The Quest to Mount Kinabalu
Having been climbing Mount Kinabalu twice and to have friends also doing the same, here are some tips to prepare yourselves, if you’re thinking of climbing this mountain.
- If you have hiked mountains in Malaysia before, Mount Kinabalu is more ‘commercialised’ compared to the other treks. It has huts for resting, water taps to refill your bottles, toilets and proper steps.
- Having said that, it doesn’t mean you do not need to train. Training is vital, and if you stay in Klang Valley, training at Bukit Gasing or the nearby Gunung Nuang. Do not just focus on climbing up hill; hiking down is equally important (or more)
- Pace yourself while climbing the mountain. It is not a race.
- Carry a 1.5 litre water bottle is sufficient. There are stops for you to re-fill your water bottle.
- There is no best time to climb this mountain. Malaysia has a tropical weather, so it can rain anytime, anywhere. Note: The weather report in Malaysia cannot be trusted.
- Try to be the first set of climbers to climb the mountain on that day. This is to avoid having to meet other climbers either going up or down. That means waking up earlier, and having your breakfast earlier.
- A walking stick is not necessary! It can be more of a nuisance rather than help!
- It is not necessary to hire a porter for the climb. A 35-litre bag would suffice with all your equipment and clothes.
- Try to look for a head torchlight. It’ll be good if you can free your hands - because you need them to hold the ropes!
Any of you have other tips to share?
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December 13th, 2008 at 9:02 pm
Hi Terence,
You have done 2 mountains already. Must be exciting? We remembered our climb to Mt K. very enjoyable and after that we went to soak in the hot springs in Porring.
December 14th, 2008 at 8:30 am
Hi Low,
In fact, I’ve done a couple of mountains already. Have done Kutu, Nuang, Ledang, KK (twice) and Tahan (twice) and many more I can’t recall. Just need to find time to compile the facts together!
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:21 pm
I would like to elaborate on your tip #3. Because of the high altitude and with the thinning of the oxygen in the air, It is important to pace oneself especially for hikers who are prone to altitude sickness. From my own experience, I had a heck of a time when I first attempted to hike Mt.KK. A year later, the hike was more enjoyable.