Via Ferrata is definitely not for the faint hearted with a fear of heights, as Via Ferrata Mount Kinabalu is certified to be the highest in the world! But if you’re up for a more challenging Mount K experience, you should definitely go for it. Because Via Ferrata allows you to enjoy the scenic view that are inaccessible via the normal descent route.

There are 2 types of Via Ferrata routes – Walk the Torq & Low’s Peak Circuit. Walk the Torq is designed for beginners, with the routes takes 2-3 hours to complete, while Low’s Peak Circuit is more on an intermediate level which takes 4-5 hours to complete.

Read more info here on Via Ferrata routes here to help you to decide which Mount K experience you’d like to have!

Basic Packing List

Once you have settled your accommodation booking and know your estimated expenses for your climb, it’s time to start packing!

For starters, create a packing list tailored to your personal needs. You may refer to the essential packing list here  as your reference.

This was my personal packing list which was proven fundamental throughout my hike.

Equipment

If you’re an avid hiker, you probably own all the hiking gears and ready to climb any moment. If you made a vow to only climb Mount K and never climb any mountains after that, I suggest you to borrow hiking equipment from friends if possible, or you may purchase them and sell it later.

I purchased most of the items especially clothing. I’ll be sharing briefly on where I got the stuffs from at most reasonable prices in Kota Kinabalu.

Sports Direct Oceanus- this is basically heaven for outdoor and sports junkie in KK.  You can basically find most of the hiking or outdoor gear here such as trekking pole, clothing, gloves, backpacks, and many more. I got my running shirts and trekking pants here as well as my trekking pole. They do have sales promotions from time to time and sometimes you can get a really good bargain out of it. Alternatively, you can try checking out Tong’s Traveler Gear at Suria Sabah for windbreaker, backpacks although their products are a little shabby for me. You may also check out Decathlon for their affordable equipment as well as clothing and shoes, however I am a little skeptical with online shopping for outdoor gears, something I am not very familiar with (because there’s no physical store here in Sabah). Or if you don’t mind spending a little in investing on your future hiking adventures, you might as well just go to Montanic Adventure Store (Suria Sabah)!

Daiso- got some heating pads or hand warmers, for extra warmth.  

Training

Given that we had less than one month to train and prep our body for the challenge, this is probably not the right place to seek fitness prep advice from. It’s recommended to start training couple of months prior to your climb. You may start with cardio training like running, walking, cycling, swimming to build up stamina and endurance.

Bukit Padang hiking trail

I usually do home workouts since MCO begun. I increased the intensity and frequency of my work outs 3 weeks prior to the climb. If you’re training in Kota Kinabalu, Bukit Padang is the popular training spot among locals. That’s simply because its hiking trail is similar to Mount Kinabalu’s.

Aside from cardio, upper body strength training and core work out is important too as it will be beneficial during the rope climbing to the summit.

The Climb

It’s the journey to the top that matters

Kinabalu Park SSL

We stayed one night before the climb at Kinabalu Park for altitude acclimatization and also for convenience. The accommodation package in Sutera Sanctuary Lodges offered a morning breakfast set too. 

energy booster shot before our climb

Registration

The registration process was not exactly a smooth one. There were many large groups of climbers who registered together which lengthens the process. 

In addition to the long wait, there was no clear guide from the staffs on how to go about the whole registration flow. As we were booked through Sutera Sanctuary, we were required to register at two places- Sutera Sanctuary booth and Sabah Parks office.

at least we had a view of Akinabalu during our long wait.

After registration with Sutera Sanctuary to confirm our attendance for the accommodation, we received a packed lunch. 

weighing our bags for porter services

Then, we proceed to the Sabah Parks registration booth to fill up some forms and made payment for the permit, insurance, guide, transport, and porter at the admin office. We were given the ID tags to be worn at all times. The entire registration process took more than one hour which delayed our hike a little.

Day 1: Timpohon Gate- Panalaban Base Camp

Before we commence, our mountain guide briefed us about the general overview of the trail and journey to Panalaban. 

There are rest huts located along the route at every 1KM. They are equipped with toilets, untreated water supply, and seating area for climbers to catch a breath.

