Climbing Mt Kinabalu was a somewhat last-minute addition to my Borneo itinerary. The two-day hike to the top of Southeast Asia’s highest mountain was a moderate to tough climb made more difficult by rainy conditions on day one. I’ve outlined some of the most important things you have to know before you attempt the climb, added a packing list for essentials, and given you a rough itinerary for your two days, to help you be as informed as possible before you set out.
You need to be fit, strong, and have good balance for this climb. The uphill is tough as you cover a short distance in a short amount of time, complete with seemingly endless staircases and uneven terrain. The rope section on the rocks also has some very steep bits that are difficult.
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Booking Mt Kinabalu: Pricing and Logistics
I booked my climb through Amazing Borneo, and went in October. This is shoulder season for Borneo, so it was a bit wetter than normal, but given the mountain is in a rainforest, rain can be expected year-round. You have to book for the number of people that you are climbing with, and the price you pay depends on this. As a solo hiker, I paid just over £500 for the package, which was much more than I hoped to pay. If you can, request to join a group. Amazing Borneo sometimes offers this as an option, especially in the low season on select dates. Contact them to discuss this, as it makes it much more affordable and enjoyable.
The level of luxury you choose also affects prices, and the budget option (where you stay in a more basic hostel), sells out months in advance. Be prepared to book this if you are trying to save money. If you can book the budget option, climbing Mt Kinabalu will be much more worth it. Otherwise, it is a very expensive exercise. Only two companies have permits to run the climb, so in turn they can control the prices. In my opinion, this adventure is wildly overpriced, especially if you are not from Malaysia.
There are several different options for the length of the hike you choose. Most people do 2D1N, and this is what I recommend. There is absolutely no need to do 3D2N. In this option, you stay at the park entrance for ‘acclimatisation’ the night before you start the trek. However, given the low altitude at the park entrance, this is not necessary. They are currently building another rest house around the 3.5km mark which may be a good option on the 3D2N if you are known to suffer from altitude sickness. If you are less fit or confident about the climb, taking some extra time might also be worth it. However, the new lodge is still bare bones, and I am neither sure of when it will be finished nor how it will work with a 2 night climb.
Climb Itinerary
Day 1
You get picked up at your accommodation in Kota Kinabalu early in the morning, and will be driven about 2 hours to the trailhead at the entrance to the Park. There, you sign in, get your permit, and meet your guide. You aren’t provided with breakfast, so make sure you buy some in advance - do not make the mistake I did and climb on an empty stomach - it makes it ten times harder!
The hiking on the first day is really tough; it’s 6km long but a 1.4km vertical climb. It’s all uphill in the jungle, and it’s likely you will get rained on. There are kilometre markers every 0.5km so you always know how far you’ve gone, and you’ll pass through checkpoints along the way. It took me 4-5 hours (including a lunch break) to reach the rest house, but I was amongst the first people there. The rest houses sit at almost 3,300m. You head to your room - first come first served on bed choice - and settle in. Dinner is served buffet-style at 4:30pm, and most people are in bed by 7pm ready for the early morning start.
Sunset from Laban Rata Rest House
Day 2
We woke up at 1:30am, and got given a ‘supper’ that was very similar to yesterday’s dinner. You will need to fuel up and hydrate yourself, even if it’s early. The time you leave the lodge will depend on how fast of a hiker you are. I left at 2:30am and reached the summit between 5 and 5:30. This included lots of breaks as my guide didn’t want me to summit too early and freeze at the top while waiting for sunrise, so he kept me behind in a shelter out of the wind. We did some incredible stargazing up there! Again, this was quite a fast pace, and I was one of the first people up there. I was helped because I was already very acclimatised to the altitude, having just come from the Everest Base Camp trek in Nepal less than 2 weeks before. However, a lot of people really struggled with the altitude - the summit is at 4095m.
