, believing that “the highest point is inaccessible to any but winged animals” In honor of his journey, a peak, along with a mile-deep gully, a pitcher plant and a rhododendron were named after him.
The custom of leaving a signed and dated letter in a bottle at the top of the mountain gives a history of the early climbers. In 1858, Sir Hugh Low made a second expedition to Kinabalu with his friend Spencer St John. The highest peak was finally conquered by John Whitehead and his intrepid Kadazan porters in 1888. Whitehead also made the first zoological collection of the mountain’s animals.
In 1910, English botanist Lilian Gibbs became the first woman to scale Kinabalu. Along the way, she collected over a thousand botanical specimens for the British Museum. In the same year, Mt Kinabalu’s first tourist made the ascent, describing the trip as “purely a vacational ramble”.
The Kadazan people – Sabah’s largest indigeneous community – still live on Mt Kinabalu’s flanks. Traditionally, they practiced shifting cultivation, chopping down forest to plant rice and other vegetables. Gradually, permanent terraced farm plots are replacing shifting agriculture to help slow soil erosion and preserve the natural forest. Many Kadazans now work as rangers and guides for Kinabalu Park.
Mt Kinabalu is located at the high point of the Crocker Range that runs almost from the northern tip of Borneo to its centre. The foundations of Kinabalu were set some 15 million years ago during the Pilocene period when a huge ball of molten rock was forced beneath the Crocker Range, hardening into a granite mound. Kinabalu itself was formed barely 10 million years ago when huge plugs of granite forced their way through crumpled layers of sandstone and shale. During the ice age some 100,000 years ago, glaciers began wearing away the summit plateau. Today, Mt Kinabalu is still growing at a rate of 5mm a year. It is one of the youngest non-volcanic mountains in the world. At its top, a 1.5km-deep gorge splits the mountain down the middle, separating the two arms of the eastern and western summit plateaus 1km apart.
The world’s largest pitcher plant, the intriguing Nepenthes Rajah, grows in the Park. There are also 700 species of orchids, 600 species of ferns and over 24 species of Rhododendrons (one of the most spectacular flowers on Mt Kinabalu). One can also find bamboos, mosses, oak trees and figs among the 6000 plant species growing here.
Link source:http://mountaintorq.com/
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