Day 3 – 7 March 2025, Friday
The plan was to wake up at 1:30am but I was already awake naturally at 1:00am. I didn’t sleep much because it was way before my usual bedtime so it took me a long time to fall asleep, and before I knew it, I was awake again. Furthermore, the walls and floorboards in the resthouse were thin so I could hear the sounds of people walking along the corridor outside. After brushing my teeth, I returned to the room and packed my stuff in the dark as quietly as I could because my roommates were still asleep. TH was also up early. He was feeling a bit better but still not at 100%.
Breakfast is served officially from 2:00am but we went down to the restaurant 10 minutes earlier. As expected, there were already many other people queuing up, waiting for the buffet to start. They opened the line at about 1:55am and I piled some food on my plate – fried rice, fried bee hoon, sausages, baked beans, scrambled eggs and a cup of coffee. I didn’t want to overeat before the climb so I took just enough food to get me through.
I also paid RM3 (S$0.91) for hot water to fill up my small thermos flask. I brought from home a sachet of Old Town instant coffee mix so that I can enjoy hot coffee at the summit later while waiting for the sunrise.
As discussed yesterday, we met our mountain guide John at 2:20am and started our climb 10 minutes before everyone else. John wanted us to have a head start before it gets crowded at the summit, with 151 other people climbing Mount Kinabalu today. My phone’s mobile reception wasn’t working so I couldn’t check the temperature, but TH’s phone worked and he said it was currently 14 degrees C outside. It was not as cold as I expected, which was great.
I’m not great with the cold so I made sure I was adequately protected. For my bottom, I wore a pair of Uniqlo Heattech thermals under my North Face Windstopper trekking pants, which had an inner fleece lining. For my top, I started with three layers – a short-sleeved Uniqlo Heattech T-shirt, a long-sleeved fleece top and a Decathlon rain jacket, which was not very thick but blocks the wind well. I also had a balaclava to protect my head and face from the wind chill and a pair of thick windproof gloves. And of course, I was equipped with a trekking pole, a headlight and a small backpack containing water and other essentials.
This was not my first time hiking in pitch darkness but it’s always tough to do so. It’s challenging because you can only see as far as your headlight goes. With the lack of scenery, you are forced to focus on the next step ahead of you. Actually, the night sky was full of stars but I didn’t have the energy to look up. I just kept looking down and ahead, making sure I had the right footing so I didn’t slip.
The climb started with steps made of wooden planks, and the steps were never-ending. I felt tired right from the start, perhaps because it was very early in the morning and I didn’t have much sleep. As I climbed, I thought about the distance we would be covering today – 2.8km from Laban Rata Resthouse (at Panalaban) to the summit and 2.8km back, followed by another 6km down the mountain to Timpohon Gate, making a total of 11.6km. Thus, I needed to pace myself and make sure I have enough energy to last the whole distance. Even though I was tired, I never thought about giving up. It’s like running a marathon – you just need to put one foot forward at a time and eventually you’ll get there.
The climbing distance from Laban Rata Resthouse to the summit at Low’s Peak is 2.8km but the elevation gain is 823m. We are expected to take about 3 hours to climb to the summit, in time for sunrise, which is around 6:00am.
The elevation at Laban Rata Resthouse is 3,272.2m and the air was already thin. As we ascended, the air got even thinner and I had to pause for many brief breaks to catch my breath. On the other hand, John proved that he was really a veteran guide. He moved effortlessly and didn’t even pant or make a sound while climbing. Just slowly and steadily. He was considerate of our pace and set a good tempo that we were able to follow, without overwhelming us.
At 3:37am, we reached Sayat Sayat Check Point, where we had to show our climbing permits to the park officer. By then, we had covered a distance of slightly over 1km. From there, we left the vegetation behind and ventured into open rock space. Soon after, we encountered a section where we had to use a rope to pull ourselves up the steep rock face. We had to do that about three times. I held the rope tightly with all the energy I could muster and pulled myself up, telling myself not to let go of the rope no matter what. That was the only section I felt was slightly “dangerous”. You do need some physical strength to haul yourself up and it is really important that your shoes have good grip.
