How long to climb kota kinabalu

Some people prefer to stick to lower altitudes, and there are still fantastic views of Mt Kinabalu from the smaller ridges. Find out more about our small group adventures in Borneo now. I was born in and aged from there. I like the sound of pop-rocks and dislike the sound of styrofoam.

The length of my forearm is approximately the same as the length of my shin. My favourite Beatle is Ringo. Sometimes I have trouble finishing sen. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. Home » Everything you need to know before climbing Mt Kinabalu. A small backpack for your jacket, drink bottle, snacks etc. A waterproof jacket. It rains on Kinabalu. A lot. Pack a light-weight rain jacket and some waterproof bags for your gear.

A head torch. For the morning summit hike which starts in pitch darkness. You can pick these up easily in Kota Kinabalu. Water bottles. Supper is a very simple continental breakfast of tea, coffee, toast and spreads. Breakfast at Pendant Hut is also pretty simple — eggs, sausage, toast, beans — however, is a little more substantial.

Supper time at Pendant Hut is the same as at Laban Rata 2amam. Tea and coffee is available all day free of charge at Pendant Hut, along with boiled water re-fills. This is only available for those who are actually staying at Pendant Hut. The Via Ferrata safety briefing starts at pm on Day 1 at Pendant Hut and goes for around two and a half hours. This is mandatory for all Via Ferrata climbers. If you miss it, you will not be able to attempt Via Ferrata and you will not receive a refund, so be sure that you reach Pendant Hut in time.

If you decide you'd like to try Via Ferrata on arrival at Panalaban, provided that there are spots still available and you make it in time for the safety briefing, you can add a standalone Via Ferrata experience to your existing package for an added RM for WTT and RM for LPC from April Lemaing Hostel is located next to Laban Rata and is an accommodation for Malaysian climbers only.

It is a special discounted no-frills package that is sold at much lower rates than the general Malaysian packages. Spaces are limited to 25 climbers a day. Spaces open up a year in advance and are consistently sold out the same day first come first served. Please note that all members of your climbing party must be in possession of a valid MyKad ID card to book at Lemaing Hostel. Accommodation is bunk beds across two dorm rooms. There is no heater in the rooms, however, there is a water heater in the shared bathroom, which is an added bonus over the dorms at Laban Rata and Pendant Hut.

Climbers must pay for accommodation, 3 meals, the climbing permit and insurance at the time of booking to secure their spot. The mandatory conservation fee aka park entrance fee and mountain guide fee, along with the optional certificate and porter fees are to be paid on the day of the climb. The three provided meals are dinner, supper and breakfast at Laban Rata. Lunch on Day 1 and 2 from Balsam Restaurant is not included.

Climbers should bring their own packed lunch for Day 1 and make their own arrangements for lunch on Day 2. If you are Malaysian and wanting to take advantage of this special deal, see our post on booking Mt Kinabalu climbs for information on pricing and how to book.

This is the latest accommodation to become available at Panalaban and can accommodate a further 30 climbers per night. Like Lemaing Hostel above, it is operated by the mountain authority Sabah Parks at a discounted rate.

However, unlike Lemaing Hostel, Panalaban Hostel is open to both international and Malaysian climbers. While this is an enticing option, it is naturally in high demand so is difficult to secure a spot. As of February , spots at Panalaban are completely booked out until October Please note that if able to get a place, payment of the non-refundable booking fee for accommodation, meals, climbing permit and insurance must be made within 24 hours or you will forfeit your place.

The other fees are to be payable in cash at Park HQ on the day of the climb. See the following link for more information on how to book Panalaban Hostel.

After dinner most people head to bed early to save their energy for the early morning ascent to the summit. Supper is served from 2amam. We suggest starting in the earlier part of this bracket so you are not rushed to get to the summit by sunrise. We also recommend not over-eating. While you don't want to start on an empty stomach, you don't want to be really full either. It will just make you lethargic and sick, and we witnessed someone vomiting on the trail because of it.

It's not the way you want to start your ascent to the summit. Instead, have a light supper and bring some sugary snacks or energy bars for that quick surge of energy when your body needs it we brought chewable jelly candies that were easy to keep in our pockets. Remember that you will get another round at breakfast on the way down.

After waking in the early hours of the morning of Day 2 and having a light supper, you will begin the final 2. Expect the final summit climb to take around 3 hours.

From Panalaban to the summit almost all climbers take the New Ranau Trail , which replaced the previous Ranau Trail after the earthquake on Mount Kinabalu. As sections of the Ranau Trail from Panalaban to the summit remained impassable due to large boulders, the New Ranau Trail was created around them along a slightly different route.

After the earthquake, a second 1. The Kota Belud Trail is intended to act as an alternate descent route should the New Ranau Trail become impassable in case of emergency. Please note, however, that since mid-January , the Kota Belud Trail has been closed and there is no information about when it may re-open at this time.

Therefore, currently all climbers must take the New Ranau Trail to the summit. In the case of the Kota Belud Trail re-opening to summit climbers, do note that it is considered more difficult than the New Ranau Trail and advanced permission needs to be sought in order to take it. The journey from Panalaban to the summit is when things really start getting challenging. You will be climbing in the dark so a flashlight is essential for this part of the climb.

