Exploring Borneo's Mount Kinabalu
Borneo's highest peak is just one of the island's amazing treasures.
Apr 21, 2009
Once a hallmark of all things exotic and tropical -- it almost seems more natural to say "Darkest Borneo" than simply "Borneo" -- the world's third largest island has been very nearly forgotten by American tourists. It is nearly impossible to find a book in English about Borneo written after the 1980s, but the the Malaysian part of the island is a friendly, hospitable place with a booming eco-tourism industry that remains a popular destination for European adventure travelers and backpackers.
There are many amazing things to see and do in Borneo, from visiting orang-utan sanctuaries, to world-class scuba diving, to traveling to longhouses where people still live the way their ancestors did centuries ago. However, the one thing on every traveler's lips seems to be Mount Kinabalu, a sacred mountain to the local people, and a highlight of Malaysia's impressive national park system.
Climbing Kinabalu, Borneo's Tallest Mountain
On a certain level, what draws travelers here is the same thing that draws them to the Empire State Building and Mount Everest: the thrill and the novelty of being on top of the tallest thing around. It's hard to find a Mount Kinabalu tee-shirt that isn't emblazoned with the mountain's height. But although the two-day climb up Mount K. is accessible to just about anyone with good health and a bit of determination, the effort it takes would not be worth it for the altitude alone.
Fortunately, Mount Kinabalu has got plenty to recommend about it, even for those who don't make it all the way to the top. To begin with, the forests that encircle the mountain are some of the most biologically diverse rain forests in the world. The forest includes plants found nowhere else, including thousands of types of orchids and a wide variety of pitcher plants, which trap and digest insects, reptiles and occasionally even small mammals. It's also home to the carnivorous rafflesia, the planet's largest flower. Although rafflesias are extremely rare and only bloom for a few days, many varieties of the similarly bloodthirsty pitcher plants can be seen from the trail.
A Tough, Two-Day Jungle Hike
Then there's the climb itself, which starts in the lush, steamy jungle, peaks in thin air atop an frigid crest of granite, and finally ends with a decent back into the rain forest. It's a unique experience. Though the climb requires no technical skills or special equipment, other than cool clothes for the jungle and warmer gear for the summit, it is steep -- quite steep. Large sections of the trail are nothing but steps upon more steps, either created by wooden boards or by large, sturdy tree roots. This, along with the altitude, mean that most people take two days to summit. It’s a trip worth taking.
