Conquering the highest peak in Southeast Asia

#kotakinabalutrip

Law and regulation requires the climb to Mount Kinabalu to be broken into two days for the sake of better acclimatisation.

The second half of the climb (from the mountain lodge to the summit) covers an elevation gain of about 800 meters (from 3300m to 4095.2m) over a distance of less than 3 kilometers.

Even though the distance is only half of the first day's hike, it's a bit more challenging because of three main factors: 1) darkness, 2) coldness, and 3) steepness.

But honestly, if you take note of these three things: 1) bring a proper headlamp; 2) keep yourself warm, especially your hands (good gloves are a must); 3) carry a backpack (because there are several steep rock faces where you’ll need to pull yourself up with ropes and must have your hands free); the climb would be way more manageable.

A mistake I made was: I tried to go as light as possible and thus didn’t bring a backpack. I ended up having to hold a trekking pole in my right hand, a water bottle in my left, and stuff my phone, tripod, and gloves into my pockets. It is not hard to foresee that at some point of time I lost some of these belongings from my pockets… And with my frozen, multitasking hands, it was a real challenge to grip the ropes properly while climbing some of the almost 90 degree vertical rock walls in dark.

That said, tons of people — men, women, young, old — reached the summit without much drama. So it really all comes down to those three main points I mentioned. If you did prepare well, this part of the climb might actually feel easier than the first half.

Plus this section is packed with incredible sights that you don’t get to see every day, which really keeps you motivated. Standing above a sea of clouds, under the moonlight, and looking out over a sleeping city — it’s one of those experiences you’ll remember for the rest of your life.

And absolutely don’t forget the Milky Way above you. My friend did, but I unfortunately was too busy going around taking pictures…

Post by Shih Yuin Chew | Apr 28, 2025