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travel borneo 16 travel borneo 17

Standing at the summit ofMt Kinabalu, icy windwhipping over thecraggy rock pinnacle andthe stars still shining

above, it’s easy to understand thebelief of the local Kadazandusunsthat their spirits dwell here on themountain top.

In the pre-dawn light all seemseerie, surreal, unearthly — ahostile world of barren rock andplunging depths that breathes alonely, aching beauty.

In the darkness you can justmake out fingers of towering rockclawing at the sky. They looktortured and the wind feels likethe icy breath of the spirits allaround you.

But then, the sun begins to riseand the scene is slowly bathed inearly morning light. The blackpeaks give way to shades of greyand then pink as the sun greets theday.

The ghostly cloud that has beenpouring over a nearby mountaintop slowly disappears and far, faraway the lush green scenery ofSabah emerges.

It’s a dazzling world of desolatebeauty — the meeting place ofearth and sky, human and spirit.Or maybe it’s the dizzying heightthat is making me so whimsical.

Because here at 4095m the air isthinner and altitude can muddlethe mind. Some say the nameKinabalu stems from the Kadazanwords Aki Nabalu, which mean“the revered place of the dead”.

Another theory about themountain’s name is it comes fromthe words Kina, meaning China,and balu, meaning widow. AKadazandusun legend describeshow a Chinese prince scaled themountain to find a huge pearl atthe top, guarded by a ferociousdragon. The prince slew thedragon, stole the pearl andmarried a Kadazan woman beforeabandoning her and fleeing toChina. His heartbroken wifewandered to the mountain tomourn where, according tolegend, she turned to stone.

Whatever the case, there’s anenchanted feel to this peak, thehighest in South-East Asia.

And such is its appeal that about150 people attempt its summitevery day. Indeed, anyoneintending to make the climbshould book early to secure aplace. You must pay for a guide tojoin you and, unless you’re ultra fitand intend to do the climb in aday, you’ll need to book a bed atthe lodge about three-quarters ofthe way up the mountain.

The climb starts at the KinabaluNational Park headquarters. Hereyou’ll see a board showing therecord times in which people havescaled the mountain. The record isaround 21⁄2 hours — up and backagain.

Just a couple of hours, surely wewon’t need two days to achieve thesame distance?

The climb begins in the way itcontinues to the summit —straight up. There are no plateaus,no declines, simply a winding,almost vertical path of steps, dirtand rocks.

It starts in the womb of thejungle, an enchanting world ofthick mosses, ferns, trees andtangled undergrowth. Here all isdamp and dark, the sunlightfiltering through in shafts ofshifting light.

Native squirrels dart across thetrack and up trees, the occasionalbird flits across your path andorchids and pitcher plant flowersadorn the trail beside you.

This is the kind of place whereyou’d imagine fairies and goblinslive, a storybook world of naturalmagic.

However, as you ascend, thejungle begins to thin and take on amore alpine appearance. You’re atthe height of the clouds whichenvelop the mountain, hanging ina dense mist in the valleys andcloaking the scenery in hazywhite.

You almost feel as though you’rewalking in a trance. And then,suddenly, the clouds shift and theheight of the mountain emerges inthe sun. Cameras out, sunnies onand then, just as quickly, theclouds return.

Trudging on, you stop at hutspositioned every kilometre alongthe way. They provide a welcomeexcuse to catch your breath. Soonyou’re happy to stop anywhere, ona rock, leaning over a rail. Or youhave the excuse of stopping toadmire the scenery.

After around 41⁄2 hours ofclimbing, you stumble into thelodge where you’re to spend thenight, or part of it. Theaccommodation is basic but thefood is hearty and the view ismind-blowing. It is well above theclouds and you can see all the wayto the coast. It’s strange to realisethese distant scenes are bathed inhumid tropical heat — a starkcontrast to the cool air of themountain.

Then, as the sun begins to set,distant storm clouds put on amagnificent performance, turningan ever-deeper pink andoccasionally glowing fiery brightas lightning rips through the sky.

Come 1.30am and the lodge isabuzz with activity as climbersprepare in the dark to make thefinal assault on the summit. This iswhere things start looking serious

— one pair of Japanese climbersbrings out silver thermal pants,some Malaysians don armyfatigues and there are Americanssporting their best in trendymountaineering gear.

Then there’s a rag-tag group ofAustralians in sneakers, jeans andan odd selection of borrowed itemsrecommended for mountainousheights.

With head torches on, around150 people leave at staggeredtimes, aiming to reach the summitby sunrise. A line of head torchesreveals the lines on the mountain,otherwise shrouded in darkness.

The vegetation is all gone,replaced by sheer, desolate rock.Ropes drilled into the rock helpguide the way and providesomething to hang on to andsteady yourself on particularlysheer sections of the climb.

The slope gets steeper andsteeper and the air ever thinner.Soon one foot is barely placed infront of the other. Doubts creepin, surely this is no way to spendyour holiday?

But then, just when we think wecan’t take another step, thesummit is before us. It’s a rocky,triangular peak — just like you’dimagine a peak to be. After aphoto at the top we huddletogether out of the wind, awaitingsunrise. It’s freezing cold and thestars still shine bright in the sky.

Then, as the morning slowlylightens, the scene loses itsharshness and the full extent ofthe mountain’s beauty is revealed.

Vast expanses of rockmaterialise in the light, sweepingup towards neighbouring peaks infrozen waves. And pools of darkwater turn pink as they reflect thesoft dawn light. Suddenly we’reglad to have climbed in the dark. Ifwe’d seen such an imposing scenefrom far below, surely we wouldhave deemed ourselves incapableof making it.

But made it we have and thesense of achievement is

exhilarating. But it’s still reallycold and there’s the whole waydown — a marathon of jarringsteps — before us. Pulling ourbeanies down, we leave the peak.

Days later, we pass the foot ofthe mountain again and shake ourheads in disbelief. Was that reallyus up there, in that distantotherworld, standing triumphantlyat the top of the mountain?

DESOLATEBEAUTY

SamilleMitchell

climbsBorneo’s

Mt Kinabaluand finds a

meetingplace of

earth andsky

Been there, done that: Climbers head down after climbing Mt Kinabalu. Pictures: Samille Mitchell

Mt Kinabalu: The tallest peak in SE Asia.

As the morningslowly lightens, thescene loses itsharshness and the fullextent of themountain’s beauty isrevealed.

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