Mt Kinabalu, climbing information and photos

Last week we provided information about the main routes, here are now some more details and information about the recent climbing trip to Mount Kinabalu in Borneo, Malaysia, by top climbers Yuji Hirayama, Daniel Woods, James Pearson and Caroline Ciavaldini.

We had already broken news about Pogulian Do Koduduo, that mega 100m 9a freed by Hirayama at almost 4000m and also Tinipi, the 9a+ freed by Daniel Woods, and now it's absolutely worth underlining the first repeat of Alanga, a beautiful arête established last year by the Japanese climber and graded 8b. The first to repeat this 120m multi-pitch was Ciavaldini, while Pearson made short work and flashed the line. It's also worth noting that Pearson made the first ascent of Excalibur, a route he describes as "one of the finest routes of my life." For the record, the route weighs in at 8c+, something leads us to believe that it couldn't have been otherwise ;-)

Apart from the difficult projects, the four also invested time in establishing numerous easy rock climbs. For those wishing to visit the area, Pearson recommends the following: "Due to its location and surroundings, climbing on Mt Kinabalu takes a little planning and organisation, but thanks to the help of local Adventure Tourism Operators things are now a lot simpler than they previously would have been. From Kota Kinabalu, the capital city of the Sabah region, your operator will drive you two hours to Kinabalu park HQ where you will register your presence on the mountain with the authorities. Once all the paperwork is finished you will be provided with a name tag and a mountain guide, and start your journey up the ? height huts where you will spend your first night.
Here is where things become a little more complicated, as regular tourists usually spend only one night on the mountain before reaching the summit and descending the following day. In order to stay for longer periods, you will need to choose an operator like Mountain Torq who have their own accommodation and understand the special needs of climbers. For more information about Climbing on Mt Kinabalu, contact Mountain Torq in Kota Kinabalu."