So, what started off as a bucket list wish from a family we got to know over year-end camp became a reality when I said yes to them in January this year for a Mount Kinabalu climb with kids.
From Idea to Adventure: Mount Kinabalu Climb with Kids
We got together – five adults (two couples and our friend, Jonathan) and four children in total – and embarked on training so we could be physically fit before the Mount Kinabalu climb. However, our schedules got the better of us and we couldn’t keep up meeting regularly to train though we got back to it a bit closer two months to the climb.
I guess the real excitement and mixed feelings for me came when we were busy packing for the trip and I started to wonder if I would ever make it up the mountain. Would I get altitude sickness and how would we even wake up at dawn to ascend the summit?
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Flight to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
There wasn’t much time to think because we were swarmed with exams, events and more in the days leading up to the climb.
Before we knew it, it was quickly D-day and we were on the plane, scooting off to Kota Kinabalu!
Day 1: Bonding Day
I was grateful that we had one whole Saturday to bond together at Kota Kinabalu, eating, playing at the arcade, shopping for groceries, socks and cold wear and computer gaming. We were even able to hold a mini-Sunday church service in our Airbnb together before we headed off to Kinabalu Park after breakfast.
Day 2: Kinabalu Park Lodge
We had signed up for a 3D2N Mount Kinabalu Climb – Kinabalu Park & Laban Rata Resthouse Tour package with Remarkable Borneo Travel & Tours Sdn Bhd.
This included pick-up for us at around 12 pm to Kinabalu Park (1,520m).
Grace Lodge where we stayed the night before the climb which was way beyond our expectations. In fact, we were literally blown away because it felt like Christmas came early when the doors to our lodge slid open to reveal a fireplace and such a cozy country-like set up.
Day 3: Kinabalu Park HQ – Ascent to Laban Rata
It was rise and shine for us early the next day where we targeted to finish our buffet breakfast at Liwagu Restaurant by 7 am so we could meet your guide and our driver around 7.40 am. We collected our packed lunch and waiting for our transfer to Timpohon Gate (1,829 m) by 8.15 am.
From there we began our climb to Laban Rata (3,353 m) which was a total of about a 6 km hike up. We were told the average time to get to Laban Rata (Pana Laban) would be about 5 hours.
8.30am. So began our ascent.
The start wasn’t too bad as the route was not as steep yet. The view was breathtaking at certain points, and it helped get our minds off how long more the hike was. It got tougher for us – especially the kids – as they got tired climbing with their backpacks and the air got thinner. We could literally hear ourselves panting out loud.
We were thankful for our friend, Jonathan, who kept us motivated throughout the hike up, reminding us to drink up, breathe deep, use our hiking poles as our extra support, getting us to greet hikers going both up and down on the way and even helping the kids carry their backpacks.
Seven Rest Stops to Pana Laban
The hike to the first rest stop gave us hope that the rest of the trail would not be as bad as we thought it would be.
We stayed motivated by looking forward to the next rest stop for our snacks and drinks.
At the second rest stop, we got to meet some furry mountain friends – mountain shrews (half squirrels, half rat). They even stole two of my Ferrero Rochers while Jonathan had some time to feed them raisins.
Now, all of us had another motivator (or at least the kids and Jonathan did) to keep on going. They looked forward to feeding the animals at every rest stop.
“Ooooooh …. we are halfway there ….”. The fourth rest stop was literally the halfway point as it was the 3.5 km mark towards Laban Rata.
It was nice to meet some Singaporean friends along the way up. We found out it was also the first time for some of them. I guess we were all in this together.
We were an hour early at this stop and decided that we could head on to the Layang Layang rest stop for lunch break instead. It was amazing that we were trekking quite fast up the mountain. And the kids were doing very well too with lots of honey sticks, raisins and an energy gel each.
Layang Layang Rest Stop
We were in quite good time for lunch and seeing the Layang Layang rest stop was a huge relief for us all. We couldn’t wait to check out what they had packed for us for lunch.
There was hard boiled eggs, grilled chicken with mixed vegetables and an apple. We even managed to share some of our bread with the jungle shrews.
The children had happy smiles on their faces too as it was time to eat. And, of course, they were also happy to jettison their backpacks – one each to the dads and two to Jonathan.
However, at this rest stop, the air was starting to get thinner and colder.
The weather was not helping with dark clouds was rolling in and the wind starting to pick up. So, some of us started to don our jackets and raincoats for the remainder of the climb.
After lunch, we trudged onwards and upwards!
It also started to drizzle slightly. It got colder as we got higher, so out came all the windbreakers.
We were ahead of time. This allowed us to take a slightly longer break at the next rest stop.
We met more Singaporeans and finally a child of similar age to ours. It was her birthday too, so we all broke out in a birthday song in harmony even and it really helped uplift all our spirits!
The rain got slightly heavier at this point and so it was now a race against the weather to reach Laban Rata Resthouse.
And finally, we made it up 6 km to Laban Rata Resthouse and in such good time; it was only 4 pm!
