Have you ever thought of carrying out in just one day 4095 meters in altitude and get on 20th highest mountain in the world? Go to the 'Sabah' region located in Borneo, an island belonging to the Malaysia and Indonesia is located east of the Malaysian peninsula. Sabah, to be clear, is the land of that famous mini TV series 'Sandokan the tiger of Malaysia'.
There are a number of packages to get on Mount Kinabalu that give you the opportunity to climb this giant; you can do it in 2 or 3 days, as you can do it by following a via ferrata route, but the most adventurous is where the stamina must absolutely be brought with you in just one day. If you decide to rely on an agency, with the cost of 180 € about it will be possible to climb this mountain and not worry about looking for means of transport and guidance.
The mountain has several peaks but the only reachable is the 'Lows Peak'which is located at 4095 m. above sea level.
Outstanding features such as biodiversity of fauna and Flora which can be found in the entire national park that surrounds the mountain itself, gave access in 2000 to be considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
If you decide to rely on an agency, you can depart directly from the city of Kota Kinabalu, located in front of the South China Sea which gives you a certain choice between hostels and hotels of various costs. The departure is usually made around 5.30 in the morning to arrive at the headquarters around 7.30 where the agency will process the documents to obtain the let it pass for the whole day and then assign you a guide and proceed with your taxi to the departure gate 'Timpohon' where the real climb begins.
Kinabalu is considered a hard path because of its steps (some about 80 cm high) that are distributed along the 6 km, from a difference in height of 1.800 meters up to 3.200 meters, where 'Laban Rata' is a hotel where it is possible to stay overnight at prices that are not exactly modici. The first part of the route up to 3.200 meters presents a landscape full of fauna that varies from alpine to tropical and it is also easy to see some carnivorous plants that your guide can show you. Being a fairly tall mountain, the possibility of bad weather at the top is always high and climate variations are always around the corner, so the Malaysian government allows climbing the mountain if you arrive before 10.30 at the 'Laban Rata', by 12.30 at the top of 'Lows Peak' and by 17.00 pm at the headquarters.
Once you get to 3.200 meters you will be given the opportunity to rest for about 15 minutes and climb the last 2,7 km to the top which have a slope of about 800 meters. After the resting point, the climate and vegetation changes radically, the absence of fauna and flora points out the presence of limestone with colors ranging from black to gray, softened by a white that represents the rope that must be followed up to top. The last kilometers have stretches where you need to literally climbing but they are quite simple, only fatigue makes them difficult and the pressure linked to an altitude that is getting closer and closer to 4095 meters. The landscape from the top is nothing short of breathtaking, between tiredness and thin air, words will be very little. The valley, the villages and the greenery of the National Park is covered every early afternoon by clouds that attack the mountain and cause temperatures to drop drastically.
The descent of the mountain will be more difficult than the ascent and will keep you busy for an equal or longer time than the descent. When you arrive back at the headquarters, you will be issued a certificate that will remind you of that tiring day and of having managed to climb that mountain. Every day 30 try to climb it in one day but the average of 5 does it, so if you are a sports lover and would like to try something extreme during your comfortable journey .. you know that the wild Malaysia offers you this as well!
