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Click on "Day X" above to go to another
day. Click on most small pictures for a larger picture
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The Goal -- as seen from
our cabin that morning
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IMPORTANT: If you want to climb
Mount Kinabalu, it is wise to reserve a climbing permit in advance as
they only allow a limited number of people a day and this quota is snapped
up in advance in peak season. If you just hope to turn up and climb,
you may be disappointed. If you book a room at Laban Rata, that
automatically reserves you a climbing permit.
Ready to Go!
We rose about 6:30 to get to the Kinabalu Balsam
Restaurant for 7 am. Service there was slow and they got our order
confused (cost RM 28). This is not a place for a climber in a hurry
to grab a quick breakfast!
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All ready to start
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Checking in
I checked in at the Kinabalu Park Headquarters (Height 1,563.8m),
deposited our luggage there (RM 1 per piece), met our guide, and got ready
to go. We paid RM 25 (RM 5 each) for a return trip to Timpohon Gate
and piled into the mini-van with our guide.
We're off!
At 8:05, we set off from Timpohon Gate (Height
1,866.4m). For the first 50m, the path goes down. After that,
for the next 5,900m it goes up ... and up ... and up! There are a few
short stretches when it is nearly flat and even slightly downhill, but
these are very few and very short. Moreover, as the walk goes on, it
gets steadily steeper, rather than gentler.
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The goal gets closer
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Just Keep Going
The secret of ascending Mount Kinabalu is simply
stamina. You don't have to go fast and you can stop as much as you like,
but the bottom line is that you just have to keep going until you get to
the top.
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When the going gets tough,
the tough keep going!
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Peter and Michael shot up the trail without much
difficulty and waited for us at each of the shelters (there are seven
shelters along the trail at intervals of between 400m and 900m. They
provide a much-needed rest as well as supplies of drinking water).
Anne-Marie and Rebecca needed more encouragement.
At one point, I took Anne-Marie's pack for half a stage, and as the climb
progressed, she offloaded some of the load in her backpack into
Peter's. Peter already had the largest back-pack, but he was having
no difficulty. [Tip: Your guide is not expected to carry your stuff,
but you can hire a porter to do so (~RM 76 per trip for 10kg). If you
have any doubts as to whether you will make it, it would be worth hiring
one!).
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Kinabalu Mountain Squirrel
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On the Way
At a couple of the shelters, we encountered Kinabalu
Mountain Squirrels. They were very friendly and inquisitive and
didn't seem at all frightened of us. The problem in taking their
photo was that they couldn't sit still for a moment.
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Nepenthes
Pitcher Plant
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On the trail, we saw several dramatic Nepenthes Pitcher
Plants. They only grow between certain altitudes, so were to be found
for a short portion of the walk. They were also a few metres off the
path and we would probably have missed them if it was not for our guide.
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It just goes up!
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And Keep on Going!
It starts steep and gets steeper! The views of the
mountain got clearer and nearer. The vegetation reduced from trees to
shrub. As it was mainly bright and cloudless, this made for beautiful
photos but fried walkers.
Some of the few people who overtook us were porters
carrying supplies to the hostel. With huge loads on their backs, they
strode on past us. They probably make this trip daily, or at least
several times a week.
As we got to the last hour and progress was reduced to
"six steps and a rest," it was encouraging to see that at least
one of these porters just ahead of was also reduced to doing the same.
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Laban Rata!
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Laban Rata at Last!
We arrived at Laban Rata (Height 3,272.7m) at 1pm,
having taken almost exactly five hours to walk 6 km and climb
1,406.3m. (The standard time given by Kinabalu Park is five
hours). We weren't the fastest on the trail, but we were certainly by
no means the slowest.
Laban Rata is an 82 bed hostel built by the Sappers of
the 5th and 8th Engineer Squadrons between 1983 and 1985. The rooms
are a mixture of 4, 6, 8, and 10 bed rooms. We were given a six-bed
room all to ourselves, which suited us well. The room was cold, but
the electric heater quickly warmed it up and by the time we went to bed,
the hostel was so warm we didn't bother with our own room heating.
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Man U conquers all!
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A Lazy Afternoon above the Clouds
We had lunch (RM 97) and then spent the afternoon
pottering around marvelling at the magnificent view above the clouds below,
looking for birds, photographing Laban Rata with Mount Kinabalu behind it,
or playing Cluedo. (The photo with Peter and Michael wearing Man U
shirts was for the Man U magazine).
At 5pm, we had an excellent buffet supper (just RM 95
for us all; Michael and Rebecca were half price).
After supper, we sorted our stuff for the morning,
played more Cluedo, and watched the sunset over the clouds. It
was dramatic! Peter insisted in staying out to watch the very last
vestiges of the sunset, which seemed to take ages! Then it was time
for bed.
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Sunset over the clouds
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8pm -- Time for Bed!
With the prospect of rising at 2am next morning, we went
to bed at 8 pm. It seemed like everyone else in the hostel did
likewise as the place was quite silent by 8:30 pm, apart from the
occasional person going to the bathroom. (It was not at all
soundproof, so movements from around the hostel were very easy to
hear).
However, I'm not sure it was worth going to sleep quite
so early; none of us were actually ready to sleep and none of us seemed to
sleep very much.
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