The way to the summit comprised of sloping rock face but the angle wasn’t too extreme so we were able to walk without any rope aids for the rest of the way. It was reassuring to have John leading us and I literally just followed his footsteps. As we were not shielded by vegetation anymore, it got colder so I swapped my Decathlon rain jacket for my thicker North Face Windstopper jacket. We were very lucky it stopped raining by evening yesterday so the rocks were dry now. I imagine it would be much more challenging if the rocks were wet and slippery.
After passing the KM8.5 (4,008m) sign at 5:02am, we knew we were getting closer to the summit. We felt more motivated than ever and continued moving forward at a steady pace. As we went higher and higher, the path narrowed and we started to bunch up. That was when John congratulated us for reaching the summit of Mount Kinabalu. We had made it to the summit at Low’s Peak (4,095.2m) without even realising it! It was because it was still dark everywhere so we couldn’t tell where we were.
I think we were among the first 15 climbers to reach the summit. It was 5:30am so we took 3 hours 10 minutes to get here. Mission accomplished, so proud of ourselves! We waited patiently for our turn to take photos with the summit sign. After that, we camped at a spot by the edge of the mountain slope to wait for sunrise.
It was very cold but I was well-protected with my layers. I even brought along a light Uniqlo down jacket but I didn’t have to use it. It was cold but thankfully not windy, so it was still bearable. While waiting, I ate a Snickers bar and drank the hot coffee from my thermos flask to keep warm.
As we approached the 6 o’clock hour, the sky started to brighten up as the sun slowly crept up above the clouds. The summit got more crowded as more people made it to the top. Finally, the sun burst across the horizon and spread its magnificent rays across the boundless sky, creating a palette of colours ranging from blue to yellow to orange to pink. It was a wondrous feeling to see the sun rise at 4,095m above sea level. I couldn’t stop beaming as I sat there to bask in our accomplishment and soak in the views. Moments like these always make me feel so humble, as I bear witness to Mother Nature performing her daily magic show without fail. It reminds me that life goes on, with or without me, and I should treasure every single day I have on this planet.
As the sky got brighter, the surrounding area started to show itself. We saw that Low’s Peak Summit was really just a small rocky outcrop. The two peaks nearby – St John’s Peak (4,090.7m) and South Peak (3,921.5m), were far more picturesque. John cheekily said that St John’s Peak is named after him, and pointed out that the right side of the peak resembles a gorilla’s face. I must say it does look like the side profile of a gorilla’s head!
After taking many photos and videos at the summit, we started our descent at 6:20am. However, we paused often to marvel at the spectacular vistas in front of us. John led us to a secret photo spot where a shallow pool of still water acted as a mirror to reflect the sky above, with St John’s Peak providing a stunning backdrop. We did jump shots here and they turned out pretty good.
John also helped us take photos with South Peak, which is famously featured on the back of the Malaysian 100 ringgit note. He also captured the trick shot of using our fingers to “touch” the sharp triangular peak. After not taking any photos for us during our climb yesterday, it was great that he finally provided some value-added service by taking nice photos for us today, which is always appreciated for a private tour.
Going down was much easier because we could now see where we were going. By 7:15am, the sun was fully out and it was getting hot so I removed my Windstopper jacket. We stopped for photos every now and then but moved briskly as we wanted to get back down the mountain as quickly as possible, because the weather forecast showed that it would rain in the afternoon. We eventually reached Laban Rata Resthouse at 8:15am.
We decided to have just a short rest here before continuing with the descent, so we told John that we would meet him again at 9:30am. We went back to our room to pack our stuff, clean ourselves up and get ready for check-out. We then grabbed a quick breakfast at the restaurant before leaving Laban Rata Resthouse at 9:33am.
John acted as our porter once again and he carried our big backpack in addition to his own. Despite the additional load, he moved very fast today compared to the hike up yesterday, and could keep up with us most of the time. He told us that he has been a mountain guide since 1986, which means he has been doing this for the past 40 years! At 57 years old, his knees are wrecked by the constant grind. He wanted to retire earlier but kept going to support his family of five children, as his youngest daughter is still schooling. His wish is to finally retire this year. Much respect for all the mountain guides who do this unforgiving job and lead all the climbers safely through Mount Kinabalu every single day!
