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<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\nMt Kinabalu is the highest point between the Himalayas and PNG.<\/em><\/p>\n Mt Kinabalu in Sabah rises to 4095 metres, a lump of granite pushed up by a volcanic eruption about 10 million years ago, -and they say it’s still rising…but only 5 mm per year. \u00a0 So on a clear morning at sea it dominates the skyline, dwarfing the adjacent Crocker Range. We were no exception.<\/p>\n The first recorded climb was in 1851 by an Englishman, Sir Hugh Low, who led a party of 42 people, jungle bashing and scaling steep rock faces on a 9 day expedition to the summit plateau, but the true summit wasn’t reached until 1888. Although Low wasn’t the first to make it to the highest point, the peak is named after him. Although we booked 6 months in advance there were no places available for us to make the climb independently, that is, with just a guide,\u00a0 the only way we could do it was with a tour group. However, in effect, that made little difference, -it was easier in some ways as transport was provided and as there were 6 of us, our climbing\u00a0party ended up being just us with the guide. \u00a0 \u00a0 and were fortunate to have a great view of the mountain as we drove along the ridge before it. Typically, even by that time of day it is closed in by cloud,<\/p>\n \u00a0 and as we drew nearer that was beginning to develop, but not before we had been treated to a good look at the many peaks of the summit.<\/p>\n \u00a0 Just as the cloud closed in we were close enough to make out the white buildings of Laban Rata, the accommodation house high on the mountain and where we would spend that night, -or some of it…<\/p>\n \u00a0 At the Park Headquarters there is the registration desk, some\u00a0lodges and eating places.<\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 attractively landscaped and with many colourful native plants. Even there at altitude of 1550 metres the air is clear and crisp compared with the hot humidity of the flat-lands below. A short drive up from the HQ is Timophon Gate where the road ends and the walk begins,<\/p>\n \u00a0 we set off into the mist, beginning the upward climb. The track is very well formed, with many steps to make it easier in the slippery conditions, but some of them are quite high enough to be challenging to the short-legged… It wasn’t long either before we were meeting people coming the other way, they had been to the summit that morning…some looked happy, but many seemed strained, footsore and often wearing sandals to ease their painful feet…-many wished us good luck as they limped on down!<\/p>\n \u00a0 We overtook many others and were passed by few, but the fastest making the climb were the porters;<\/p>\n \u00a0 also local villagers, who are employed to carry food and supplies to the accommodation houses higher up. They carried enormous loads in uncomfortable wicker baskets on their backs, often wearing only makeshift footwear. When we saw what they carried, it was\u00a0all just for our comfort and going at a\u00a0pace so much faster than ours, we felt\u00a0truly\u00a0humbled! Weather-wise we were still being treated well, there was a little misty rain but soon we climbed out above the cloud and were again enjoying a sunny day.\n<\/p>\n \u00a0 The way continued steadily up<\/p>\n \u00a0 tiring, but not tedious, there was always plenty to look at.<\/p>\n When Low first climbed the mountain he was most impressed by the variety of plant life and as a botanist, he made many exciting discoveries, describing Kinabalu as a very special botanical environment and even to the non-botanist, without a garden, living on a yacht, the plant life is obviously different, the colours and\u00a0variety quite special!<\/p>\n Where there is tree cover<\/p>\n \u00a0 there are the striking splashes of colour from the many varieties of rhododendron flowers,\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0 -even this little red heath-like flower, which grows more out in the open, is a rhododendron I am told. and many different little track-side flowers.<\/p>\n \u00a0 Perhaps most vivid though, as there are so many, are the red immature leaves of many different varieties of\u00a0trees.<\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 and ferns.<\/p>\n As it gets higher the vegetation changes with reduced tree height, as it becomes more alpine, but even lower down, in the areas of poor soil, where the trees become scrubby bushes, there are the pitcher plants,<\/p>\n for which Kinabalu is well known… -and they ARE fascinating…<\/p>\n (There was more than one reference to this climb coming to resemble a ‘Garden Club’ outing, but the plant life on this mountain is worth taking time to look at; -and\u00a0worth writing more about later!)