About the hike
- Mt Kinabalu is the highest peak in the geographically defined region of Southeast Asia with an elevation of 4,095m.
- Hikers are only permitted to hike on with a government approved operator and must carry a mountain permit on their person at all times
- The hike begins at Timpohon Gate which is at an elevation of about about 1,866m
- Hikers typically begin the hike at 7.30am on a 6km trail which consists of 100% elevation gains (no flat terrain) which will take about 4-5 hours on average on day 1
- On day 2 hikers will begin hiking to the summit at 1.30am on a 3km trail also 100% elevation gains and arrive before sunrise. Temperatures at the summit go as low as 0 degrees Celsius
- The descent will then take about 5 hours from summit to Timpohon Gate and you will then collect your mountain certificates from the Park HQ
In total - the hike will cover 16-18 km of trail and ~2,200m of elevation
Lodging conditions
Lodges at Kinabalu Park HQ
Unisex dorms at Panalaban
Private rooms are typically available - but you will need to speak with the operators.
Luggage Storage
RM12 per bag at Kinabalu HQ for all the unnecessary stuff you don't need
Things to bring up the mountain
Keep your bag limited to 6-8kg or less if possible.
1. Hiking Pole (Your best friend on the descent)
2. Head lamp (For D2 night hiking)
3. Solid af Hiking Shoes (None of that cutesy Nike/Adidas athleisure running shoes)
4. 2 sets of clothes to wear for each day (Ensure 1 set of lighter clothing for D1 hike, 1 set of warm clothing for D2 hike)
5. Wind breaker (for the cold)
6. Scarf (for the cold)
7. Beanie (for the cold and wind at summit)
8. Rain coat/Poncho
9. Gloves
10. Sunscreen (SPF 30+)
11. Lipbalm
11. Backpack
12. Small towel
13. Sunglasses
14. Energy Snacks
15. 1.5L of Water
16. 500 ml of 100 Plus or other alternative isotonic drink
17. Tissue Paper
18. Cash
19. Phone
20. Altitude sickness medication
See online for full list of items required. Porters are available for hire on request at the mountain. Payment terms with porters are in cash only.
Refilling Water
There are refill stations along the way to the summit and at Panalaban where we will be staying the night
You may be advised to bring your own water purification tablets as there have been incidents of it causing diarrhoea for those not accustomed to them
Toilets
There are toilets along the way at specific rest stops
VR Cache Logging Requirements
1. Hike to the summit and capture an image of the sunrise or yourself with the sunrise (In the event of bad weather ie. rain, cloudy background will be accepted)
2. Capture an image of yourself next to the signange at the peak
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Virtual Rewards 4.0 - 2024-2025
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between January 17, 2024 and January 17, 2025. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 4.0 on the Geocaching Blog.