This will be the first ever post I spent the longest time on, beating those comprehensive ones I did for the Europe travels during my SEP in Denmark, 2006. This entry will also serve as a most updated guide (or Lonely Planet alternative) should anyone wish to plan a 4D3N trip to Mt Kinabalu - with a shoestring budget of SGD$450, half of which can be attributed to the airfare.
The entire trip could be summarised as remarkably amazing and refreshing, yet strenuous and damaging on the legs (for which my calf muscles, quadriceps and knee joints are still aching) for any first-timer attempting to climb South-East Asia's highest peak in Sabah, Borneo. If you don't have 30mins to an hour to read the details below, this is where you should stop. Otherwise, you should consider making this trip at least once during your younger days, ie, now. And you won't regret it.
Day 0: Thursday, 6 Sept 2007 Let's begin with leaving Singapore before 5am, in order to cross the Causeway on foot and reach
Kota Raya before 5.30am. We took the first bus at City Lounge,
Kota Raya at 5.30am, which was surprisingly punctual, costing RM8 per person for a 30min ride to
Senai Airport, a fairly small airport. Although the transit lounge was equipped with
aerobridges, it seemed all
AirAsia flights did not enjoy the luxury of using them.
The flight to
KK took no more than 2 hours, and we arrived around 9.40am, and for the first time ever, I saw my checked-in backpack emerge first from the baggage
carousel. As we exited the arrival hall, we approached both the tourist info counter and general info desk, enquiring about buses that could take us into town. Neither could give us a firm answer, other than to wait for a bus 16A (supposedly arriving every hour).
Do take note that there is no obvious bus stop located outside the airport building. Basically you'd have to look out for the bus and flag it down to hop on. This RM1 ride takes about 15
mins or so to reach the "bus terminal" in City Park, which is only 7km away from the airport. Also, the inaccuracy of bus arrival timings was obvious when it showed up when we least expected it to, so don't count on the info the tourist information dispenses.
We got into
KK town before 11am and decided to walk around before leaving to our booked guesthouse near
Kinabalu Park itself in the late afternoon. In that short walkabout, I see how handicrafts and seafood are the signature features of
KK. After all, the town is situated along the coast facing out to the South China Sea. Major shopping malls are located along the main artery of
KK, and you find just about anything from branded goods to local handicraft.
Filipino Market is a huge souvenirs and local handicrafts centre in
KK, with more than 100 sellers placed under one roof. The wooden building is situated very near to the wet and fish market, and is well known to the Peninsular Malaysian traveller, who usually go there to buy souvenirs, especially pearls, beads and crystals.
After lunch, we walked to the
Atkinson Clock Tower, one of the prominent landmarks in
KK Town.
Building a British colonial empire in a faraway Borneo had its share of difficulties and challenges, including tropical diseases. The first District Officer of Jesselton, Francis George Atkinson, died of malaria at the young age of 28. His mother, Mary Edith Atkinson of England, built the Atkinson Clock Tower on Bukit Brace (Brace Hill) in 1905, in memory of her son. While the original merbau wood used to build the Clock Tower has been replaced over the years, the building's overall structure has been retained. The Atkinson Clock Tower was for many decades used as navigation support for ships coming into port and is the oldest standing structure in KK, but also the one of only three remaining buildings after the air raids in World War II. However, the tower can no longer be seen from the sea due to the tall buildings, and was gazetted as a heritage building in 1983.
Next stop -
Signal Hill. This is one of the best places to get a good view of
KK, up on a hill that overlooks the city with a view that extends to the islands. From the bottom, you can see the lookout clearly (
below, left), but there's no direct path to the top. Instead of following the main road from afar, we took a shortcut from the backyard of the Backpacker Lodge (along
Lorong Dewan), where a short flight of steps (
see middle picture below, red arrow) through the vegetated hill leads you up to
Jln Bukit Bendera, and Signal Hill Observatory in just under 30
mins.