A headlamp is preferable as you'll need both hands for climbing during the ropes section. The first part of the ropes section was the most mentally challenging for me. It won't come as a shock to anyone who has read about our bungy jumping experience in Japan , that I am scared of heights. And there were a number of moments when I was honestly really scared.

You will feel more like walking on endless staircase than climbing. Just go slow and enjoy the scenic view.

As you move higher, you can feel the drop of temperature and the surrounding is getting more and more foggy. The ground is covered with green mosses and many trees and shrubs have epiphytes and lichens on them.

What you experience is a walk in the cloud forest montane forest , which grows above 1, Metres above sea level. Along the trails, be sure to keep your eyes open for the plenteous interesting vegetation to check out.

Kinabalu Park has the highest density of orchid species in the world. Climbers could spot blooming orchid and rhododendron next to the trail. After 4 KM, pay attention to your left and look for the big and bright-color Nepenthes villosa pitcher plant in the shrubs. This species is endemic to Kinabalu Park of Sabah. Between 4 and 5 KM is a long section of trail in yellow colour. These yellowish rocks are million-year-old ultrabasic or ultramafic rocks.

This area is dominated by dwarf and crooked trees Leptospermum recurvum , some are over a hundred years old. This tree is one of the few plant that can adapt to the toxic ultrabasic soil. When you see many big dark-grey boulders on the trail, congratulations!

Though Panalaban is only a Kilometre away now, the trail is quite steep from now on. These boulders are slippery after rain so watch your steps. A walking pole will help you to balance. You are now 3, metres above sea level. This is the place where climbers spend a night. The restaurant of Laban Rata Resthouse is where you claim your warm buffet meals.

You better reach Panalaban before the restaurant closes at pm. Ala carte meals are available too. The scenery at Panalaban is fantastic! Just enjoy the view with a cup of coffee at the balcony, and look at the dense cloud under your feet. The sunset view at Panalaban is one of the best in Sabah. There is a small shop in the restaurant that sells items such as snacks, instant noodle, drink, poncho, medicines, postcards, etc.

The rooms are humbly decorated but are comfortably equipped thick blankets, bunk beds, as well as clean drinking water. Tell you a secret.

Please note this walk-through only covers the standard summit trail named Ranau Trail. If you want to know more about another new summit trail, which is more challenging, please read this page about Kota Belud Trail. The climb to the summit resumes at 2am the next morning. The climb from Panalaban to the summit is about 2. To cut down weight, you can leave the unnecessary stuffs in your room. There is no water point on the way except Sayat-Sayat checkpoint.

You also need torchlight or LED headlamp , warm clothing and poncho. After briefing by your mountain guide, the ascend will start with nearly two hours of steep staircase climbing in the dark. The only way is up. You can see long line of torchlight of other climbers. You will be tired, stop and gasping for air for many times. Without air and light pollution, the sky is full of stars, a beautiful view you will never forget.

Then you will come to the rope section, the most challenging part that requires you to hold onto a rope to move up for a few hundreds metres. The steep trails will make your leg take quite a beating and it will be a continuous descent all the way to the Timpohon Gate to end the climb.

The base camp at Laban Rata for climbers to rest before challenging to the top of Mount Kinabalu. Many have been concerned about the safety issues of Mount Kinabalu and whether is it safe to climb the mountain since the recent events of earthquakes. The mountain is still operating as of July and available for people to climb. The Mesilau trail have been closed due to the earthquake damaging the trails. Nonetheless, Mount Kinabalu is still deemed safe to climb.

The trails to the peak of Mount Kinabalu is very safe and well guided in addition to having numerous people successfully completed the climb. The Mesilau Trail which is now closed after the earthquake in As of July However, the incident of natural disaster is not under the control of human. As long as you follow the instructions of your mountain guide and stay on track, the risk of accident or injury will be lowered.

Those who have suffered from accident on the mountain usually happens when they leave the designated trails or left their group. Besides that, the safety of the trail is often affected by the bad weather.

However, your guide will stop the climb if it was deemed unsafe to ensure the safety of climbers. First of all, mountain climbing is an activity that requires stamina and perseverance. In order to reach the peak of the mountain, you should be reasonably fit. You do not need to be very athletic to complete the climb.

Among those who successfully reached the top, there are all sorts of people and many of them are not athletes obviously. If you are engage to sports activity or regular exercises every week, you are most probably fit enough to reach the summit. A few months before your climb, start jogging, running or walking in a park or your local neighbourhood for about an hour twice a week.

This will help your cardio abilities and also keep you fit. Then as you near your date to challenge the peak, start to walk on some inclined or steeper trails to make your legs familiar with what will it be going through during the climb. You should be fine to go if you have been able to do these easily. Intensive training is really not needed.

However, you should not climb if your legs or arm have any injury as the climb might pressure it and worsen the injury. Just a few steps to reach the top! Other than that, altitude sickness can affect or impact any climbers on Mount Kinabalu whether he or she is fit or not. This is caused by the sudden elevation on climbing the mountain where you practically climb to a height of metres over in one day.

Climbers can choose to stay near the Kinabalu Park area to acclimatize themselves to the high altitude. Besides that, remember to pace your climb and take adequate rests during the climb.