Many visitors arriving at the Kinabalu National Park are awed by the magnificent Mt Kinabalu and have the urge to go up the summit just by looking at its majestic form.
But do not be tempted.

Do not climb Mt Kinabalu without sufficient preparation
Climbing Mt Kinabalu on impulse is asking for troubles,you may get into unexpected difficulties while up there. You only climb it when you are prepared for it.
Firstly, when you arrive at the park, the official mountain guides may have already gone home because you have not made any prior booking. They know from experience that no well-informed, well-prepared group will start the climb after noon time. It is just not enough time for ordinary people to reach the resting place for the night before nightfall. There is no need to take unneccessary risks.

It is easy to be lost up on the mountain
Unguided climb is prohibited for the safety of climbers.It is bacause mists may have set in unexpectedly and it is easy to be lost if you do not know the terrain well. Also the vegetations on the slope begin to thin down as you ascend, and further up there it is completely void of any vegetation, it becomes a vast, barren rock face. There is no mark, no path ways here unlike at the lower part of the slope where recognisable path ways are formed as a result of climbers walking on the soft ground,but here it is not possible to leave marks on the hard rock face no matter how many climbers had passed by. Without an official certified guide one can easily lost his way even if the visibility is good. And take caution that certain parts are quite dangerous to cross without the expert guidance of the guide.

Your body must be tuned up for the climb
Secondly, you must take up some form of physical training to tune up your body especially the leg muscles. Without doing any training you may not be able to complete the climb. Even if you do your body will be aching all over due to over exertion of your stiff and weak muscles. Well prepared climbers also complained of aching bodies after the climb, what more lazy people like you? Jogging for 2-3 km or walking up and down flights of staircase a couple of times daily will be good enough. Come to the office half an hour earlier than usual, avoid the lifts. Use the stair-cases instead, walk up and down the stairs of your office for half an hour. Then wash up and change into your office attair and ready to start fresh and energetic!
Mt Kinabalu is one of the few high altitude mountain in the world which do not require special equipment to climb. True,there is not much climbing to do,just a walk up the slope. But 5-6 hours of non stop up-hill walk demands a great deal of body fitness!

Thin air and coldness on the mountain is a factor to be noted
And let me mention in passing, do not take it lightly regarding the low temperature, thinner air on the mountain. There were tragic loss of young lives due to under estimating the coldness up there and did not wear enough clothing to protect themselves. They thought that the coldness up there is nothing to worry about becaus they had experienced much colder winters in their own countries. So they went up the mountain scantly clothed. They collasped under the combined pressure of cold, thin air and fatigue, and maybe some hidden illness within thier bodies which they themselves were not aware of.

Make sure you had reserved a place to spend the night
Thirdly, all climbers must rest for the night at Panar Laban Hut or Laban Rata Resthouse (3,272m), without prior reservations there might not be any empty room for you! And you have to turn back because the Park Warden will not allow you to be exposed to the strong chill winds at night up there.

Bring spare clothing for change
Finally, you may have not brought along with you enough clothes for change. The clothes you are wearing will be wet from sweats, mists and rains. The chilly wind plus wet clothes will quickly drain away your body heat and endanger your life.Tips : Wrap tightly your spare clothes in plastic bags, because your haversack(backpack) will not be able to protect them from the heavy tropical rains.

How do the locals organise the climb
Climbers living in Sabah usually go up Mt Kinabalu in groups, organised by clubs, associations, companies, government departments and schools. Foreign tourists are advised to take a package from any of the tour operators.

Stages of the climb
A normal climb will usually take 3 days and 2 nights :