Grace Hostel (Grace Lodge) at Kinabalu Park

Most people reach Kinabalu Park a day earlier before climbing Mount Kinabalu. When you book your place through the park operator, Sutera Sanctuary Lodges, to climb Mt Kinabalu, your package include a night stay at Kinabalu Park's Head Quarter before the climb.

In both of my climbs, we were arranged to stay in Grace Hostel. It is clean, cozy and comfortable. I like the bed. It is very comfortable.

This is how Grace Hostel looks like:
The living room of Grace Hostel.
More photos on room and bathroom here...

Mt Kinabalu Summit: South Peak Once More

16 September 2011.

This was the second time I climbed up to summit of Mount Kinabalu. The view was as stunning as the first time I came last year on 19 September 2010.

Last year, we got a cloudless clear sky below us (yes, below, not above) that we could see to the bottom of the earth. This year the ground was covered by heavy cloud. But both views of different years were equally beautiful and stunning.

Beautiful South Peak with ocean of clouds.
Click on the photo to see a stunning bigger picture.

If you like this photo, you can download it as your wallpaper.




A closer view of South Peak.
Click on the photo to see a bigger picture. 

If you like this photo, you can download it as your wallpaper.

For comparison, you can see last year's South Peak photo without cloud. Here is another stunning South Peak's photo that was taken last year on 19 September 2010.


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you like these wallpapers, click the buttons below to share this post in facebook, twitter, buzz, etc. and click on the +1 to help our popularity. Thank you.

Timpohon Trail 3.0km to 3.5km (3) Approximately 2,500 Metres (8202 ft)

Step-by-Step Terrain of Mount Kinabalu:


Click on the photo to see the photo in full screen. It is spectacular.

Walking towards Laban Rata.
It is one of the rare flat stretches of path along the uphill hiking path.
This photo was taken at approximately 2,500 meters (8,200 feet) above sea level. We were just about to reach the 3.5km road signpost in 3 minutes time. I waited to let others walk further so that I could capture a quiet scene. The 11.55am noon sunshine brightened some parts of the path and the twinkling greenery.

It was on 15 September 2011, the second time I climbed up Mount Kinabalu.


If you like this photo, you can download it as your wallpaper.


Step-by-Step Terrain of Mount Kinabalu:


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you like this wallpaper, click the buttons below to share this post with your friends in facebook, twitter or google plus, pinterest, etc. and click on the +1 to make us more popular. Thank you.

Luggage: During the Climb to Mt Kinabalu

Luggage Arrangement

This was how we dealt with our luggage when we started our climb to Mount Kinabalu. You may do the same too.

In the morning before we started the climb we divided our things in luggage into three groups.

  1. Things that we DO NOT need to bring up to Laban Rata,
  2. Things that we need to bring along with us on the way up to Laban Rata, i.e. bottles of water, energy bars, a set of clean and dry clothing, raincoat, camera, first aids kit, etc.
  3. Things that we need to bring up to Laban Rata, but we don't need them on the way, i.e. clothes, sweater, etc.
Outside Operation Office, the porters weigh our luggage.

For items in Group 1, we packed them in plastic bags or luggage bag and left them at Operation Office of Kinabalu Park's HQ. The cost was RM10 per piece of luggage.

For items in Group 2, we put them into a lightweight backpack and carried the backpack to Laban Rata. I had 4 bottles of water, banana, energy bars, a set of clean and dry clothing, raincoat, camera, lunch pack (provided by Sutera Sanctury Lodges), etc. in my backpack walking up to Laban Rata.

For items in Group 3, we let the porters to carry the luggage for us. The cost for the porters to bring our luggage to Laban Rata (and back) was RM80 per 10kg.

In that morning of climbing Mt Kinabalu, we made luggage arrangement as above right in front of the Kinabalu Park HQ's Operation Office.

Mountain Guides

Beside the porters, the Park's operator, Sutera Sanctuary Lodges, requires climbers to engage at least one mountain guide for a group of 6 persons. For group of 8 persons, we were required to get 2 mountain guides. The cost for one mountain guide is now RM150 (started from September 2011) which include entire trip of going up and coming down. This cost to hire mountain guides is not included in the original package you paid to Sutera Sanctuary Lodges.

Personal Mountain Guides

You can engage a personal guide solely for yourself, on top of the mountain guide(s) for the group. With a personal mountain guide, you can get him to carry your backpack, hold your hand when you need strenght, etc. This mountain guide will not serve as porter to carry your group 3 luggage.

Edited in 7 Jan 2012:
However, they may charge you for the backpack that they carried for you by weight, KG. So ask them first, if they offer to help you to carry your backpack. In our case, the personal guide of Sept 2010 climb did not charge my teammate. In Sept 2011 climb, the personal guide, after the descend, insist to charge my teammate by weight of the backpack. This is on top of the personal mountain guide fees that we had paid to hire him. Dealing with locals, sometimes we are dealing with their own sense of logic trying to make a few bucks more from their labor work. Ask about price first, before engaging their service.