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Climbing Mt. Kinabalu

by Kraig Becker (RSS feed) on Jan 3rd 2009 at 9:00AM

Looking to put a little adventure and challenge into your vacation this year? Then consider heading to Borneo to take on Mt. Kinabalu, a 13,435 foot mountain steeped in legend.

The Times Online had all the details on what you can expect from this adventure, which will require two solid days of climbing. Most adventurers who take on Kinabalu a UNESCO World Heritage site, spend their first night at Laban Rata, a mountain lodge located 10,738 feet up the mountain. Then, after a brief sleep, they're up early to make the final push on the summit, where they hope to arrive at, or shortly after, the dawn, to catch a breathtaking view of the island below.

The article says that roughly half of those who set out for the summit actually make it, as a combination of exhaustion, altitude sickness, and bad weather tend to take their toll. Those that do complete the climb will pass through several climate zones on their way to the top, with colorful rainforests giving way to an alpine zone populated with confirs, oaks, and rhododendrons, which eventually fall away as well, leaving just the open mountain around them.

Climbing Kinabalu is compared to Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa in the article, but at 19,340 feet, Kili is a much more demanding climb. However, for those looking for an alternative, that will still challenge and delight, the Malaysian mountain is great choice. And when you're done with the climb, you can head back down, and lounge on pristine beachs before heading home.