Location: Ranau, West Coast Division of Sabah, Malaysia
Entry Point: Timpohon Gate, Mount Kinabalu National Park, Sabah, Malaysia
Exit Point: Timpohon Gate, Mount Kinabalu National Park, Sabah, Malaysia
Elevation: 4,095 MASL (13,435 feet)
Days Required/Hours to summit: 2 Days/ 8- 11 hours
Specs: Major Climb, Difficulty 6/9, Trail Class 1-4 (8 kilometers)
Features: Its climate varies from humid tropical at its base to alpine at its summit. The temperature at the summit ranges from -4 to 8 degrees centigrade (25 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit) from December to January, and 3 to 12 degrees centigrade (37 to 54 degrees Fahrenheit) from June to September. It is a massive pluton formed from granodiorite which is intrusive into sedimentary and ultrabasic rocks, and forms the central part, or core, of the Kinabalu massif. It has well-established trails from the jump-off point to the summit. Among the three Asian Trilogy mountains, it has the best overnight accommodation called Laban Rata Resthouse at an elevation of 3,272 MASL (10,730 feet) which provides climbers with lodging and the best buffet meals before and after their ascent to the summit. The resthouse supplies unlimited water dispenser for cold and hot water.
Entry Point: Timpohon Gate, Mount Kinabalu National Park, Sabah, Malaysia
Exit Point: Timpohon Gate, Mount Kinabalu National Park, Sabah, Malaysia
Elevation: 4,095 MASL (13,435 feet)
Days Required/Hours to summit: 2 Days/ 8- 11 hours
Specs: Major Climb, Difficulty 6/9, Trail Class 1-4 (8 kilometers)
Features: Its climate varies from humid tropical at its base to alpine at its summit. The temperature at the summit ranges from -4 to 8 degrees centigrade (25 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit) from December to January, and 3 to 12 degrees centigrade (37 to 54 degrees Fahrenheit) from June to September. It is a massive pluton formed from granodiorite which is intrusive into sedimentary and ultrabasic rocks, and forms the central part, or core, of the Kinabalu massif. It has well-established trails from the jump-off point to the summit. Among the three Asian Trilogy mountains, it has the best overnight accommodation called Laban Rata Resthouse at an elevation of 3,272 MASL (10,730 feet) which provides climbers with lodging and the best buffet meals before and after their ascent to the summit. The resthouse supplies unlimited water dispenser for cold and hot water.
Strutting along the granite plateau heading to the summit called "Low's Peak"
Climbing Mount Kinabalu completes my quest for Asian Trilogy dated June 12-13, 2024, where I already climbed the other two mountains Yushan of Taiwan at 3,952 MASL on March 14-15, 2024 and Mount Fuji at 3,776 MASL on July 25-26, 2023.
Our 37-member Kinabalu 2024 Team
This is my fourth international climb still under the most reliable, dependable and highly organized service provider of Jonah's Travel operated by the couple Dr. Erickson R. Ranchez and Jonah Chavez-Ranchez. They are offering affordable travel packages either summitting peaks or purely leisurely travel and tours both international and local packages in the Philippines.
June 10, 2024 - Manila - Kota Kinabalu Flight
Arriving dawn at Kota Kinabalu International Airport
My trip started on June 10, 2024 at 2:30 P.M. with a Cebu Pacific flight from Bicol International Airport to NAIA Terminal 3. On same day, I boarded Air Asia Flight No. Z2503 departing NAIA Terminal 3 at 11:10 P.M. and arrived in Kota Kinabalu International Airport Terminal I the following day, June 11, 2024 at 1:30 A.M.
Day 0 - June 11, 2024
Our climbing team at Kota Kinabalu International Airport
Since it was dawn, we waited until morning for our service van going to our hotel accommodation where it took us 12 minutes drive for 6.5 kilometers. At the airport, I converted my P6,000 for a rate of 6.42 to Malaysian Ringgit where I got 385.20 Malaysian Ringgit as my pocket money while in the city of Kota Kinabalu.
Our hotel accommodation
We stayed overnight at Faloe Hostel located at I-50-3, Block i, No. 50, Third Floor, KK Times Square, Off Coastal Highway, Kota Kinabalu City which is a 10-person shared accommodation. After resting for a couple of hours, we had shopping and bought our food supplies for our Mount Kinabalu climb the following day, June 12-13, 2025 (see for a separate blog post of Kota Kinabalu city tour).
Day 1 - June 12, 2024
The restaurant opposite Mount Kinabalu National Park Headquarters
Our group call time was at 4:30 A.M. in our accommodation at Faloe Hostel and left the hostel at 5:50 A.M. boarding a chartered van travelling to Mount Kinabalu National Park for 92 kilometers and reached Tahubang Restaurant just opposite the national park at 7:34 A.M.
My kind of breakfast at Tahubang Restaurant
We had our breakfast at Tahubang restaurant and bought also a lunch meal for our first day trek to the mountain. It is also in this restaurant that we ordered our packed lunch.
The opposite of the restaurant is the Mount Kinabalu Park Headquarters
The Kinabalu Park Headquarters houses the registration for the climbers at an elevation of 1,563 MASL (5,128 feet), where most of the park's facilities, including the visitor's center and accommodation are located. Note that Mount Kinabalu has the summit at an elevation of 4,095.20 MASL.
While at the registration office
We moved to Kinabalu Park Headquarters at 8:45 A.M. and secured our Climber's ID after showing our e-ticket for the climb which was processed by our service provider months before the climb.
Our individual e-ticket
From this point we were able to identify our guides. They will be the ones to certify that we had completed the climb. In fact, they are also signatory of our Climber's completion certificate. In the park's headquarters, one can rent for trekking poles.
Boarding the park's van heading to the Timpohon Gate
From the Kinabalu Park Headquarters to the Timpohon Gate which serves as the jump-off point, we boarded a van provided by the park's management with a distance of 5.5 kilometers which took us 18 minutes drive.
Final climbing orientation at the Timpohon Gate
Timpohon Gate, which is the major starting point for climbing or simply called as the jump-off point has an elevation of 1,866 MASL (6,122 feet). So, if its summit is at 4,095 MASL, then climbers will still climb 2,229.20 MASL.
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