the viewing deck: Kilometer Markers, a Mt. Kinabalu Specials

Friday, October 18, 2013

Kilometer Markers, a Mt. Kinabalu Specials

Kota Kinabalu trekking and solo tours
may 25 - 27, 2013 saturday to tuesday

Mt. Kinabalu solo hike last part (descend back to downtown)

Kilometer markers are placed on every 500 meter part of the trail. Most of them is just plain wooden mark with around 12 x 6 inches size (which makes them sometimes unnoticeable especially during rain and exhausted feeling) while others are well-established post. I decided to make a special report regarding this marks due to the following reasons;

1. kilometer marker will start to exist 500 meters after entering the Timpohon gate, shown as "0.5km". From this gate onwards there will be 12 markers up to Laban Rata dormitory camp site which is 3,273m above sea level (319m higher than Mt. Apo peak). Then will start to exist again on summit journey from 6.5km up to 8.5km point. To sum it all, there will be 17 kilometer markers (12 for 1st trail set and 5 for summit journey).

2. I suffered leg pain easily at an early stage of the climb due maybe I'm lifting by myself my over 10kg weight backpack (w/o the aid of the porter) or maybe I underestimated the journey in comparison to Mt. Pulag's ambangeg trail (3rd highest peak in Philippines). For me that time, waiting for kilometer marker on every 500 meter trail was a delightful quest and a goal to minimize the health tension and mindset hardship.

kilometer markers, a Mt. Kinabalu specials

3. Seeing the kilometer marker makes me realized there's a rainbow after the rain for the difficulties I surpassed during the every 500 meter trail.

4. the following is the description of what trail to encounter;
1st-2nd km trail - quite muddy, very easy
2nd-4th km trail - rainy, muddy, quite high steps
4th-6th km trail - rocky, muddy, slippery, rainy, quite high steps
6-6.7 km trail - very dark, slippery, cold, and muddy
6.7-7.2 km trail - roping, slippery, dangerous, cold
7.2-8.5 km trail - slippery, very cold
8.5-8.7 km trail - rocky, slippery, cold

5. the following was my below average record of climbing capability;
* 1st set of trek (6km) is scheduled as 0900H-1400H (5hrs), I did this at 0900H-1600H (7hrs).
* summit journey (2.7km) is scheduled as 0230H-0530H (3hrs), I did this at 0230H-0645H (4.25hrs).
* summit descend (2.7km) is scheduled as 0600H-0800H (2 hrs), I did this at 0700H-0930H (2.5hrs).
* descend back to gate (6km) is scheduled as 1000H-1400H (4hrs), I did this at 1030H-1520H (4.8hrs).

6. While on descend, I'm in the state of second thoughts if this will be the end of my fun-climbing career, to quit the ambitious further plan for Everest Base Camp (5,545m) and Mt. Kilimanjaro (5,845m).