Mount Kinabalu

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view of Mt Kinabalu

Mount Kinabalu summit is the highest mountain between Himalayas and New Guinea. Low’s peak is 4,096 meters (13,438 ft) above sea level. It is a strenuous hike but not too difficult and a person of average fitness can easily do it. Views from the top are stunning and the terrain at the summit area is fascinating. I am not much of a mountaineer and this is so far the highest mountain I came up to. My legs hurt for a week after, but it was definitely worth it.

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trail “steps” at about 2 km

What to see

A permit is required to climb the Mount Kinabalu and currently only 2 day/1 night option is available (it was possible to climb the mountain within a day before). The official info is here. Currently only 135 permits are issued per day. I hiked in August of 2013 using Ranau trail from Timpahon gate – which it seems is the only available option now after the earthquake in 2015. The trail is well maintained and first 4km or so is along the laid out “steps” through the jungle.

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trail at about 5km

As you climb higher the trees get shorter and path less of a “staircase”. Most of the first day hike is through hot steaming jungle. T-shirt and long light pants worked fine for me. Definitely bring plenty of water.  Mandatory guide – paid as part of the permit package – can also help carry your bag if you wish.

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view from the hut to restaurant and clouds

At the end of the first day hike is Panalaban where there is a restaurant and several huts to eat and have a nap before waking up for the summit portion of the hike at about 2am. The views keep getting better as you go up. On the day I was there the hut and restaurant were above the clouds and sunset views were majestic.

The huts have bunk beds with sleeping bags on them so you do not need to bring your own sleeping bag. We were awaken at 2am, had some coffee and cookies and headed for the summit. It took me less than 3 hours to hike up to the summit and as a result I had to wait for almost an hour for the sunrise.

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sunrise view from the summit

The air gets really cold – even in August – I had a sweater on, windbreaker and even bought a hat at the base camp. I was fine while hiking but got really cold waiting for the sunrise. On the upside though for some time I had the summit almost to myself. By the time of sunrise the remaining 100 plus climbers with their guides came up and it was quite busy at the top – good thing there is a permit system.

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crowd at the summit

The hike to the summit feels like being on another planet. The surface of the top of the mountain has been chiseled by sliding glaciers, wind and rain over millions of years into striking structures. The walk down after the sunrise is spectacular as you look past the mountain down to the lands below shrouded in fog and passing clouds.

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going down, glaciers were here once

I did Walk the Torq on via ferrata down the steep part of the descent (this is the highest via ferrata in the world apparently). Never having climbed steep mountains, first I was not sure about getting hooked to the cables and having a helmet on, but the climb down was great fun and actually I thought that if I could I would descend like this all the way to the bottom rather than hitting the “steps”.

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view from thee bottom after descending through via ferrata

After reaching the base camp and enjoying nice hot breakfast it was back to the trail and rock “steps”. At some point light rain started and my guide pulled out an umbrella and continued to stroll down the trail.  Seeing that umbrella was sobering as in my mind I was a tough mountaineer scaling the mighty Mt. Kinabalu not a casual walker. We then came across quite a number of asian hikers that appeared to be Korean and Chinese retirees cheerfully walking up the trail with umbrella in one hand and walking stick in another. Further humbled by encounter I tried my best to finish the hike without dragging my tired feet too much. I was down and back to the gate  by about 1pm.

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Logistics

You must book through one of the agencies to secure the permit and guide. I booked my trip through ABC tours. It seems a number of operators offer the same package including pick up and drop-off to a hotel in Kota Kinabalu, climb, guide, food, overnight at one of Panalaban huts, and via ferrata as an optional add-on.

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Sepilok & Kinabatangan river

Why go to Sepilok or Kinabatangan river

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Orangutans on the feeding platform, Sepilok

You are guaranteed to see orangutans at Sepilok orangutang rehabilitation center. The experience is not quite the same as seen them on a track in a jungle but is still fully worth it. On Kinabatangan river safari you get to see variety of monkeys, macaques, might see orangutang and Borneo pygmy elephant, as well as rich variety of birds and reptiles.

What to see

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Orangutang getting to the feeding platform, Sepilok

Sepilok Orangutang Rehabilitation Center cares for young orangutans orphaned as a result of illegal logging and deforestation and those illegally caught and kept as pets. There are dedicated walkways in the Center and a viewing platform where orangutans are fed as part of their rehabilitation process. Recently rehabilitated individuals have their diet supplemented by daily feedings of milk and bananas. The additional food is purposefully boring to encourage the apes to start to forage for themselves.

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tourists looking at the orangutang feeding platform, Sepilok

You are guaranteed to see orangutans and get good pictures if you have a reasonable lens /zooming capability on your camera. It gets quite crowded around orangutan feeding time and the place is quite touristy. But orangutans seem to not mind and do their own thing which is come out on to the feeding platform, eat, hang around for a bit and go off back to the wood.

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Kinabatangan river view

 Kinabatangan river is the second longest in Malaysia and its lower flood plains are part of Sukau-Kinabatangan nature reserve. A number of lodges mostly concentrated around Sukau offer river tours along the river to see variety of wild life.

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Proboscis monkeys along Kinabatangan river

The boats go out early in the morning and later in the afternoon when animals are more active and conveniently, light is also better for pictures. We have seen a variety of monkeys including proboscis monkeys endemic to Borneo. We have seen a couple of groups of proboscis monkeys in the trees along the river and followed one group hopping along the river bank from tree to tree.

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Macaque

We have also seen several groups of macaques, a wild pig, a python and variety of birds. We almost saw pygmy elephant.When our boat reached the place where a couple of elephants were sited (guides from different lodges inform each other by mobile), the elephants went further into the jungle and all we could see we think was a silhouette of elephants and trees moving where they walked away.

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The night river tour departs after dinner. We saw several birds including owls and a  variety of reptiles – crocodiles and a few frogs. The experience of gliding quietly on the river looking out into the darkness and listening to night jungle noises is definitely recommendable even though you might not see any big animals at nigh.


Logistics

We were booking last minute and most places, especially on Kinabatangan river were full.  It seems staying in a lodge on Kinabatangan and doing a day trip to Sepilok is a good option – but most of the lodges on Kinabatangan were full when we tried to book.  We stayed one night near to Sepilok at Paganakan Dii Tropical retreat which was fine. We then proceeded to Kinabatangan river and stayed in one of the basic lodges that was still available and that Paganakan Dii helped us book. From Kinabatangan river we took an overland transfer to Semporna to dive Sipadan.

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