We Came, We Saw, We Conquered!

With low water in Sabah and only a few days before the leg two boys fly home, we decided some tourism was justifiable.

Our target, the huge mountain that we have been driving round and paddling off for the past two months. Mount Kinabalu, the highest mountain in Borneo, stands 4095m above sea level and dominates the surrounding UNESCO World Heritage site. The area hosts many incredible species including the endangered Orangutan making it “among the most important biological sites in the world".

The iconic summit of Mount Kinabalu rising out of the clouds.

Our tactic was a two day assault, including a night in a mountain hut and a summit sunrise. Nick and Jonny set off late on Thursday, confidently striding past fellow mountaineers reaching our luxurious mountain hut after three hours. We gorged ourselves on the enormous buffet, until we couldn't fit in any more mee goreng (fried noodles) or banana fritters in and staggered to bed ready for our summit bid.

A step up from Scottish bothies.

We woke at 0230h and partook in another overly indulgent buffet experience before hitting the trail at 0330h.

A bleary eyed 0330h start after a gigantic pre-summit buffet feast.

We donned headlights with Marcello and started off into the dark. Soon enough, we reached the line of other summiteers and added our head torches to the chain, snaking its way up 825m to the summit. We passed the tree line and began eating up the kilometers over the incredible smooth granite bedrock covering the mountain.

Tricky night nav. on Mount Kinabalu

The summit came into view as the wind battered our unprepared, equatorial accustomed bodies. We donned the bedding that we had ‘liberated’ from the mountain hut and felt very inadequate next to the hundred or so others kitted out in duvet jackets which wouldn’t have looked out of place in the arctic.

Kit aside, we had made it, and witnessed a stunning sunrise from the summit. Cloud filled the valleys below as we soaked up the incredibly barren summit finding time for a couple of obligatory summit poses.

The "Over-Under" defined as the "Pinnacle of summit poses".  Note bed linnin.

The Tea Set

Amazing sunrise looking across the vast granite plateau.

It was great to have climbed Mount Kinabalu and in doing so met lots of other travelers from around the world. Hearing all of their stories was great and makes our trip feel even more special. We are experiencing so much more of Borneo than the typical tourist, solely because we like sitting in big plastic pointy things :).

Mission accomplished with a little help from our trusty guide, Marcelo.