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B O R N E O ’ S U P H I L L B A T T L E
I hiked up through this? The rock slabs
were still slick with morning dew and
more than one person slipped. Perhaps
this is how Aki Nabalu gained its name,
the Revered Hall of the Dead.
As we neared Laban Rata, I became
separated from my partners, our guide,
and, amazingly, everyone else on
the mountain. Solitude at last! These
minutes happened to coincide with a
particularly stunning bit of trail, and I
skipped from one stone step to the next
with a light heart, dazzled by the sheer
abundance of surrounding greenery.
For our second breakfast, we gorged
ourselves on pancakes and French
toast before settling in for another
luxury that should be scheduled into all
climbs, a short nap. Kinabalu is often
marked by afternoon showers and, sure
enough, a steady rain drenched us on
the hike out. But, knowing that another
two or three helpings of warm comfort
food still awaited us at base camp, a
little drizzle couldn’t dampen anyone’s
spirits. Our hike into the misty jungle,
through the temperate forest, onto rock
slabs high above the sea and down
again was over and done. We said our
goodbyes to Sofrey, our cheerful guide,
and hiked out of Kinabalu National
Park, all glad we’d answered “Yes”
when this mountain called.
Cebu Pacific flies to Kota Kinabalu
from Manila.
Normally, but, of course, not here. We
met Sofrey in the dining hall, got our
bowls of hot porridge, and sipped coffee
and tea from proper mugs.
Striking out
en masse
into the
darkness was truly eerie. Looking
ahead or back, all you could see was
a string of tiny lights slowly winding its
way up for the next few hours.
Too fast for our own good, we ended
up reaching the summit well before first
light. Darkness surrounded us and the
grand panorama we should have seen
was little more than a black mystery.
Our options were to wait a few hours
until dawn or begin our descent. Try
as I might to conjure up a deep and
encompassing thought worth thinking
upon reaching such a summit, all I
managed to think about on Kinabalu’s
summit was: Brrrrr! It’s freezing up
here! Let’s get down!
When we were off the summit, away
from the crowds, the sun arrived at last,
revealing a vast and beautiful granite
plateau. Looking out, across and down,
Malaysia was spread out before us, a
verdant plain stretching to the sea.
No climb feels complete until you
reach the peak, but, on Kinabalu, the
descent from the summit turned out to
be my favorite part. Because you’ve
come up in the dark, it’s as if the entire
climb down is through new terrain. As
I worked my way back down through
boulder fields, I often wondered aloud:
Score awesome views
from Mt Kinabalu’s
summit trail
PHOTOS
JOSHUA MCCULLOUGH (PLANTS)
Vaccinium
Rhododendron
Pitcher plant
