My Journey To Mount Kinabalu

Speaking about hiking, I have a lot to tell. Mount Kinabalu, which is located in Sabah, Malaysia, is one of the first mountains that I've hiked. I first hiked this mountain in 2006, doing the normal itinerary; starting early in the morning at Timpohon Gate, spending a night at Laban Rata and starting the summit attack at 3am. In 2014, I wanted to do something different. My friends and I agreed to do a straight up hike without needing a bed at Laban Rata. The reason we wanted to do this is to be as minimalist as possible and to spend as little as possible.

Being a minimalist, this is how light my backpack is.

We arrived in Kota Kinabalu on the 5th June 2016. We ate some fresh seafood, had a lot of beers and two of us were drunk. Well, being drunk the night before the climb is never a good idea. But why not?! With only 2 hours sleep, we woke up at 6am the next morning, had breakfast and went to the fish market to buy some seafood for us to BBQ after the hike.

Drinking and hiking. There are no rules against this.

Giant tiger prawns, only RM75/kg.

The seafood at the market is super fresh and cheap. This humpback grouper is only RM70/kg!!

It was a 2.5 hours drive from Kota Kinabalu to Kinabalu Park. We arrived before midday, signed up for the hike and we spent about an hour walking around the park, enjoying the view and drinking another beer to cure the hangover.

That's me, at the back of the pick up truck, on the way to Kinabalu Park.

The entrance to Kinabalu Park. Kinabalu Park is recognized as one of the UNESCO World Herritage Sites in Malaysia.

Chilling and drinking at Kinabalu Park.

View from around the park.

We checked in at Dantai Lodge homestay, which was about 6km away from the park. We had some rest, cooked our dinner and we were ready to start the hike at 8pm. We drove back to Kinabalu Park and started our journey from Timpohon Gate.

Myself, Abel and Dominic.

Timpohon Gate is located at 1,866m above sea level. We were guided by a local guide named Joseph. The weather was chill and a little wet when we started but as we gained altitude, it got colder and dry. There were only 4 of us and it was all so quiet and serene. Oh what a joy! We had a number of stops along the way and the 4 hour hike to Laban Rata, which is located at an altitude of 3,372m above sea level, was pretty easy.

Lawii Shelter. 2,267masl.

Mempening Shelter. 2,576masl.

Layang Layang Shelter. 2,702masl.

We were 3 hours too early for the summit attack when we got to Laban Rata so we rested at the dining area. A little nap, coffee and breakfast and we were ready for the summit!! Unlike the journey from Timpohon Gate to Laban Rata, this part of the journey was crowded with a lot of climbers. It wasn't quiet and serene anymore. Not that I am complaining but being an introvert, I really enjoy quietness. It was all easy apart from the thin air at high altitude. 3 hours later, we arrived at the summit, Low's Peak, but sadly, the clouds were thick and we were not able to enjoy the sunrise.

Me at the summit for a quick pose. The were a lot of people queuing for a photo.

A beer is always good to celebrate! I had a Mikkeller x Brewdog I Beat You Double IPA.

St. John's Peak. 4,091masl.

South Peak on the right. 3,922masl.

Donkey's Ears. The right ear was damaged during the earthquake, a year later.

And all the way down, back to Timpohon Gate.

The journey down is also a reason to celebrate. A hike isn't a hike until you are back safely.

It took me about 4 hours to get back down from the summit to Timpohon Gate while Dominic and Abel took a little longer. We drove back to Dantai Lodge, took a shower, had a 6 hour sleep and we had a seafood BBQ. It was all fun. Each of us spent less than RM400, excluding the flights getting into Kota Kinabalu. Cheap eh!