It had taken us a total of seven hours for us – five adults and four children – to reach this point! We were exhausted but proud of how far we came just to get there!
Dinner on Mount Kinabalu
Dinner was ready for us at 5.30 pm and we had our first cup of Sabah tea at the rest house. You wouldn’t believe how good it felt to have hot tea in such cold weather!
Both our firstborns went for multiple rounds of tea. This contributed to them having a hard time falling asleep early!
Electricity also came on for a few hours so we could shower, even though the water was really cold!
We also had some time after dinner to take a walk and to make video calls to our families to show them the view and let them know we were all safe. We had the opportunity to make some new friends too.
Then it was lights out at 7 pm plus and we tried to all get some rest though I was worried most of the time if I would be able to wake at 2 am for the climb to the summit. The kids were also sleep talking probably they were overexcited and overtired.
Day 4: Heading to the Summit
We did manage to wake up at around 2 am to have a quick meal at Laban Rata before continuing the climb to the summit of Mount Kinabalu (4095 metres). Of course, this was not without some whining from the groggy kids; but we convince them to carry on.
We had a safety briefing by the guides and were told each of them will take a child.
This was where we encountered some challenges as we began our ascent in the dark, just armed with headlamps and walking poles.
Spoiler alert: two of the children felt more tired and breathless so we decided to let them rest instead of making the climb up to the summit. This left three adults and two children in the group to make it up to the summit before sunrise.
It was a huge challenge for me as I also felt rather breathless as we climbed. It also felt scary to be at the danger zone as I could only see flat rock and a rope that I had to hold on to with my dear life.
I learnt to keep my eyes on what was in front instead of looking up too far ahead as that would only discourage me from seeing how far I had to go from the string of headlights above.
The never-ending climb combined with an endless peak, didn’t help with the situation.
Thankfully, we had good weather, so it wasn’t very windy and cold, and the clear sky gave us a view of the beautiful village in the night.
Jonathan’s Experience Summiting Together with a Child
Due to the unplanned changes where two children and two adults from our group having to turn back, Jonathan had to help take care of one of the kids, K, on the way to the summit.
Here is Jonathan’s experience from his point of view:
It was dark and we were at a high altitude; the air was thin, and breathing was difficult. The amount of oxygen in the air was so little that multiple breaths were needed to fill up our lungs to keep us moving on.
I was breathing fine and making it up steadily. 100m (about 328.08 ft) up the trail, one of the kids had breathing issue, and had to stop for a while. I trekked on and caught up with the two boys, R & K, in our group.
By this point, R was with the guide, and K was starting to get out of breath, trying to catch up. I got a hold of him, got him to hydrate and we kept moving.
500 m into the trail, we stopped for a break, with both boys losing motivation and complaining.
Now the challenge kicked in for me – how to manage that one kid I had with me, K, and to motivate him up to the summit safely. He was already complaining about how out of breath he was and wanted to U-turn and go back.
Each step was heavy, and each breath was hard.
So, to keep him motivated, I supported him all the way up, reminding him of how it would be like once we had reached the summit and would be able to enjoy the view from there.
1 km up the trail, we hit the danger zone. The guide we had could only carry one kid, and he took R with him and went off.
Now, it was now up to me to get through the danger zone with K.
The danger zone is a series of steep slopes and all you have is a rope, and a 100 metre (about 328.08 ft) path with chances of falling rocks that you must get past quickly. The challenge is to push through this zone fast and safely.
Climbing the slope on all fours, I pushed K up, and used my body as a support for him to ascend. Reaching the 100 m rockfall area, I took his hand, we looked at each other and we knew we had one thing to do: keep moving.
On this part of the, it was just me and him. The front climbers were far ahead, and the climber behind us is at least 100 m behind. All I see in front of me is pitch black, with just rocks and a rope to guide us.
I saw a small, lighted house, the check point, and we kept moving.
Even I started to lose my energy here. Eventually, we reached the check point and caught up with our guide.
Here, he informed us that two kids had returned back to the Laban Rata Lodge due to safety reasons, and two adults have gone with them.
Looking at the time, I realised that we were behind time and may not make it to the summit for sunrise. However, some climbers came by, encouraging us to keep going.
We set off for the last 1.5 km up to the summit. What we didn’t expect was that the next challenge was waiting for us at the summit itself.
As we walked on, it dawned on me how steep and high the slope to the summit was, and the energy and effort we would need to go up that summit.
The guide held the hand of R and walked up to summit.
K, on the other hand, was out of breath, and was having a hard time walking up. Every 10 steps, he needed a break.
We took quite a bit of time to walk through the long steep slope, with no end in sight. He was quickly losing his motivation, asking to stop and go back down the mountain.
I told him, “We made it up this far, let’s finish it together; it is just a little more. We will see a nicer view there.” Climbers on the way up kept motivating us to keep on moving.
To be honest, I wanted to quit there and then too, with such a long walk and no end in sight. However, something at the back of my head just told me I had to push through with him.