As expected, the descent was easier and faster. We took 4½ hours to climb up from Timpohon Gate to Panalaban yesterday so we targeted to complete the reverse journey in 3½ hours today. We stopped for short water breaks but never lingered for long. The trekking pole helped to stabilise our footing as we tried to climb the steps down in a zig-zag manner as much as possible to reduce the impact on our knees. At 12:50pm, we reached Timpohon Gate, achieving our target of completing it in 3½ hours. So happy!
A van picked us up from Timpohon Gate and drove us to Liwagu Restaurant at Kinabalu Park, where we had a simple buffet lunch. Before saying goodbye to John, we gave him a nice tip and thanked him for guiding us safely over the past two days. His calm nature and stoic presence gave us the confidence to complete our objective within our targeted timings. We wish John a happy retirement, hopefully this year!
It was surreal to think that we were just here at Liwagu Restaurant yesterday morning having our breakfast, and now we are back again for lunch. The difference is that in the past 30 hours, we have completed the monumental task of climbing a 4,000-metre-high mountain. On the outside, we are the same but inside, we are fundamentally different, having undergone a transformative experience and witnessing a marvel of nature.
It is never easy to climb a mountain, especially one that is 4,000 metres high. We can never prepare for that kind of altitude and thin air in Singapore. With Bukit Timah Hill being our highest natural hill at only 163.63 metres, the only realistic form of mountain training we can do is to climb stairs, which takes a lot of discipline. For this trip, I didn’t train much partly because of my wonky left knee. I’m glad it held up well and didn’t impede my movement too much.
TH said the Mount Kinabalu climb was harder than he expected. On a scale of 1 to 10, he rated it 8 or 8.5 in terms of difficulty. He wasn’t feeling well after the first day (possibly due to the high altitude and dehydration) and struggled at some parts but he managed to overcome it, thanks to his superior fitness. Not bad for his first proper mountain hike.
We saw a few young children during the climb. They looked about 10 or 11 years old. Having gone through it, I must say it was not an easy hike. The parents must be really brave to bring their children along for such a physically demanding activity. We also met some elderly climbers, like our 67-year-old Taiwanese roommate. I hope that when I am in my sixties, I will still have the adventurous spirit and be physically fit enough to take part in activities like these.
After we finished our lunch, it started to rain at around 1:35pm. Once again, we were lucky we completed our climb before the rain set in. From Liwagu Restaurant, we took another van back to the reception at Sutera Sanctuary Lodges (Kinabalu Park HQ), where we retrieved our two pieces of big luggage. We also collected our climbing certificates here.
At 2:00pm, we hopped on a van provided by Borneo Calling for the long drive back to Kota Kinabalu city. We were the only two passengers in the van. The traffic started to get heavy from 3:30pm as we drove towards the city centre. At 4:15pm, we arrived at our Hilton Kota Kinabalu hotel, and that marked the end of our 3D2N Mount Kinabalu private tour with Borneo Calling. With our weary legs and luggage in tow, we approached the hotel reception for check-in.
Seven days prior to our arrival, I received an email from Hilton offering eStandby Upgrades for 5 room types at discounted rates. How it works is that you can request for upgrades and learn at arrival if any of your requests are awarded, subject to availability. If yes, you will pay the additional amount stated; if no, you will stay at the same room you originally booked and pay nothing extra.
Our original booking was for a basic Twin Guest Room (about 32 square metres). The room upgrades on offer were for Executive Premium Room (42 sq m), Twin Executive Room (32-44 sq m), Executive Room (29-57 sq m), One Bedroom Suite (82 sq m) and King Executive Suite (101-107 sq m). For the eStandby Upgrades, the extra amount per night ranged from RM33 (S$10) to RM93 (S$28.18). All room upgrades come with Executive Lounge access, serving complimentary continental breakfast, afternoon snacks and evening cocktails.
After discussing with TH, we decided to submit requests for 3 room types – Executive Premium Room (RM33 extra per night), One Bedroom Suite (RM89 extra per night) and King Executive Suite (RM93 extra per night). The offer was good so we thought we would just try our luck and see what happens.
Additionally, three days prior to our arrival, I received a personalised email from the guest service manager, thanking me for being a Hilton Honors member and for making a reservation for four nights. She asked me to provide our approximate time of arrival, and if we had any requests or arrangements to prepare in advance of our arrival.
