Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
History
Although it is commonly believed that local tribesmen climbed Kinabalu many years
earlier, it was Sir Hugh Low, the British colonial secretary on Pulau Labuan, who recor-
ded the first official ascent of Mt Kinabalu in 1851. Today Kinabalu's tallest peak is
named after him, thus Borneo's highest point is ironically known as Low's Peak.
In those days the difficulty of climbing Mt Kinabalu lay not in the ascent, but in getting
through the jungle to the mountain's base. Finding willing local porters was another tricky
matter - the tribesmen who accompanied Low believed the spirits of the dead inhabited
the mountain. Low was therefore obliged to protect the party by supplying a large basket
of quartz crystals and teeth, as was the custom back then. During the subsequent years, the
spirit-appeasement ceremonies became more and more elaborate, so that by the 1920s
they had come to include loud prayers, gunshots, and the sacrifice of seven eggs and sev-
en white chickens. You have to wonder at what point explorers started thinking the locals
might be taking the mickey…
These days, the elaborate chicken dances are no more, although climbing the mountain
can still feel like a rite of passage.
Check out Mountain Torq's website (
www.mountaintorq.com
) for more fun facts about
Kinabalu's history.
Geology
Many visitors to Borneo assume Mt Kinabalu is a volcano, but the mountain is actually a
huge granite dome that rose from the depths below some nine million years ago. In geolo-
gical terms, Mt Kinabalu is still young. Little erosion has occurred on the exposed granite
rock faces around the summit, though the effects of glaciers that used to cover much of
the mountain can be detected by striations on the rock. There's no longer a snowline and
the glaciers have disappeared, but at times ice forms in the rock pools near the summit.
Orientation & Information
Kinabalu National Park HQ is 88km by road northeast of KK and set in gardens with a
magnificent view of the mountain. At 1588m the climate is refreshingly cool compared to
the coast; the average temperatures are 20°C in the day and 13°C at night. The hike to the
summit is difficult.
On the morning of your arrival, pay your park entry fee, present your lodging reserva-
tion slip to the Sutera Sanctuary Lodges office to receive your official room assignment,
and check in with the Sabah Parks office to pay your registration and guide fees. Advance
accommodation bookings are
essential
if you plan on climbing the mountain.