After an hour and a half, we reached the South Peak of the summit. This left us with just 20 minutes to sunrise. We took a break and drank some water before we forged on to Low’s Peak. He was getting colder also, so I gave him my glove, scarf and heat packs, while I, on the other hand, was getting warmer.
After another 20 minutes, we reached just below Low’s Peak, and managed to snap a shot of the sunrise, and sat there to admire the view.
We had caught up with R, who was coming down, and took another photo with him.
And then, it was our turn, to head to Low’s Peak.
It was so steep; we had to rock climb up the rocks, and they were taller than K. So I had to give him a push. 10 minutes later, we were up at the peak, taking in the breath-taking view of the mountain, and shortly after joined by his father for a photo.
Thereafter, our other guide caught up with us, and brought us back down to the lodge.
The Descent
R had managed to reach Low’s Peak at around sunrise, but I was much slower as I felt rather breathless as we got higher.
We met R along South Peak where the guide advised me to start my own descent so we could make it back in time for breakfast and the final descent back to Timpohon gate.
When we had better light, I realised how far we had climbed to get to the summit! I couldn’t grasp how we manage to get up there in the dark, and how Jonathan and K pushed through this challenge.
Upon arrival to Laban Rata, I was so relieved that we made it back down safely.
R was back so quickly as our guide had carried R back down the mountain and he had fallen asleep on the way!
We regrouped and shared our experiences over a hearty breakfast and more Sabah tea before checking out at 10.30 am and embarking on our descent back to Timpohon Gate.
Back to Timpohon Gate and Park Headquarters
After we reached Timpohon Gate, our driver transferred us back to to Park Headquarters and passed us our packed lunch. It was already 4 pm. The children were famished and tired, though they still had lots of energy to run around when we reached Park Headquarters.
You can imagine how many of us knocked out en route to our beach villa to rest that day.
Practical Tips for a Mount Kinabalu Climb: Our Build up and Preparations
For our Mount Kinabalu club in June, our training began in late January 2024. We went for hikes at Bukit Timah, starting out with short climbs and slowly working over longer distances to condition ourselves.
Here are some of our training preparations:
1) Hiking up Bukit Timah hill twice in a day
2) Stairs and slope endurance at Bukit Batok transmission station.
3) Walking the Bukit Timah – Dairy Farm Route
4) Climbing up HDB stairs, 40 Stories, four times in a day
5) 10 km endurance hike
The most important thing about training is to do it diligently. We also had to motivate the kids to press on as the training can be long and tiring. Singapore’s weather also isn’t very forgiving. You will want to ensure you are properly hydrated during training.
Preparing for the Climb: What to Pack to Climb Mount Kinabalu
Now for the question of packing. What should you take along with you on the trip, what should you pack, how much should the kids carry?
For equipment and clothing, we would say that the most budget-friendly place where we were able to get all our gear was Decathlon.
You will need some of the following things:
1) Windbreakers
2) Raincoat
3) Hiking poles (one is sufficient, one is optimal for downhill)
4) Day pack 30 – 40L for adults, 20-30L for Kids
5) Hiking boots (Recommended) and thick Socks
6) Headlamps
You will have to pack all the above and a few of the following items:
Adults
1) 1.5L bottle (x2 if you drink lots of water)
2) Extra Clothing
3) First Aid Kit with Medication
4) Food/Energy bars (Honey Sticks, Nuts, Raisins, Sweets and 100plus)
5) Save some space for the packed lunch
6) Toiletries
7) Gloves
Kids
1) 1L bottle
2) Food/Energy bars (Honey Sticks, Nuts, Raisins, Sweets and 100plus)
3) Gloves
If you don’t want to carry so much weight, you can pack a separate bag with things you would only need to use at the resthouse and pass it to the porter to bring it up for you, this way, you carry lesser load. They charge by per kg per km, one-way.
Final Thoughts After Climbing Mount Kinabalu
“There’s always gonna be another mountain …… it’s the Climb ……”, the song by Miley Cyrus was literally on repeat for us before, and especially so during the climb because it was honestly what we were experiencing as we made our ascent.
Jonathan:
“This was really a challenging experience for me, as it didn’t just test my physical fitness level, but gave me a mission to bring at least one of the children up with me to the summit. We had five out of nine of us who summited, and two out of the five were children! I was impressed by their performance and motivation to complete this ascent. Especially K, who really made it through thick and thin with me.”
Priscilla:
“I hadn’t put much thought into the climb till I was making the ascent especially up towards the summit at dawn. I questioned myself multiple times what I was doing this for, would I make it up safely, panting and all, but that one thought that occupied my mind most at that time was the desire to make it up safely and to meet my son at the peak.
When I got back down, mostly on my own, I felt so relieved and was filled with so much emotions that I had to sit down at the entrance of basecamp to take it all in. Will there be another mountain we are going to climb? I guess there will be!
And would I do it all over again and with this bunch? Yes! Absolutely! Everyone became closer and now dear family to me. Seeing how everyone encourage each other along the way made my heart so full. If you love adventures like these as a family, we would totally recommend making a climb like this when the kids are in upper primary!”
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