Just down the road from the Clock Tower is Australia Place. This is the site of the original old Chinese timber shophouses. However, the area is named as such because the Australian Liberation Army made camp in this area after they landed in 1945. There is a coffeeshop here called Museum Kopitiam that serves traditional charcoal toasted bread and kaya (coconut jam), coffee and very sweet biscuits called the ANZAC (this is an acronym for Australia and New Zealand Army Corps.)
By 4pm, we covered most of the town and bought enough snacks and "supplies" to last our climb up Mt Kinabalu the next day. In finding transport to Kinabalu Rose Cabin, we walked to the main outstation bus park along Jln Tunku Abdul Rahman (not the same bus terminal as City Park), where all the taxi and minibus touts were eagerly receiving passengers. Here, local buses run once a day to
Ranau, passing the entrance to the
Kinabalu Park HQ on the way. The 2 hour ride costs RM15 per person, but leaves only when they are filled up with people.
Kinabalu Park HQ is situated 90km east-northeast from
KK, and the ride should pass by the University of Malaya,
Sabah on the left and a new satellite town
Alemsera on the right (see picture below, left) after 26km of travelling. After passing through
Tampuruli, the ride starts to go up the mountain range and from there on, you'll get a kick out of the ride if your driver speeds through the meandering roads at 100km/h before reaching the
Kinabalu Park HQ.
At first, we thought we had reached
Kinabalu Rose Cabin, our
accommodation for the night, and the driver told us it was just a mere walk up the slope (below, left). However, it was only after he left that we found out this was the entrance to the Park HQ, and that Rose Cabin was another 2km down the road. Fortunately, this turned out to be a blessing in disguise to our planning.
Climbing PreparationsTypically, visitors to
Kinabalu Park HQ would arrive in the morning of their climb to pay for all their entrance fees (RM15), climbing guide fee (RM70 for 1-3 climbers), climbing permit (RM100), and insurance (RM7), before embarking on their climb. Prior to arriving in
KK, one must also have made a confirmed reservation or booking at one of the
resthouses halfway up the mountain, at Laban
Rata or
Gunting Lagadan.
Without this booking, you will not be allowed to make your climb. Somehow, with
Karishma speaking in fluent
bahasa melayu to the gantry receptionist, we only paid RM3 instead of RM15, on the assumption we were Malaysians. However, there was no way we could pretend not to pay the RM100 for non-Malaysians.
Since we had arrived at the Park HQ around 6pm, one day ahead of our climb, we were advised to pay for all our fees first, and merely bring the receipt back the next day, avoiding the main crowd that arrives. In addition, Karishma's idea of booking an accommodation like Rose Cabin which lies just 2km from the Park HQ means we need not fear arriving late on the day of the climb. This was important to us since the gate closes at 10am and no more climbers are allowed up the mountain from that time. So if we had stayed in KK town and woken up early to catch the first minibus out, we faced any possibility of breakdown/delays that might have jeopardized the climb. After all, the ride itself takes 2 long hours.
With all fees and administrative work settled at the reception, our next problem was to get to Rose Cabin for the night. By 7pm, it was already dark and transport was unavailable. Fortunately, we met a British-Dutch couple who were heading another 20km towards Ranau, and were looking for people to share the cost of their private cab with. So we agreed to split the RM50 cost, where they would pay RM30 and us, RM20, just to drop us off at Rose Cabin enroute to Ranau.
Kinabalu Rose Cabin was as much a cheap deal as we could possibly find prior to departing from Singapore. For RM73.50 (after tax) per room per night, we got two beds, with bathroom attached. An average dinner meal costs about RM8 (provided you drink
Chinese tea which costs RM1), while breakfast costs about RM6.
Day 1: Friday, 7 Sept 2007 We awoke the next morning to our astonishment the sight that greeted us from
our balcony.
So began our day of the climb with a warm-up. Instead of waiting for the bus/cab
to take us to the Park HQ, we decided to walk 2km, saving almost RM40 from transport we reckon. At the park HQ, a crowd of climbers had already started to form, but fortunately, we only needed to present our receipt and meet our climbing guide, James (
right). The transfer to Timpohon Gate costs RM15 per person for a return trip and is a 15-20minute drive from the Park HQ. This is a compulsory fee you shouldn't avoid since the 5.5km journey along Power Station Rd is steeply ascending and you wouldn't want to tire yourself out before your summit trail begins.
