After struggling with transport from Kota Kinabalu, we finally arrived at the famous Kinabalu National Park. We registered at the park entrance, collected our coupons from the headquarters, met our guide in the office and finally collected our picnic.
We left at 10.30am at an altitude of 1,890m to begin a trek that would finish at 2pm at 3,270m. It was raining by the time we reached the lodge. We saw lots of squirrels, had a freezing shower on arrival, changed out of our soaked clothes and checked in to our room. The evening meal was filling and then it was early to bed for a number of reasons: there wasn't a lot to do, it was cold, we had a 1,300m ascent ahead of us and our wake up call was set for 2.20am! The departure time was 3am to reach 4,092m for a stunning 5.30am sunrise.
There was time to enjoy the sunrise before heading back down. I got back to our departure point exactly 24 hours after I'd left. My legs were worn out. The effort required is maximim but the scenery is magnificent. Although you go out in a group and aren't completely autonomous, we were the only ones who managed to reach the highest peak on the island...it's not everyday you climb up higher than 4,000m!
Whilst on a trip to Malaysia , I went to Kota Kinabalu in order to climb Mount Kinabalu and this despite the physical strain that this would represent. I was a bit disappointed with the organization around the mount as the prices are quite steep for 2 days of hiking. Even so, I still went as far as the foot of the mount so that I could admire and go rambling around it. However, the weather, very changeable, did not once allow me to begin even a single one!
There is a small village with a market before the park's entrance. There is an observatory, which was out of order during my passage, as well as a better view of the mount.