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Adventure Vacation Article/Travelogue
Mesilau Summit Trail - An Alternative Route To Climbing Mount Kinabalu
If you are visiting Borneo for an
adventure vacation,
then conquering the mystical Mount Kinabalu is not really an option - it is
'the' priority. Mount Kinabalu is strategically located at the Kinabalu National Park, a
designated World Heritage Site. Kinabalu National Park is just about 2 hours
drive from the city of Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Sabah, Malaysian Borneo.
Mount Kinabalu, which stood at around 4,095m above sea level, the highest peak
in South East Asia, is an icon for Sabah tourism, especially for the adventure vacation
market. Therefore, it is of no
surprise that every year, thousands flocked to climb or rather, trek up the
mountain. Although the traditional route up Mount Kinabalu is via the Kinabalu
Summit Trail at Kinabalu National Park, there is an alternative route on the
other side of Mount Kinabalu called the Mesilau Summit Trail, a newer and more
challenging route. This trail is definitely one for those who are more
adventurous to consider seriously.
The Mesilau Summit Trail at the Mesilau Nature Park on the Mesilau plateau is
about 30 minutes by road away from Kinabalu National Park (about 108km from Kota
Kinabalu).
It is advisable to stay a night at Mesilau before starting your ascent up Mount
Kinabalu as the journey from Kota Kinabalu will likely to leave you rather
exhausted. Take a rest and acclimatize with the higher altitude at the
eco-friendly Mesilau Nature Resort, which is nestled amongst the trees at the
foot of the mountain at about 2,000 metres above sea level within the Park. The
resort has a total of 22 lodges and 96 resthouse beds.
As for the climb up to Mount Kinabalu, the Mesilau Summit Trail is definitely
more rugged, about 1.5km further than the trail from Timpohon Gate at Kinabalu
National Park. But it offers more opportunities for viewing flora and fauna. The
Mesilau route is still relatively new, but some shelters and toilets have been
built along the trail for the convenience of trekkers. The route is also less
crowded than the old summit trail. You won't bank into many mountain climbers on
the way up.
The first ascent of the Mesilau Trail does involve a climb up, then a drop into
the Mesilau valley, and then another ascent to regain the lost height. You will
get to see both the Kinabalu and Mesilau routes at higher ground. The trail is
also more "jungle" than the traditional Kinabalu Summit Trail. When trekking
uphill, it is fortunate that the trail is well laid with steps cut into the
earth and thus, making walking easy.
Layang-layang (Place of Swallows) is where the Mesilau Trail meets the Kinabalu
Summit Trail at 2,740m. From there onwards, you will notice that the vegetation
zone is like a forest of bent and twisted silvery-grey trunks with peeling bark.
A short hike after the sixth shelter, you will reach the mid-summit (i.e., Laban
Rata). Conservatively, it should take a normal fit person an average 6-7 hours
to reach Laban Rata, where you will be required to stay a night at Laban Rata
Resthouse or at other nearby accommodations (i.e., Mountain Huts and VIP Lodge).
From there, the second and more grueling ascent will follow the traditional
route all the way to the summit (i.e., Low's Peak), which will start early
morning the next day at around 2 am to 3 am
The ascent should normally take a few hours but it is much more challenging than
the initial ascent as the trail gets more tiring with each step up the slope as
the air gets thinner and thinner. On top of this, you have to battle the
freezing cold temperature (sometimes below zero degrees Celsius). If its rains
and windy, it will be doubly challenging.
But once you get to the summit and catch the truly magnificent glimpse of the
sunrise, you would have forgotten the tough climb. You will feel on top of the
world looking down at the tiny villages and small islands off the coast of Kota
Kinabalu.
For those who had climbed Mount Kinabalu before via the Kinabalu Summit Trail or
for those who are searching for a more challenging trek, the Mesilau Summit
Trail definitely offers a fuller Mount Kinabalu climbing and adventure vacation
experience. To quote an avid climber: "You have not truly conquered Mount
Kinabalu if you have not conquered it from both sides of the mountain".
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About The Author:
e-borneo.com is a leading Borneo travel gateway,
trip advisor, and tour
intermediary for the best custom/full-package vacation deals to Sabah and
Sarawak (Malaysia Borneo) and Brunei Darussalam. Check out more top
Sabah
Tourism tour packages or for more info on Sabah, please visit our sister
site at Borneo Tropical
Vacation.
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Mesilau Tour Packages:
3D/2N Mount Kinabalu Mesilau Summit Trail Climb
2D/1N Mesilau Nature Park and Kinabalu National Park
3D/2N Mesilau
Nature Park and Kinabalu National Park
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