Kota Kinabalu Trip (21-25 Feb 2013) : Day 2 and 3 - Mount Kinabalu Climb Part I

With Name of Allah, we depart from BGB to Kinabalu Park at 7.00 am. It took about 1 hour and 45 minutes and we reach there around 9.00 am. It was very breezy and cold. I don't know how Zack can stand without any jacket.

Kinabalu Park 

We have around 15 minutes to settle everything before we were heading to Timpohon gate. We've met our lady mountain guide, Yeta and she gave us the rental jacket (RM20), glove (RM10) and walking stick (RM15) to each of us. We also receive our climbing permit from the Kinabalu Park.

The Tag is the permit

Ok, let me brief about the trail. Mount Kinabalu has two trails, one is from Timpohon Gate and another one is from Mersilau gate. The distance from Timpohan Gate (our starting point) to Laban Rata (HQ) is about 6km while from Mersilau Gate is additional 2km. We need to take taxi which is provided by the Kinabalu Park to both gates. There are 7 shelters located along the trail from Timpohon Gate to Laban Rata. Each and every shelters were provided with toilet and untreated (but still can drink) water.

If you are tough enough, you can carry all your things on your own. Otherwise, you can pay to the porter RM9/kg with minimum weight of 10kg. If less than that, the mountain guide can carry it for you with RM8 per kg. Ours was only 9kg but I think our guide had wrongly calculated the fees and we paid her cheaper. Pity her.

At Timpohon Gate

Briefing at Timpohon Gate

We started our climbing from Timpohon Gate around 9.30 am. Slow and steady. That is the best way to hike. You do not need to rush as you need a lot energy to keep on walking. We started hiking from Timpohon Gate and reach Kandis Shelter about half an hour. Right after the gate, there was a small beautiful waterfall on the left side called Carson Fall. 

Carson Fall

How to describe this hiking? Well, it was very easy trail actually. It was more like walking and then climbing stairs. But of course, if you were walking all day long it will be very tiring. Then we kept moving to the next shelter and we reach Laban Rata Restaurant around 5.45 pm.

Friendly hikers

At KM2.0

The weather was not really good. It was raining almost the whole day. But when we were already at KM5.0, the sun shines very bright. There were less tall trees and we could see very nice view. Subhanallah, Allah's creation was so amazing. We could see the summit clearly from here.

Heading to the Villosa Shelter (6th) 

Priceless

Keep going - it's still very far

The toughest part was at the final kilometer to reach Laban Rata. We knew it was near but we felt that it was so far and we were almost demotivated. Luckily we had each other to back up and we finally arrived at Laban Rata after 8 hours climbing. I have to admit that we were definitely non-fit climbers but proud to announce that we made it. Yeah!

Finally we reach Laban Rata

It was so close to the summit

We straight away went to Laban Rata for buffet dinner. We first check in to take our room key. We were staying at Waras Hut, a 4 bed common sharing basis but it was located a bit downhill of the restaurant. We were to hungry and we ate almost everything they served. We shared our room with one Chinese couple (I don't think they are Malaysian). The toilet and bathroom were outside the room. I couldn't really take shower as the water was so cold. It was like washing your hand with ice water.

We changed to dry clothes and the lights off around 8.30 pm. Too bad that I couldn't sleep at all. I got stomach ache at went to the toilet 4 times at that night. I already lost all my energy. We woke up at 1.30 am to get supper at Laban Rata. It was raining heavily at time. We were almost not allowed to climb if the raining still didn't stop until 4.00 am. Thanks to Allah the raining has stopped and we were start climbing around 3.30 am.

Sayat Sayat Hut where Zack manage to reach here

I was still not feeling well after what happened last night. I only manage to climb 300m after Laban Rata and decided not to carry on. I turned back to our dorm and continue sleeping (not really sleeping because too cold) and wait for Zack at the restaurant at 8.00 for breakfast. While waiting for her, I already knew that she did not manage to reach the summit but only reach until Sayat Sayat Hut which is at KM7.1. 

The summit

But still, she managed to take pictures with the rock as the background (I'm not able to do that and that makes me jealous, haha). It was raining again (I guess when they started to go down). We were waiting at Laban Rata Restaurant for breakfast and check out after. Please bare in mind the all climbers have to check out before 10.30 am or we will charged RM100 for every hour. Very expensive, isn't it? 

We started to go down at 10.00 am and that will be the end of Part I. Hehe...