Mt Kinabalu

Diane checking all the gear before we attempt the 12,500 ft slog up Mt Kinabalu. We spent the night in a road side hostel listening to rats run around the roof but heck a cup of the local coffee and some beans on toast and we are raring to go. Anyways, we rent a couple of walking sticks from the local shop and stroll up the road for the check in and get our guide. A short 4x4 ride gets us to the start, we had chosen to do the alternative, longer route as it has fewer people. A winding path leads up and up through the forest. No one else on the track which is nice. Quite hot and a little humid some nice views open up as we get higher. It's a long old slog to the final stop and I can see Diane is totally spent. Her infected leg ulcer has sapped her energy and she's on the verge of tears. I spent about an hour plying her with sweet tea and chocolate and biscuits before I get a smile back on her face. We just sit there looking out of the resturant sipping tea, watching the cloud drift by, every so often it clears and the face of the mountain is revealed, a huge mass of dark gray rock. We shuffle off to our unheated bunk house at about 7pm for bed.

Pitcher plants by the side of the path






















The plan is breakfast at 2.30 in the morning and start for the summit at 3.00 to arrive in time for the sunrise!! So here I am looking the part and ready to go. It's nice to get clear of all the humid forest and get onto the exposed rock. Nice to feel cold but have the right gear for the job. In our usual style we set off at a pretty brisk pace and after a few traffic jams we on the open mountain. The viz is clear no cloud, perfect conditions. After out exploits in Nepal, we're a little blase about Kinabalu, it was however a hard slog to the top, last 1000 meters just went on and on and then all of a sudden you're there, on top smilin like a cheshire cat




Worth the effort we get the victory shot. The whole of Borneo opening up at our feet from one side to the other the view was breathtaking










Sunrise Mt Kinabalu

And then its off the top and away back to base camp for a big brekka. Its completely barren on top, the rock scarred and smoothed by glaciation. (Time for Diane to remember her geography lessons at MHS with Mr Allen!)

Sitting on an outcrop looking down what I believe is the start of Lows Gully. A ravine that plummets down the backside of the mountain into an area that until recently was completely unexplored.

2 hours later we get the honour of being the first climbers off the mountain, get in, and we bought the certificate