Mount KK Hike - Tips for Climbers of Mount KK

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We would like to share some tips about our Mount KK hiking experience. The trail we chose was Mesilau - Laban Rata - Summit - Laban Rata - Timpohon.


DOs:

 1. Bring enough water and food
For our case, we consume around 2litres of water per person during the way up from Mesilau gate to Laban Rata. Simple pack lunch was provided which consists of a sandwich, an apple and 500ml of drinking water. Bring enough snacks like power bars and chocolate.

2. Pack light
Only bring along those necessary things with you, like sweater, raincoat, drinking water, food and etc. Before we start our way up from Mesilau gate, we passed some of our luggage to our guide, who is our porter as well. The charges is around Rm15 per kilo (depends on the trail, charges from Mesilau trail would be slightly higher than Timpohon trail).
Powerful porter!

3. Raincoat, sweater and hand gloves
Weather is unpredictable. It might rain or turn cold anytime. So please make sure sweater and raincoat is with you.

4. Trekking pole
In case you felt more comfortable to hike with trekking pole, make sure you bring one with you if your starting point is at Mesilau gate. There is NO trekking pole renting service available at Mesilau gate. However, trekking pole is available for rent at Timpohon gate.

5. A pair of good gripping shoes
A pair of good gripping shoes made your journey up to the summit easier :) From Kampung Adidas (rubber shoes) to few hundreds bucks trekking shoes, make your own choice!

6. Stockings
Bring few pairs of stockings so that you can change it when it get wet and maybe you can wear double layers in case your feet can't stand the coldness lol.

7. Headlamp
Weather might change anytime and you need a headlamp for the midnight trail up to the summit! Headlamp is always a better choice compared to torchlight so that your hands are free to grab the rope, especially during the midnight summit trail.

 The hiking pass!
Listed below are some important notes for climbers provided by our guides, worth to spend some time to go through and keep in mind, which might help you during the hike :)
Important notes for Climbers on Mt. Kinabalu
Please take a minute to listen to your mountain guide and read through these instructions. They may save your life.
  • Identify your Mountain Guide who will display an identification card.
  • Travel together in you own group and stay with the Mountain Guide at all times.
  • Follow the instructions of your Mountain Guide.
  • Alert your Mountain Guide if you face any difficulty.
  • Display your climbing permit and show it to Park Officials at the check point at Timpohon Gate, Laban Rata and Sayat-Sayat on your way up and down.
  • If for any reason, you are separated from your group or the Mountain Guide, pleaes follow the white rope that marks the summit trail. If visibility is very low or in the dark please hold onto the rope and follow it. (There is a thick white rope leading all the way from the vegetation belt above Panar Laban to the summit. Use this rope to help climbing up and prevent failing when walking down. PLEASE FOLLOW and USE THE ROPE FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY.)
  • The weather on the Summit area can deteriorate in a matter of minutes. Thick mist may reduce visibility to only 3 meters, and rainstorms and wind of up to 120 km/hr may occur at times. Please hold on to the ROPE, which will lead you to safety.
  • If you are separated from your Mountain Guide and lose sight of the ROPE, STOP IMMEDIATELY, stay where you are and blow your whistle to attract atention. PLEASE DO NOT TRY TO FIND YOUR WAY OUT. HELP is definitely on the way. The Park Officials at Sayat-Sayat check point will notice that you are missing.
  • While climbing to the Summit, please make sure:
  1. Wear enough warm clothing - Temperature can be freezing at any time.
  1. With a headlamp - To light up your way during the pre-dawn climb and to signal for help when needed.
  1. With a raincoat - To protect you from rain and wind. It slows down the loss of body heat too!
  1. With a whistle - To be used only when help is needed. 3 short blasts to attract attention, 1 long continuous blast for emergency and serious injuries.
  1. With some food and water - Power bar, chocolate bars, glucose tablets and etc are important to energize your body!

 WARNING

 DO NOT CLIMB if you are suffering from or have a history of the following ailments:-
 
Heart Disease
Hypertension
Chronic Asthma
Peptic Ulcer
Severe Anemia
Diabetes
Epileptic Fits
Arthritis
Palpitation
Hepatitis (Jaundice)
Muscular Cramps
Obesity (Over weight)
Any other sickness that may be triggered by severe cold, exertion and high altitude.

That's all from us. Mount KK, thanks for the awesome hiking experience :)

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