conquering mount kinabalu
timing: 6 hours 09 mins
making it to the peak
we had set a target of 5 hours to scale to the peak but CANNOT MAKE IT! it was really very tough!!! nevertheless, we were the first group to arrive at Laban Rata (3272.2 m) on 9 mar and i was first to arrive at Low's peak (4095.2m) on 10 mar.
proud to say i was the first one that morning to touch this sign at the highest peak of the majestic mt K. was so dark i couldnt see the sign on my digital camera screen so i didnt manage to capture the entire signage.
it was 4 deg celsius at the peak before dawn. freezing our butt out waiting for the sunrise which was not as glorious as expected cos it was a cloudy day.
the beauty of the landscape of mt K made it all worth the gruelling climb...
this is st john's peak, just next to low's peak.
the pointy peak on the left is south peak. reminds me of astro boy's hair.
the climb
looking energetic before the climb. second from right is our guide, moidin.
passed by some porters who were carrying more than 30kg load!
pretending to be tired at one of the resting huts. further up the mount, when we were really tired, we didnt even want to take any pictures anymore. too tired to take the camera out, too tired to pose.
vegetation along the way...
lowland forest zone
giant moss and Medinilla speciosa, shrub with brilliant pink and purple flowers.
upper montane forest zone
field of grass flowers, orchids, moss.
found this website, steve's website, which provides very good information about the flora and fauna of mt K.
reached laban rata in 3 hours 49 mins
lunch was instant noodles with some vegetables and egg (RM$4.50), for dinner, i had nasi goreng kampung style with ikan bilis and achar (RM$11.50). walked around laban rata area in the afternoon. was raining, cold and misty. was like walking in the clouds.
laban rata had rooms with 6 bunk beds each. there were 5 of us in the group so we thought we had the whole room to ourselves when nobody came in by 7pm and made a mess of the whole room by laying our stuff all around the floor. the hot water shower in the common toilet didnt quite live up to expectations. the water was best described as 'not freezing cold but not warm'. thankfully the heater in each room worked very well so it was nice and warm.
it was lights off for us by 7pm after a few rounds of chua dai di game as we had to wake up at 2am the next day to start the ascent to the peak. hard to get to sleep though cos it was so early. i was slipping in and out of sleep and so were the others. about 9pm or so, was awoken by a loud noise at the door. the 6th person sharing our room just arrived! he must be very tired cos he snored throughout the night.
it was still raining at 2am but we were well-prepared for that. waterproofed feet!
well, we finally conquered mt K. was a very good climb i must say. have to do it again and in shorter timing!
useful info for planning a trip to mt K:
* first thing is to book the accomo at laban rata. you won't be allowed to climb if you don't have confirmed accomo booking. you can book through sutera sanctuary lodge.
* you can leave your luggage at the Park HQ office for RM10 per luggage and just carry your day pack up.
* click here for climbing fees. it is compulsory to get a mountain guide. most pple take the transport to timpohon gate (RM15 if your group is less than 5 pax) or you can trek there from the Park HQ. will take maybe 30mins to trek there if you are fast.
* if you arrive Park HQ late in the evening, no worries, you can have dinner at liwagu restaurant, which is open till about 10pm. there is a souvenir shop there which also sells useful things like lip balm, insect repellant, blah blah..
* there is another restaurant on the main road before turning into Park HQ. serves western food like chicken chop, fish and chips, burgers yadda yadda. and quite cheap too! much cheaper than liwagu restaurant but not sure what time it closes.
* you can order packed lunch from liwagu restaurant for the climb up mt K.
* there's restaurant at laban rata so no worries, you wont starve up there. there's free flow of warm drinking water but if you want boiling hot water, you have to buy it.
* there are several resting huts and toilets along the way up and spring water. but it is advisable to bring your own water as the spring water may contain bacteria.