<\/p>\n The wildlife was far less evident, but that is no surprise as the track is far from quiet,\u00a0no wild\u00a0animals would stay around by choice.<\/p>\n \u00a0 The exception were the squirrels at some of the rest stops, attracted by discarded food of littering climbers.<\/p>\n Out of the trees in the alpine zone it was a clear day,<\/p>\n \u00a0 we had good views of the mountain above<\/p>\n \u00a0 although Sabah below, remained hidden behind\u00a0 heavy cumulus cloud cover, a sign of the\u00a0‘2 o’clock-on-the-dot’\u00a0rain showers down there.<\/p>\n \u00a0 By mid afternoon we reached Laban Rata Guest-House at 3750 metres<\/p>\n \u00a0 where we took a well-earned break on the balcony in the afternoon sun,<\/p>\n \u00a0 -enjoying the hospitality, -afternoon tea and biscuits, then later, with sunset,<\/p>\n \u00a0 our early evening meal. We were to resume our climb at 2.30 am the following day; it seemed an impossible time to us, -our least preferred choice, -but it is routine doing this climb, as it ensures achieving the likely best time to be on the summit, that is, when the sun comes up and before the cloud cover forms. There were a few there before us, well wrapped up in sleeping bags or shivering in the cold wind blowing over the peak.<\/p>\n \u00a0 We could see little from the peak, so soon abandoned the summit marker to others more hardy or still making the climb up<\/p>\n \u00a0 and moved back down a little, towards the ‘Ugly Sister’…<\/p>\n (the name\u00a0of the\u00a0distant peak, no reference to a member of\u00a0our party!) \u00a0to relative warmth, explore the plateau and await improving conditions…<\/p>\n We were not to be disappointed. Although the sun never came out brightly there were sufficient gaps in the mist blowing over the summit to see the other peaks and be able to get some good, -albeit brief, -views out over Borneo.<\/p>\n We watched a steady stream of people moving\u00a0along the way we had come up from near South Peak in the distance<\/p>\n \u00a0 following the rope markers, (not to be confused with the interesting white rock ‘tracks’ criss-crossing the relatively flat granite of the summit plateau)<\/p>\n \u00a0 an ant-like procession up the final ridge to\u00a0Low’s Peak.<\/p>\n \u00a0 Across the plateau is St John’s Peak, almost matching Low’s Peak in height, and with (they say) an orangutan face painted on its\u00a0north side…<\/p>\n \u00a0 and the Donkey’s Ears, aptly named for obvious reasons, a feature seen from all views of the southern side of the mountain.<\/p>\n Kinabalu is a mountain of 2 halves, the East and West plateaus, separated by Low’s Chasm and at Low’s Peak, we were on the edge of it.<\/p>\n \u00a0 <\/p>\n This is a deep rift carved out by some long-time ago glacier, over 1000 metres deep and 16,000 metres long, it’s near vertical walls making it virtually impassable. (It has in fact only been descended once, in very dry conditions of 1998) To get to the Eastern Summit Plateau the route is completely separate, leaving the Low’s Peak track shortly after Laban Rata and not often used as\u00a0the pinnacles of that side require technically difficult rope-work\u00a0 to climb and the Park Rules on doing so are quite restrictive. Low’s Peak is however the highest of all peaks, -by a mere\u00a05\u00a0metres…<\/p>\n As the weather cleared a little more we reascended Low’s Peak and joined some of the later comers for another photo opportunity in better conditions<\/p>\n \u00a0 (Well, if you’re Asian, naturally\u00a0you have a hand-phone\u00a0out to share the climactic moment\u00a0with a friend, -despite the unsociable hour!)<\/p>\n Now we were able to see more out towards Kota Kinabalu<\/p>\n \u00a0 although still not enough to see the city clearly<\/p>\n \u00a0 but we had a better view to the northeast where we could make out the twin capes at the ‘Tip of Borneo’ in the very distance. \u00a0 \u00a0 then soon enshrouded us too, -our view of Sabah was over!<\/p>\n The experience\u00a0certainly hadn’t matched that described in the tourist brochures, that is, of enjoying a panoramic view, resting after the climb, while watching Sabah awaken in the dawn\u00a0sunshine… but it was better than it could have been…<\/p>\n Many people get to see nothing at all and at times the mountain can even be ‘closed’ by the weather conditions. \u00a0 to the ropes at the brink of the summit<\/p>\n \u00a0 where it became necessary to slow down, take a little more care<\/p>\nTHE MOUNTAIN:<\/font><\/h2>\n
\nGeologically it’s young, but although there is never snow on it now, it has been covered by ice sheets in the past, the glaciers carving out the many pinnacles of its rugged summit.
