Mount Kinabalu

At 4096 metres, Mount Kinabalu, or known more affectionately locally as Mt K, is the highest point in South East Asia and provides some spectacular views of the surrounding countryside. It is a very large mountain which dominates the scenery around Kota Kinabalu. It stands alone and its rocky crown is visible many miles away. The climb itself is only 24 hours of trekking on the mountain – however it is not for the light hearted and you will certainly know you have done it afterwards with your aching bones.

Highlights

Experience the physical and mental challenge of trekking the highest peak in South East Asia
Part of the Mt Kinabalu National Park World Heritage Site
Amazing Sun Rise & Sun Set views

Itinerary (2 days / 1 night)

You will receive a detailed equipment and preparation guide in your expedition dossier that we send to you on receipt of your Booking Form and the following provides you with a good overview of what you are letting yourself in for.

Day 1: You will be picked up from a central location in Kota Kinabalu for the 2 hour transfer to the Park Headquarters. On arrival at the Park you must sign in and receive your pass. As part of the package you get lunch provided in a small restaurant inside the park. Once you have collected your guide, it is then time to hop on the park bus to carry you up the winding steep last few kilometres of track to the start of the trek. You should be starting by 1pm at the latest to give you ample time to reach the lodge at Laban Rata. The trek itself is up a well signed and trodden track with rest areas every 1 km. It is straight up with little or no undulation, covering a horizontal distance of 6 km and gaining height from 1800m to 3300m. It usually takes between 4 – 6 hours to reach Laban Rata. Here you will be given your room, usually a 2 or 4 bed shared room, and a hot meal. You are above the clouds so can sit and relax and watch the sunset – even though you are in a tropical country it gets very cold so make sure you take plenty of warm clothing. (LD)

Day 2: The day starts shortly after the previous day finished. You will be awoken by your guide at about 0230. You get yourself ready to head out into the cold and the dark for the final push to the summit. It is another 2.6 kms and 800m vertical height gain to reach the summit. You will walk using your head torch, plodding ever closer to the summit. It usually takes 2 to 3 hours to reach the summit, putting you there ready for sunrise. You don’t want to rush up there otherwise you will have to sit and wait in the cold for the sun to come up. Gradually the sun creeps up and casts a spectacular shadow over the countryside far below. Now that it is light you can see the sheer size and enormity of the mountain. After a short time to take photos and rest you head back down – now that the sun is up it is surprisingly warm so you will need to strip off all those extra layers. It takes an hour to 2 hours to get back down to the lodge where you can collect your stuff and have breakfast before starting down towards the bottom. The trek takes you back down the route you came up so you know how far it is. Usually it takes 2 to 4 hours to get down, getting you to the Park Headquarters for lunch before collecting your certificate and heading back to Kota Kinabalu for a well earned shower and celebratory drink. (BL)

Fitness

Although the trek is arduous in nature, you do not need to be super fit. You will only be carrying a relatively light rucksack and if you set off earlier enough you will have plenty of time to reach the lodge. As with all mountains around the world, the weather occasionally can be very inclement so you should be prepared for the worst.

Inclusions

Return transfers to the mountain from Kota Kinabalu
Park Entry Fee, Climbing Permit and Insurance
Meals indicated above
Return Park bus journey to start point
One guide per 8 people or less
1 nights accommodation in Laban Rata lodge

Price Does Not Include

Personal spending money
Drinks and beverages
Personal Equipment
Tips for the guide
Cost of Certificate for your climb

Travel Dates

Duration: 2 Days

This trip is available all year round. However it is a very popular attraction for both tourists and locals. Hence to avoid disappointment you should book this at least several months in advance to guarantee your place. In addition in the latter half of the year they run the Kinabalu Mountain Marathon on this trail. It becomes very crowded and over booked on the run up to and during this period.

Prices

The cost of this trip is £175 per person.

NB: Due to seasonality and availability, we are unable to guarantee that you will be trekking with others from your programme.

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