Squirrels came to greet us at every rest point, eyeing our food perhaps. It’s advisable not to rest longer than 5 minutes to prevent body from cooling down, thus harder to regain momentum.

April was supposed to be the dry month, thus the best month to climb. But the weather was unpredictable and luck was not on our side. 

After we had our packed lunch at Layang-Layang Shelter at KM5, it began to rain. 

We had our dinner after freshening up. Dinner time at Laban Rata was from 16 30 hrs to 19 30 hrs. The buffet style dinner exceeded my expectations. The array of food choices ranged from roast chicken to lamb, western and Asian options, and even vegetarian option upon request.

Day 2: Panalaban to Summit

After gearing up with layers of winter wear, gloves, and headlamp, we continued our journey to the summit at 2am. It’s better to start early in order to meet the ‘’cut-off time’’ at Sayat-Sayat Checkpoint at 4.30am-5am and at KM8 at 7am.

The route to the summit was the most challenging. Apart from battling with the cold and chilly subzero temperature, I remembered struggling to climb the rocky mountain surface with the fixed hanging rope while struggling to breathe the thin air at high altitude.

It was steep and rocky along the trail to the summit. Nevertheless, it felt great to see the stars shining in the sky amid the pitch darkness of night. Whenever I looked up to the sky, it kind of gave me hope I need to keep going.

When I finally reached Low’s Peak, it gave me the most rewarding feeling of self-achievement and a great deal of satisfaction, lauding my own efforts.

Descent

After soaking all in the incredible feeling of being on top of the world, we began our descent to Panalaban. The sun had risen; hence the weather became really hot and sunny. UV rays were pretty strong up there, considering we were nearer to the sun. Be sure to apply UV protection and wear sunglasses. We reached Panalaban base camp and had our breakfast.

The descent was harder than expected. It started to rain from the moment we began our journey. The perpetual rain continued to plague us all the way to Timpohon gate. It was even more daunting and dangerous descending in the rain while carefully tread on the steep and slippery rocks. Walking sideways and zig-zag pattern with the aid of the walking stick really helped.

 Drenched with sweat and rainwater, it was the longest and most uncomfortable hike I ever had. Throughout the hike, all I could think of was getting into a nice warm bubble bath while sipping iced lemon tea after this ordeal.

The Aftermath

Treat yourself your favourite meal to replace those lost calories because you deserve it! Hydrate sufficiently with electrolytes and do some stretching or cooling down exercises. I soaked my feet with a bucket of ice water too. And got plenty of rest.

PRO TIPS:

(Coming from my personal experience) 

• Bring extra socks (more than 2 pairs). You may need a change of socks especially after drenched with rain. In fact, it comes into handy in protecting your feet from the cold at night.
• Bring 2 packs of disposable rain poncho. I had to reuse mine during the descent because I did not expect it would rain again on the next day as it was supposed to be a ‘dry’ month. Weather is very unpredictable up there, so be prepared.
• Invest in a good pair of hiking shoes with water resistant properties. My Columbia trail shoes were not very suitable for climbing the rocky path at the summit trail. Not to mention that my shoes were literally collecting rainwater. Good news was there was a shoe drying service at Panalaban Resthouse! Not sure it is available all the time, but the service was great and very useful. Our shoes were dried before the summit attack.
• Laban Rata no longer provides clean boiled water. You may bring your own drinking water or buy at Laban Rata. The price of getting a porter to carry 1 litre of water is same as the price of 1 litre water bottle at Laban Rata. But, there might be possibility the water bottles are sold out. 

• You may pack enough energy bars but TBH, I only had one chocolate bar. I was feeling thirsty more than hungry.
• Trim your toe nails to prevent nail bruise as a result of nail bumping to the shoes. I trimmed mine but one of my toenails was still bruised. I guess trimming will just reduced the risk of nail bruising.
• It's better if you take medications as prophylaxis for Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). Dexamethasone works for me and I never experienced any symptoms of AMS. Consult your pharmacist to get the right medications and correct dosage!

HELPFUL LINKS:

It was a victorious feat to climb the highest mountain in Malaysia and an unforgettable experience. Will I climb again? Well…. maybe for Via Ferrata.