I replied that we would be arriving in the late afternoon, and casually mentioned that the reason for coming to Kota Kinabalu is to celebrate my birthday, so any surprises will be wonderful. The manager then replied that they will make every effort to ensure that my stay is memorable, and there will certainly be a little surprise waiting for me on my birthday.
So, when we arrived at Hilton Kota Kinabalu on this day, the female staff member who performed our check-in informed us that we had been upgraded to a Suite. I thought: “Wow, that’s a really great surprise!” But bearing in mind that I had also submitted the eStandby Upgrades requests, I specifically asked the staff if we needed to pay for the room upgrade. She took a look at the system and said no, it was complimentary. Having clarified the matter, we happily proceeded to our room on the 10th floor.
While taking the lift up, TH said that you only get such perks when you book directly with the hotel, and not via some third party booking sites like Agoda or booking.com. I told him that I expected the surprise to be a cake or an upgrade to the next level room type (e.g. Executive Premium Room), but certainly not a suite.
When we stepped in to our room, we discovered that it was the One Bedroom Suite (82 square metres). It was HUGE and it came with a separate living room, a private bedroom with a King bed, a walk-in closet, a huge bathroom and a smaller, separate toilet (Cosmetic Room). On the dining room table lay a slice of tiramisu cake with the words “Happy Birthday” on the plate. There was also another Happy Birthday message made of individual paper-cut letters placed on the King bed. It was a lovely touch.
The suite was so spacious and gorgeous, I couldn’t believe our good fortune. To express my gratitude, I immediately sent an email to the guest service manager to thank her for the unexpected surprise to give us a complimentary upgrade to a suite. She didn’t reply my email though. Little did we know that there would be another surprise waiting for us when we checked out of the hotel four days later. Wait for my Day 7 blog post to find out what the “surprise” was!
After taking many photos of the suite and exploring all its features (the mini pantry disguised as a cabinet was super chic), we slowly unpacked our stuff and took a good hot shower. It had been a very long and tiring day but the suite was a nice reward. At 5:50pm, we went out to grab some dinner.
As we walked towards the lift lobby, we saw a staircase leading to the Executive Lounge on the 9th floor so we went to check it out. Upon telling the duty manager our room number, he confirmed that we had lounge access, so we decided to have our meal there. The food selection was a bit limited for dinner but it was sufficient. I had a bit of rice, fried kway teow, soup noodles and desserts. There was also a selection of cocktails so I ordered the cocktail of the day – Moscow Mule, made of vodka, ginger ale and lime juice. The lounge was very elegant and it was a comfortable place to dine in.
Following our dinner, we headed out for a massage to soothe our tired muscles. However, it was still raining so we booked a Grab car to take us to the nearby Warisan Square. Earlier, I had tasked TH to find a massage parlour and he shortlisted a place called Jasmine. However, when we went there, they didn’t have any female masseurs available so we went to another place called Sunset Kinabalu Massage instead, located in the same building.
We went for the 1½-hour aromatherapy massage, comprising half hour foot massage and one hour body massage. It was a promotional price of only RM60 (S$18.18) instead of RM125, which is really good value for money. The foot massage was especially good after what we had put our legs through the past two days. After finishing the massage at 8:40pm, the rain had finally stopped so we walked back to our hotel for an early night.
As I lay in bed, I reflected on our Mount Kinabalu adventure. We were incredibly lucky with the weather especially since the summit gate was closed only two days earlier (5 March 2025) due to bad weather. On average, summit closure due to bad weather occurs about 15 to 20 times a year (about 5.5% probability), so you have to be pretty unlucky to encounter one of those days. To be honest, I would be devastated if I had climbed all the way up to Panalaban but couldn’t climb to the summit.
I was also worried that the heavy rain from yesterday afternoon would persist into the morning, but thankfully it stopped by evening time. In fact, the heavy rain yesterday cleared the clouds so we could have clear, blue skies this morning. We were truly blessed to have beautiful weather for our Mount Kinabalu climb. It was everything I imagined it to be. You really do need a bit of luck when you travel. And to top it off, we had a nice suite for our four nights’ stay in Kota Kinabalu. It was the perfect birthday present indeed!