\nAlthough it may be a mere infant, it’s by far the biggest mountain on the island of Borneo, the next being only just over half it’s height, Tamboyukon, about 20 km north.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
\nNaturally it’s craggy profile has come to also dominate the whole area, the nearby city of Kota Kinabalu and the lives of the Dusun people of the surrounding districts. It is a part of their traditional beliefs and mythology, a resting place for their souls; but more recently, it’s become their income. It’s now a major tourist attraction,\u00a0people fly in from all over to climb it and visit the adjacent Kinabalu Park.<\/p>\nTHE CLIMB:<\/font><\/h2>\n
\nThe mountain became truly open to the public to climb after the National Park was created in 1964 and a new route formed..\u00a0
\nClimbing now it is not difficult from a technical point of view, the track up it is a comparative superhighway, it is just a long uphill slog, but it is high enough that the altitude can begin to show its effects. However, logistically it is more complex, for most casual visitors it has to be a 2 day affair, using a local guide and bookings made months in advance.
\nThe exception is the annual mountain run held in October…(it’s tempting… if only I was 15 years younger) when the time for the round trip becomes just a matter of hours for the super super fit… the current record well under 3!<\/p>\n
\nWhether climbing as individuals or in, as we were, a tour package, there is little need to carry much other than warm, waterproof clothing and personal effects. Good\u00a0 bedding and food are supplied at the accommodation on the mountain. Like taking\u00a0the guide, it is compulsory to use it and the numbers on the mountain on any one day are limited by the number of beds available.\u00a0
\nWe were taken from Kota Kinabalu city by minivan early in the morning to drive the 80 odd kilometres to begin the climb.<\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
\nWe were allocated our guide for the mountain, Rony, like all the rest of them, is a resident of one of the local villages and employed for a couple of days a week guiding. He proved to be very good, -affable, patient, helpful, with a good knowledge of English -and very fit.
\nIt is an efficiently run organisation and a\u00a0very efficient process, the numbers on the mountain at any time are carefully monitored. We were each given individual name tags to be worn constantly.\n<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
\nWe were not alone, many other groups were setting off at about the same time, mostly Asians, but there were a few European faces among them.\n<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
\n(Although there are helipads higher up it seems that helicopters are rarely used, manpower (and woman-power), is cheaper. We saw packages of bricks and building materials transported on the back of porters,\u00a0 -and even,\u00a0 -to our amazement a climber with suspected fractured ankle being ‘medi-vacced’, on a makeshift stretcher carried down all those steep steps by 6 stocky men…surely an ordeal for the carried, as much as the carriers!)<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
\nOrchids are also a feature, many growing as epiphytes on the trees,<\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
\nThe food provided was good, tasty, and buffet style, there was no shortage.<\/p>\n
\nOur bed for what remained of the\u00a0shortened night was at Gunting Lagadan hut, a\u00a05 minute\u00a0walk on up the track. It is basic accommodation, but quite adequate, -if a little cold and for us, -noisy, from other guests. It proved to be a very broken few hours of sleep, none of us felt rested.
\nWhen 2am arrived and everyone arose it was disappointing to find, after the perfectly clear night it had been a few hours earlier,\u00a0it was\u00a0windy with light rain, -and cold!
\nIt wasn’t easy to feel enthusiastic about stepping outside the shelter of the hut into the weather\u00a0to continue the climb\u00a0in torchlight, but everyone else was, so\u00a0peer pressure forced us to do likewise and once underway, it became easier…
\nThe climb from Laban Rata was all on exposed rock and ridges, there were many more steps to climb, they were often thin wooden structures, but unslippery and with good hand-holds.
\nThe\u00a0track remained steep up to Saya-Sayat Hut where in the darkness we had to show our passes for a final check, then\u00a0it gradually\u00a0levelled off as\u00a0we reached the summit plateau. Crossing the plateau there were long,\u00a0fixed, ropes marking the track, more than being\u00a0needed for security, as the granite rock gave excellent foothold, -but at times where it was steeper, or the wind was stronger, it was useful to be able to\u00a0hold on\u00a0for support.
\nIt remained bitterly cold, we all had total polypropylene cover, fleece tops, wind-proof parkas, hats and gloves, but still we froze, most of us with numb fingers and toes. Keeping walking slowly kept us sufficiently warm however, while our guide assured us that it wasn’t usually as cold as this, the unusually strong wind creating severe wind-chill.(Interestingly there was no ice on the small puddles, but the air temperature for us in the wind must have been well below zero)
\nHe kept us moving at just the right pace to ensure that we kept warm, didn’t tire, and arrived on the final climb to the summit just as dawn was beginning to break…<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
\nOur gap in the clouds was short-lived however, as they soon heaped up again on the peaks of the Eastern Plateau, across Low’s Chasm\n<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
\nHowever, we had seen what we came for and if anything, the cold wind, driving mist and clouds had added to the moment, we were content to go down now.
\n\u00a0
\nIt was a fast descent, giant steps down the rocky slope,<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n