Thoughts on Gunung Kinabalu

It's turning out to be a devastating year for mountaineering. After the deadly quake in Nepal that killed thousands of people and scores of mountain climbers, Sabah was shaken by a magnitude 6 tremor, which caused massive rockfalls and landslides in Mt. Kinabalu, killing at least 19 hikers, including several children from Singapore. Hundreds of people were trapped near the summit as the trail down got swept away.

Stranded climbers, awaiting rescue (photo from Zuma Press)

UPM Invades Sabah - Part 3: from 3270m to 4059m, and back

Part 1
Part 2

Typical of a big climb or event, I couldn't sleep soundly the night before the big day. We slept relatively late at 10pm, while our wake-up call is at 2 in the morning. It wasn't that cold that morning, but it didn't make getting out of bed easier.

The Laban Rata kitchen was abuzz as we entered the dining hall. People were waiting for the buffet line to open. The breakfast spread had the usual stuff; we tried to get our fill even if we really didn't have an appetite that early in the morning. In case of emergency, Cece and I stashed a couple of slices of bread and sausage to be eaten that the summit.

We headed for the summit trail around 3 am, a bit later than I expected, but still enough time to reach the summit before sunrise. Ours was one of the last groups to leave Laban Rata, so we have a lot of over-taking to do if we're to make good time.

early morning start

After a short flat section, we got to the steep steps that immdediately got our heart rate up. I told the guys to take it easy at this early sections to avoid getting sick further up. Sticking to a comfortable pace is a key to success. However, it was also not ideal for us to wait up a long time for those in the back, or we'd cool down again lose more energy in the process. It's also best to keep moving, even just slowly.

Eventually our group got split up as the trail got more crowded. A lot of the people who left earlier have slowed down to rest along the trail, after feeling tired, or cold, or mountain sick. We tried to conservatively overtake if the trail allowed it; and we managed to pas quite a number of hikers along the wooden steps. Below us glowed the street lights of nearby towns. The sky was clear and the mountain air fresh crisp. It was a great place to be in.

UPM Invades Sabah, Part 2 - From 1500 to 3270 masl

(A lot of things got in the way of me continuing the tale of our trip to Sabah. This is the second part of that series. You can back-track and read the First Part here)

23 May, Kinabalu National Park - It was a chilly morning. As expected, Coach Noel's personal "generator" make sleeping a bit difficult at the start. I'm not sure how well-rested I am, actually. Also as predicted by Jake, breakfast was sausage, pork and beans, and egg. Not too much to their liking, but okay.

Photo-op before we head ou

Our group will split into two: Coach Noel and Casper will be riding to Mesilau on their mountain bikes, while the rest of us will hiking up to Laban Rata. The sky is clear and bright. It was a bit warm, actually, if you are in the sun (obviously).  

Mt. Kinabalu, as seen from the parking lot across the entrance

UPM invades Sabah, Part 1 - from sea level to 1500 masl

May 22, Kota Kinabalu - Eight years ago, I was roaming the streets of this city like a stiff mummy. Leg muscles tight from climbing up and down hard from Mt. Kinabalu, the highest accessible mountain this in Southeast Asia (at 4,095 masl, if you want to know). I don't look back fondly on those post-climb walks. I vowed not to end up like that again now.

the famous KK swordfish