* for accomodation at Park HQ, try the Peak Lodge. It is like an english lodge complete with a fireplace and has splendid views of the mountain. RM300 per room per night. can accomodate 4 persons in one lodge.
making it to the peak
we had set a target of 5 hours to scale to the peak but CANNOT MAKE IT! it was really very tough!!! nevertheless, we were the first group to arrive at Laban Rata (3272.2 m) on 9 mar and i was first to arrive at Low's peak (4095.2m) on 10 mar.
proud to say i was the first one that morning to touch this sign at the highest peak of the majestic mt K. was so dark i couldnt see the sign on my digital camera screen so i didnt manage to capture the entire signage.
it was 4 deg celsius at the peak before dawn. freezing our butt out waiting for the sunrise which was not as glorious as expected cos it was a cloudy day.
the beauty of the landscape of mt K made it all worth the gruelling climb...
this is st john's peak, just next to low's peak.
the pointy peak on the left is south peak. reminds me of astro boy's hair.
the climb
looking energetic before the climb. second from right is our guide, moidin.
passed by some porters who were carrying more than 30kg load!
pretending to be tired at one of the resting huts. further up the mount, when we were really tired, we didnt even want to take any pictures anymore. too tired to take the camera out, too tired to pose.
vegetation along the way...
lowland forest zone
giant moss and Medinilla speciosa, shrub with brilliant pink and purple flowers.
upper montane forest zone
field of grass flowers, orchids, moss.
found this website, steve's website, which provides very good information about the flora and fauna of mt K.
reached laban rata in 3 hours 49 mins
lunch was instant noodles with some vegetables and egg (RM$4.50), for dinner, i had nasi goreng kampung style with ikan bilis and achar (RM$11.50). walked around laban rata area in the afternoon. was raining, cold and misty. was like walking in the clouds.
laban rata had rooms with 6 bunk beds each. there were 5 of us in the group so we thought we had the whole room to ourselves when nobody came in by 7pm and made a mess of the whole room by laying our stuff all around the floor. the hot water shower in the common toilet didnt quite live up to expectations. the water was best described as 'not freezing cold but not warm'. thankfully the heater in each room worked very well so it was nice and warm.
it was lights off for us by 7pm after a few rounds of chua dai di game as we had to wake up at 2am the next day to start the ascent to the peak. hard to get to sleep though cos it was so early. i was slipping in and out of sleep and so were the others. about 9pm or so, was awoken by a loud noise at the door. the 6th person sharing our room just arrived! he must be very tired cos he snored throughout the night.
it was still raining at 2am but we were well-prepared for that. waterproofed feet!
well, we finally conquered mt K. was a very good climb i must say. have to do it again and in shorter timing!
useful info for planning a trip to mt K:
* first thing is to book the accomo at laban rata. you won't be allowed to climb if you don't have confirmed accomo booking. you can book through sutera sanctuary lodge.
* you can leave your luggage at the Park HQ office for RM10 per luggage and just carry your day pack up.
* click here for climbing fees. it is compulsory to get a mountain guide. most pple take the transport to timpohon gate (RM15 if your group is less than 5 pax) or you can trek there from the Park HQ. will take maybe 30mins to trek there if you are fast.
* if you arrive Park HQ late in the evening, no worries, you can have dinner at liwagu restaurant, which is open till about 10pm. there is a souvenir shop there which also sells useful things like lip balm, insect repellant, blah blah..
* there is another restaurant on the main road before turning into Park HQ. serves western food like chicken chop, fish and chips, burgers yadda yadda. and quite cheap too! much cheaper than liwagu restaurant but not sure what time it closes.
* you can order packed lunch from liwagu restaurant for the climb up mt K.
* there's restaurant at laban rata so no worries, you wont starve up there. there's free flow of warm drinking water but if you want boiling hot water, you have to buy it.
* there are several resting huts and toilets along the way up and spring water. but it is advisable to bring your own water as the spring water may contain bacteria.
* for accomodation at Park HQ, try the Peak Lodge. It is like an english lodge complete with a fireplace and has splendid views of the mountain. RM300 per room per night. can accomodate 4 persons in one lodge.
posted by nan at 5:42 PM
3 Comments:
Good effort on the climb!! :D
congrats!
thk yous thk yous!!!
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