By : Chha
After a good night sleep, it is finally time to start the first day of hiking up Mount Kinabalu. Well, i was kinda excited and at the same time worried that it will be really tough. Anyway, it is time to go, you got to do what you got to do ! Woke up, get ready and went for breakfast at Balsam Buffet Restaurant.
Our hike start at the Timpohon Station, you can choose to start hike at any time between 7am until 10.30am. Before the hike, we meet with our Mountain Guide and also to weight our bagpack. For us, our Mountain Guide is our 'Portal' who help us to carry our bagpack up Mount Kinabalu. We need to pay the 'Portal' base on every kg that he carry and our bagpack weighted 21kg at that time.
Visited : March 2016
Posted Date : 24 March 2016
Posted Time : 06.30 pm
Getting to the Timpohon Station, we took shuttle van from our homestay in Kinabalu Park.
Hiking at Mount Kinabalu there are few simple rules that we must follow, there are two that i remember clearly which are, do not litter and do not simply pee anywhere (*note to guys), hahaha !
The moment i walk through the Timpohon Station gate, the first thing i see it this ... !
STEPS !!! so so so many steps ... i almost give up ! hahaha ... but then i carry on anyway .. and it is really OMG ! The further i hike, the more steps there is.
Steps ! and more steps !
Steps again ! I was thinking, when will all these steps end ??
Steps are making me cry !
And its when i thought, that there are no more steps to hike on, things seems to get worst .. !
Rocky mountain road !!
Steep slopes ! More and more are waiting .. !
Along the hiking trail, there are few rest place for us to had our lunch, take rest and to go toilet if needed.
Our lunch is actually a pack of lunch box consist of chicken wing, sandwich, apple, a small bottle of mineral water and egg which were distributed to us before we leave Balsam Buffet Restaurant after our breakfast. The toilet at every rest place is really smelly and dirty because of water rationing.
Though the hike is really hard for me, but the moment you see scenery as beautiful as this, you will feel that all the hard work and effort is seriously worth it !
Today i only wear a T-Shirt, a jacket and a short pants because the weather here on first day of hiking is not really cold, there are times where i need to take out my jacket as well when there are bright sunshine shining. I think, it is fine for you to wear just T-Shirt and a short pants if temperature of around 20 to 15'c does not affect you much.
It took us around roughly 6 hours to finish 6 km of hiking for the first day, with rough terrain all the way up to our last stop for today which is at Laban Rata.
Laban Rata will be the place where we stay for the night while getting ready for the second day of hiking up to the summit of Mount Kinabalu. Dinner at Laban Rata finish at 7pm, by the time i reach Laban Rata, it is already around 5.30pm, i was really tired and hungry at the same time.
View Of Our Laban Rata dorm stay from Top.
The place for dinner is also in the same building of our dorm for the night. This will also be the place for our Breakfast and Lunch at Laban Rata.
The food here is just so-so i would say, but since i am really hungry, i eat without even tasting, hahaha ! just whack and eat ! toooo hungry to even think .. !! You can refill your water here in this restaurant but but but ! Only hot water available. The environment is nice .. i like it here and the temperature outside is cold, at this point, i really need a jacket, especially when walking outside of building at night.
Sun set view from Laban Rata restaurant.
Dorm reception and Goodie Back Shop
The dorm reception is actually in the same bulding at the restaurant where we had our dinner, so it is really convenient for us to move around without the need to get out from the building to the cold environment outside.
Dorm at Laban Rata is small but it is well managed and comfortable to sleep too. The bed is good but the room is a little bit hot, but you can open the window is you want, then it will turn to really cold, hahaha ! problems problems .. haha !
Toilets at the dorm does have hot water but only at certain time of day .. so means you will have to plan your time when to take bath, the same goes to water for shower, may it be cold or hot water, there is time for it.
Went to bed at around 8pm, yah, its really early i would say .. but we have to as we are waking up really early tomorrow morning for our final hike ! Up to the summit of Mount Kinabalu !!
Posted Date : 24 March 2016
Posted Time : 06.30 pm
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