How fit do you need to be to climb Mount Kinabalu and is it worth it?
Mount Kinabalu, Kinabalu National Park, Sabah
Mount Kinabalu is located in the Kinabalu National Park in Sabah, North Borneo and is between a two and three hour drive from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah’s capital. The climb itself is a two day/one night excursion and can be attempted by anyone who is reasonably fit.
The trek starts from the park headquarters where you will register and mee
t your mountain guide who will accompany you throughout the climb. You will need to set off by midday at the latest, the first day of the trek takes between 3 and 6 hours depending on your fitness. You begin by walking through temperate rainforest following the path covered by the trees from the often scorching sunshine. The track winds up and around the mountain with lots of rest shelters scattered along the route. The higher you climb the more the forest thins out and if it is a hot day you will feel the sun on the back of your neck. Once you reach Laban Rata the afternoon is yours to relax and take in the amazing views over the neighbouring peaks.
After a short night’s sleep you will set off for the summit around 3am whilst it is still dark. Everyone who is attempting the climb will set off at roughly the same time and so the first hour or so can be quite busy with people, this soon thins out as the trails widen. There are a few moments when you will need to use ropes to assist in climbing steep walls of rock but from then on it is a steady hike to the summit and this morning hike will again take between three and five hours. The air begins to thin and can make breathing quite a challenge and it is not unusual to experience some altitude sickness. The idea is to get to the summit to watch the sunrise and so as you start to see the night sky brighten in the distance this pushes you further to make sure you make it in time.
Reaching the summit fills you with a sense of achievement and as you watch the night sky lift and the sun sending a golden glow over the National Park below all the aches and pains begin to fade. The views from the summit really are spectacular and it makes the whole adventure worth it.
It may be a surprise to some people that the descent is often the hardest part of the trek. A couple of hours down to Laban Rata where you will have a breakfast before the long walk back down to the park entrance. This is again a three hour walk and the closer to the park gate you get the more you realise how much pain your legs are in.
All in all this is a very rewarding, awe inspiring climb and one of the easiest summits in the world to reach. As explained it can be climbed by anyone with a reasonable fitness and the views from the summit really make the efforts worth it.
