Sabah Discovery

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  Kate
  Written on July 6, 2011

  4.5 - Excellent

  Mount Kinabalu, located in the Malaysian state of Sabah on the beautiful island of Borneo. I simply fell in love with it. It was also one of the most underrated and difficult climbs I have ever done! I went on a 10 day Sabah Discovery Tour with Intrepid and had a great little group of 5 of us, led by our fearless leader, Joanna. She was just as "gila" as me! We set off for the climb at about 8.00am on the Mesilau Trail. This trail to the summit, was about 2 kilometres longer than the main, more popular, Summit Trail. The first 500 metres of this trail was the most gruelling 500 metres of my life! It was basically step after step after step, of clay / wooden steps about 50-60cm high. The lactic acid in my thigh muscles built up after about the first 10 steps and it just kept going. There were sign posts all along the way telling you how far you'd gone and once I reached the 500 metre mark, I was both shocked and relieved! Shocked that I'd only gone that far and relieved that I didn't have to do it again. Little did I know there was much more of the same. The best part about this climb, was that our guide and porter were at the back and I was on my own for a large part of it. Following the trail, finding Pitcher Plants and Orchids, hearing monkeys in the distance and just smelling the beautiful jungle air was mesmerising. Another highlight was the change in the environment as I ascended. Beginning with dense, humid, rainforest with moss-covered rocks, crystal clear streams and towering trees, going to dry sceryphyll forest with trees and shrubs that resembled the Aussie bush! It really was breathtaking. There was hardly anyone on this trail and it really made it special. Once we reached the junction at the Summit Trail, but this time I'd met up with a couple of other walkers who were about the same pace as me, it really became busy. The trail, rather than being a collection of haphazard clay steps, wooden ladders and mud tracks, we more like big sandstone boulders craving their way through to the lodge. After 5 and a half hours, we were one of the first groups to the main Lodge, where we sat, admired the view of the distinctive Cumulonimbus clouds that are ever-present in the tropics and had an early dinner. Awoken by our alarms at 1.45am the following day, we were up again, our muscles hardly having time to recover, before we ascended another 2.7 kilometres to the summit, in time for sunrise. Again, it was just one foot after the other, mostly over sparse granite rocks with no foliage in between and following a white rope. Lucky it was pitch dark because if we'd looked to the top, it would have been far more intimidating. Once we made it to the top, there was a bit of "argy bargy" to try and get a photo with the summit sign, but after that, it was just a matter of admiring the view and the sun beginning to peak through the clouds. What an amazing mountain. I fell in love with it. I've done 4 day Inca Trail and this climb was about a million times harder! It's supposed to be even harder that Mt Kilimanjaro. And after I found that out, my plans to climb Kilimanjaro are now well underway! Mt Kinabalu was the best mountain I've ever conquered. I recommend it to everyone.

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  Anonymous
  Written on January 16, 2011

  5.0 - Excellent

  Excellent trip. You need to be fit if want to enjoy the trip to the top of the mountain.
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  Anonymous
  Written on January 9, 2011

  5.0 - Excellent

  The trip packs in a lot for a short time and the guide was well informed and made the effort to make the trip interesting and comfortable. The size and mix of the group was also good.
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  Anonymous
  Written on January 1, 2011

  5.0 - Excellent

  At the age of 61,this was my first backpacking experience ever. I thought the tour had a good mix of challenge,4deg
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  Anonymous
  Written on January 1, 2011

  5.0 - Excellent

  Excellent trip, very-well run and with friendly guides all the way. Great way to combine far more into a short time than is ever possible alone!
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  Anonymous
  Written on January 1, 2011

  5.0 - Excellent

  Excellent trip, well run, enjoyed the mountain climb most of all.
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  Anonymous
  Written on December 17, 2010

  5.0 - Excellent

  Our guide was friendly, professional, and enthusiastic, and he went out of his way to ensure that we had the best experience possible. He also had a good knowledge of Sabah\'s wildlife and was keen to share it with our group. We had a fantastic time!
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  Anonymous
  Written on December 17, 2010

  5.0 - Excellent

  We had a great time: would do it again.
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  Anonymous
  Written on December 11, 2010

  5.0 - Excellent

  Very well organised trip, with plenty of things to do and see.
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  Anonymous
  Written on November 9, 2010

  5.0 - Excellent

  Awesome trip, awesome country and the only way to see it is with Intrepid. This itinerary harnesses the best of Sabah in a quick 10 days, but you will want o stay longer!