Climbing Kinabalu via ferrata

Guide and I at the "via ferrata" route down



Dad and I taking a rest on the way up the summit


Prep Time: 1 month
Time Off Work: 2 days
When To Go: Year round

Mt Kinabalu is one of the most accessible mountains in South East Asia and is respectably high at 4095m. It does not require any technical skill to climb up and offers a spectacular view up around the summit. However because of the accessibility, it does mean that the lodging up on the mountain is fully booked months in advance. Fortunately, most local tour operators manage to get a place if you go through them. Unfortunately, this means you'll have to pay more for the climb than if you go about trying to book it on your own. Also they have increased the price so dramatically that I am telling myself this is the last time I am going to stay up on the mountain lodges unless there is a super reason. However, it does offer the world's highest "via ferrata" route and the only one I know of in the SEA region.


Hiking up Mount Kinabalu was tiring this time round. Mainly because I have a full blown cold (cold sores + blocked nose / running nose). And going down 'via ferrata' required me to use my arms and shoulders which I do not usually train. Despite of all these minor problems, it will still be a very memorable time for myself because I got to spend some good time with my dad. The weather on the 2 days that we were there was perfect. It did rain a little but only when we were in the hut. Dad managed to climb it without any major problems. He knew he would have no problems with the normal route as he is in good shape but kept complaining about how scary 'via ferrata' would be for him but I kept encouraging him to give it a try. You never know till you are out there.

Another personal reason for going up the mountain was to have a feel for how difficult it would be to run up and down the mountain in the 4:30 hours. 4:30 hours is the cutoff time given for the climbathon that I have signed up for this August. Basically after the assessment, it would be nigh impossible in my current condition. Hiking up to the mountain lodges at the 6km mark took me nearly 3 hours and it was a steady walking pace with little rest. This means that in the next 4 months, I somehow have to whip myself into shape for this grueling task. Hmmm, I usually do not whip myself that hard so we will see how it goes when August comes. It will be a good challenge but the time has somehow run very short.