Climbing Mount Kinabalu

Intense and awe inspiring, Mount Kinabalu is the 20th most prominent mountain in the world and the most exciting, challenging, and humbling experience I have ever had. 

Day One

6am

Nailed it. Bag is 50% clothing, 50% snacks. All over this.

More likely to lose a foot to diabetes than hypothermia on this one

Just about to leave my hostel when the head chef calls me back and asks where I'm going. In his soft, old grandpa voice he speaks slowly:

"Ooooh. The mountain... You know people died in June? ... Nobody saw the quake coming... 7am, just after the sunrise... Schoolchildren, you know? ... No warning... Nature can be cruel..." And then, with a Professor Trelawney type snap of voice he said:

"Do not leave your guide, Miss Kirsten. Never leave your guide. Stick to him, and don't leave him."

My van horn beeped outside and I bid Hostel Grandpa adieu, thanking him for his advice and simultaneously trying to shake it off.

"Your thighs look strong. Beefy. You'll be fine"

Beefy.

Reassuring words from my hostel owner this evening as I'm packing my clothes into my day sack ready to climb Mount Kinabalu tomorrow! I am so excited and I just can't hide it so I ate a lot of carbs and called it legit preparation, which definitely negated my breathlessness at the top of the stairs to my dorm.

I was intending to turn up and climb on the day when I originally planned to do Mt Kinabalu, but the late 2015 earthquake meant the mountain had to be closed for 3 months and only reopened a few weeks ago. Because of the damage to the trails, now only 100 people are allowed up each day (previously 200), and people who missed their climb due to the closure have been reallocated dates this month. I didn't want to miss climbing at all as this is one of the absolute highlights of my trip, so I ended up booking through Amazing Borneo Tours to guarantee my climb. I'll review how it went once I've done it!

I love mountain climbing and Borneo is my ultimate adventureland, so the combination is just divine. My Dad also climbed Mt Kinabalu back in the day, so I feel even more excited to be able to bring the same experience into my life and share something so incredible in a now-and-then kind of way.