When you reach Timpohon Gate, the driver usually asks if you want to buy a walking stick for RM3. Although not compulsory, we did, and you should. Take it from us, you'll need it for the descent down the mountain because every step will take a toil on your knee joint, calf muscles and quadriceps.
Surprisingly, the short first section of the rough gravel and sand track leads down, and not up, across a small gully to join the main flank of the mountain, and past the little trickle of Carson's Falls, named after the first Park Warden. From here the trail rises steadily as a series of rough, uneven steps, right up to the overnight resthouses at Panar Laban (Laban Rata and Gunting Lagadan) at 3,272m (10,735ft). Even before we reached the 1km mark of the trail, fatigue started to set in, as seen in the video below.
Along the trail, small shelters/huts, known as
pondoks, named after common or interesting plants in the area, afford the weary (that's us) some well earned rest at irregular intervals. At the time of travel, new toilets were in the midst of construction to replace the old ones. Every
pondok was also equipped with a large water tank so climbers can refill along the way, except the water is untreated, but still drinkable as claimed by the locals.
For all the
pondoks and all the distance markers we passed by in our first half of the climb to Laban Rata, I've photoshopped them into one collage.
Past the 4th shelter,
pondok Mempening (2515m), and nearly an hour later, we emerged onto an exposed ridge at Layang-Layang (2702m), where another tin hut greets our arrival. At this point, the soil is distinguished by its orang-cinnamon colour, and vegetation is noticeably different. The forest becomes shorter and much more open, and cloud movement is conspicuously swift. I took a picture with fellow climbers Chong Siew and Glenn from Chicago, USA, before we continued up the rocky steps you see behind us. Interestingly, Chong Siew is another Singaporean who eventually settled down with her husband Glenn in Chicago, but are taking a break coming back to Asia.
By 1.30pm, an hour on, we reach the 5th shelter,
pondok Villosa (2690m), situated at the top of an open rocky patch, where the forest appears even more stunted.
Past the 6th shelter,
pondok Paka (3080m), and another 30mins later, we finally saw the end, or at least the resthouse
Laban Rata (3272m), where we could finally give our legs a break, and recharge before the summit climb the next morning. In slightly under 6 hours, we had reached the 6km mark by 3pm in the afternoon, where we saw the temperature at that altitude for the first time, a cool 11.8 degrees celcius. Inside, the reception cum dining area was semi-packed with climbers treating themselves to RM15 meals, and RM20 Tiger beers. I only had half a mind to afford one can of 100-plus costing RM5.50 (which I effortlessly bought knowing fully there was no other choice at this altitude). Yet, I couldn't bear to eat a RM15 plate of fried rice, and bought a pack of instant noodles (RM2.50) and hot water in a bowl (RM2.00) to immerse my noodles in. I was on budget!
So, being the budget travellers, we had booked our resthouse at Gunting Lagadan, another 200m further from Laban Rata. Why? Cos in Laban Rata, the rates are RM69 per person per night (
see below, left), whilst that in Gunting Lagadan cost RM46 (
see below, middle). For that extra walk, lack of restaurant, heated shower (
below, right) and less of a crowd (we got a 4-bed dorm to ourselves), I must say we liked it.
Day 2: Saturday, 8 Sept 2007
Reville: 2am. We met our guide back at Laban Rata and set off for this next phase of the summit climb at 2.30am. Above Laban Rata, the trail continues as a series of wooden ladders, fashioned out of tree roots and branches, and a good torch is essential. Piece of advice: if you have a head-torch that'll be good, then you can use 2 hands to climb instead of holding on to it. Climbing in the dark wasn't a totally new experience since I had undergone many night trainings in the army through OCS, getting adjusted to moonlight and all. Yet, in thick vegetation and pitch dark conditions, my torch illuminated most of the way up till Sayat-Sayat checkpoint, where the true edge of the tree-line is reached. Ropes are fixed at difficult places, but these are more to inspire confidence than necessary. From here the bare granite slabs stretch endlessly ahead to the pile of jumbled rocks that is Low's Peak - reached at last in time to catch sunrise around 5.45am.