Some of the rope section
It is still a tough climb and it doesn’t help that you have barely had any sleep. The first section of the hike is mostly a ‘staircase’, but once you pass the checkpoint, it’s bare rock, with rope sections where you pull yourself up some steep rock faces. You wait for sunrise at the summit, and I was graced with one of the most stunning sunrises I’ve ever seen. It’s a great atmosphere up there, despite the cold!
The way down is much easier, and the views over the Borneo rainforest are incredible. Breakfast is waiting for you on arrival back at the rest house, and you pack up and check out after that. I set off down to the trailhead around 9am, and it took about 3 hours to go down. More rain on the way down as well! I got picked up at the trailhead and driven to a restaurant for lunch, and then taken all the way back to Kota Kinabalu.
Accommodation and Food when Climbing Mt Kinabalu
You will stay in a rest house or lodge when you finish your first day of the climb. These are all relatively nice. You typically have a dorm room with bunk beds, shared with people of the same sex. None of the lodges are heated and all bathrooms are shared, but they are actually very clean, have soap, toilet paper, and cold running water. It may sound basic, but having come from the tea houses in the Nepalese Himalayas, this was amazing!
Laban Rata is the main rest house and is “preferred” because you don’t have to go outside to get meals, and your meal times open half an hour before everyone else can come in. However, it is barely a walk from the other lodges to Laban Rata, and there is plenty of food, so this isn’t a big issue.
The dorms in Laban Rata Rest House
The food in the rest houses is Asian style and caters for vegetarians and vegans. Despite this, if there is nothing you can eat because of a particular dietary requirement, they will cook you something from another menu free of charge. For your packed lunch on the first day, your tour company will provide a meal. If you have a specific dietary requirement, triple check that they received the message.
The Summit before Sunrise
Packing List: Essential Items
On top of your regular hiking gear, make sure you pack the following items. Keep it as light as possible though, because you are carrying all of your gear.
Raincoat and waterproof trousers: regardless of whether or not you’re hiking in monsoon season, the entire first day of the climb is in the rainforest, which means it is highly likely to rain. You don’t want to be wet and have all of your equipment wet for the next day. It gets colder at the top, and things don’t dry in the lodges because of the cold and humidity.
Poncho: yes, I recommend a poncho as well as rain gear. I was caught in a rainstorm and my rain coat was saturated. A poncho that you can put over your coat, legs, and backpack is very worth it.
Backpack rain cover: this is also incredibly important! You really do not want your clothes for the night or the summit being soaked through or you will be absolutely freezing.
Waterproof boots and/or gaiters: keeping your feet dry is really important. You need hiking boots for this climb as the top can get slippery and steep. Waterproof boots or gaiters to keep your boots dry are highly recommended.
Extra socks: you should probably pack three pairs of hiking socks, one for day 1, one for the summit in the morning of day 2, and one for the descent. The last thing you want is wet feet and blisters.
Newspaper (if you have space): putting newspaper in wet hiking boots overnight will really help dry them out.
Portable charger: the electricity in the lodges on Mt Kinabalu is sporadic, so in order to charge your devices, you will need a portable charger.
Wet wipes: if you have access to a shower in your lodge, it will not have hot water. Most people avoid taking a cold shower and use wet wipes to clean up instead.
Headtorch: this is an essential for the morning summit push, as you’ll be climbing in the dark for 2-3 hours and will need your hands free.
Gloves, hat, and a scarf: it’s cold at night in the lodge, and the summit is even colder. Make sure you have these to keep warm.
Thermals: these are needed for the morning climb - again, it gets cold at the summit.
Dry bags: to keep the things in your bag dry.
Change of clothes: you’ll want something warm, dry, and comfortable to wear in the lodge for the afternoon and evening of day one.
Snacks: to power you through the climb! Your tour company will likely pack you a lunch and you get dinner and breakfast at the lodge, but extra snacks are always a good idea.
I hope this information is useful and helps prepare you to climb Mt Kinabalu! The sunrise will hopefully make it all worth it. As always, please take all your rubbish home with you, don’t leave it on the mountain. Leave only your footprints behind :)