Sunrise is amazing, even more so when you look around and marvel at God's creation, from way above the clouds. At 4095m, Mt Kinabalu's Low's Peak is the highest point in all of South-East Asia.
What I like particularly about the picture on the left below, is how the sunrise casts a distinct triangular shadow on the earth below, in the westerly direction. The right picture was taken together with two guys (both names Jan) from the Czech Republic, whom we met at Gunting Lagadan and on the way up the summit.
The video below is probably one I'm pretty proud of, despite the intense jerks and shaky footage, as I came down one of those 60 degree rock faces, holding the rope with my right hand, and filming with the other. I took quite short a time to reach Karishma, who was still seen inching by the narrow foothold with the guide's help/encouragement.
After packing up and checking out of Gunting Lagadan, it was time to descend, and because of Karishma's hurting toe, we took about the same time to reach Timpohon Gate as we did uphill. On my end, my knees started to act up, and every step I took took it's toll on the joints, calf muscles and quadriceps. For the next 6km, it was sheer pain for both of us. And to make it worse, it rained 90% of the journey down, soaking us to the skin, so much so we had to dry off everything at our hostel later that night.
Now, most guide books or travel advice mention the way to Kinabalu Park HQ from KK. What they fail to mention is the return trip. At thePark HQ reception, we were told that a chartered taxi back to KK costs RM130. And because we couldn't find anyone else heading back to KK to share the taxi with, we were reluctant to spend beyond our budget. Cold, shivering, and starving after spending several hours trekking through the rain, I was persistant in finding an alternative way back to KK. We found out that we could try our luck standing by the main road, and flag down the Ranau-KK minibus that runs just about every hour. More than 40mins of waiting in the windy cold and drenched in our clothes, we couldn't believe our luck when one minibus finally stopped to pick us up around 5.15pm, for the "standard" flat fare of RM15 each. Thank God!
Back at KK, we hobbled our way to Trekkers' Lodge to spend our last night in KK, despite a late check-in at 7.30pm. For RM45 per twin-sharing room with bathroom attached, it was a definitely a good steal. With the nearby Wisma Merdeka shopping centre and other amenities at hand, this B&B hostel has one of the most centralised locations, and for that, I gave it a good review on the hostelworld website which I made the booking through.
Day 3: Sunday, 9 Sept 2007
Breakfast were two ordinary slices of toast (with jam and butter) and coffee/tea, included already in the room rates. Thanks to Karishma, who suggested a quick stop by the Sunday Market along Jln Gaya, we managed to catch one last sight of KK before leaving Sabah.
One of the main streets of KK, Gaya Street used to be known as Bond Street. The street is closed to traffic and transforms to a mega fair every Sunday morning and is the place where locals come to buy their goods. You can find almost anything at the Fair. From local handicrafts, souvenirs and clothing to food, drinks, Chinese medicines, delicacies and even animals like chickens and pet dogs, can be purchased for very reasonable prices.
Our ride to the airport from City Park bus station cost RM1.30 in a 10-seater minibus, which we were fortunate to catch since the earlier bus had already left, and the next one would come in 30mins, and drop us off in the airport with less than 1 hour before take-off. All-in-all, the entire trip was a roller coaster ride of good and bad luck (mostly good) and having conquered what we set off to achieve, it was finally time to bid this quaint town farewell.
We landed back at Senai Airport at 12.45pm, and took the transfer to City Lounge, Kota Raya (costing RM8), before walking around City Square. Amazingly, as if Singapore wasn't small enough, I bumped into Ei-Leen and her cousin Elizabeth in City Square, and adjourned for a late lunch at the food court on the 5th floor, where we took this picture with the background view of Singapore in the far far distance, which I returned to for a well-deserved rest, especially for my legs' sake.
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