Tag Archives: rainforest

Imbak Waterfall

Imbak Canyon, the Green Canyon of Borneo

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Most tourists and researchers, who have visited Danum Valley or Maliau Basin, agree that Sabah has the best Borneo rainforests. Both forest reserves are so pristine that they would become our next UNESCO World Heritage Sites. You will be happy to know that Imbak Canyon, a Class-1 30,000-Ha Forest Reserve in the Heart of Sabah, is as high quality as them.


As seen in the map above, Imbak Canyon is a 3-KM-wide valley about 150 Meters above sea level (asl), flanked by ridges running parallel 25 KM from west to east, which are mainly sandstone cliffs with a height up to 1,500 Meters asl. This impressive landscape is formed by 750 Meters carving of the Sungai Imbak (Imbak River) over thousands of years. Though Imbak Canyon is not as majestic as Grand Canyon, it has dense forest that is over 100 million years old. It is a “Green Canyon”!


Pic: Imbak Canyon is just at the north of Maliau Basin.

Road Trip to Imbak Canyon

However, to get there, you need to drive nearly 300 KM for more than 6 hours from Kota Kinabalu (KK) to this remote forest. The 3.5-hour drive from KK to Telupid town is on paved road, the rest on gravel & muddy road, which can be steep and muddy. Probably that’s why it isn’t a popular destination for ordinary tourists.


Pic: the junction to Imbak Canyon at Tongod. This marks the start of our 3-hour bumpy ride.


Though Imbak Canyon is only accessible by 4-Wheel Drive (4WD), some loves this and call this an adventure. Trust me, this is the most “violent” ride that I ever followed. The feeling is like sitting on the wild horse that tries to throw you out of its back. Thrilling though.


The 4WD needs to be equipped with snorkel (to cross river), locker and jungle trekker tyres (with costs RM1,000 each). Besides, you need a skillful 4WD driver, not those middle-aged uncles who drive 4WD in city street. We are glad to have Gilbert, a North Borneo Safari driver to come with us. His 4WD is unstoppable and he also helped to pull out a few 4WDs stranded in mud during the course.

You can watch the following 2-min video of our 4WD trip:

Click Here for wider video


We stopped by Kampung Imbak (Imbak Village) in Tongod for a short break and buying supplies. This village is the last civilization on the way to Imbak Canyon.


Pic: funny signage that translated as “Attention. Please don’t drive too fast if you know the law. Be careful, this is village area, or else.” Probably the villagers are unhappy of the dust created by passing vehicles.


Pic: red BBQ chicken wing of Kg. Imbak. They apply coloring that looks like roasted pork (??).


Pic: grocery shop that sells chicken meat and seafood.


We continued our journey after shopping. About 13 KM before Imbak Canyon, we need to cross a wide river, which is the biggest obstacle. There is a bridge under construction. Once the bridge is complete in future, Imbak Canyon will be more ready for tourism.

Update (Nov 2012)!

The bridge is completed and can be used now. However, some may still prefer to cross the river for fun.


Luckily the river is not deep so our 4WDs can cross it without problem. Our trip was cancelled once, because this river was flooded during rainy season. Before the bridge is complete, if it rained, we would needed to wait 3 to 4 hours for the flood to subside before crossing.


In worst case, the water level can reach the window of 4WD.


The bumpy ride can freak out faint-hearted passengers. The trick is not to sit stiff and counter the momentum. Just relax your body and let your weight “stick” you to your seat like soft mud. You will find that your fat is so useful in this case.


We passed by oil palm plantation and saw some electric fences that prevent pygmy elephants from entering.


Finally, we arrive Tampoi Base Camp (or Tampoi Research Station) of Imbak Canyon at 12:30pm. Tampoi is the name of a Borneo fruit. We check-in at Tampoi Camp and have our lunch there. The forest and campsites of Imbak Canyon are managed by Yayasan Sabah Foundation.

Imbak Waterfall

After feeding our stomach, we proceeded to the most famous attraction of Imbak Canyon – the Imbak Waterfall. Imbak Waterfall is only 10 KM away from Tampoi Camp, but it took us more than an hour to get there, due to the steep and slippery road. We were told that we would need to walk, if there was any landslide or fallen tree blocking the way.


Pic: the entrance of Big Belian Camp (BBC Camp), where Imbak Waterfall is located. At the right is a wooden staircase to Imbak Waterfall. Our cars can park near the entrance, so it’s only a short walk to the waterfall, very convenient. The Kangkawat suspension bridge at the left leads you to the jungle trail.


Pic: the view of Imbak Waterfall from the viewing platform. Note the man is so small.


Pic: the front view of Imbak Waterfall and Imbak River. The water is in light tea color but it is very clean. The color is caused by the tannins leaching out from the plant growing in Imbak Canyon.


Imbak Waterfall is a must-see if you visit Imbak Canyon. I would say it is one of the most beautiful waterfalls of Sabah.


Imbak Canyon is an important water catchment area. This Imbak River is one of the sources of Kinabatangan, the longest river of Sabah. More than 30 species of amphibians and reptiles live in this river.


Imbak Waterfall is about 80 Meters in wide and 8 Meters in height. The photo above will give you an idea of its scale. It’s very slippery on top. My friend saw a Sambar Deer (largest deer of Sabah) there.


Pic: close-up of Imbak Waterfall

Look closely and you will see hundreds of cascading “miniature waterfalls” on the sandstone or mudstone layers of Imbak Waterfall, a very interesting feature. Yes, I took a bath at the waterfall. The water is so cooling and refreshing. I didn’t use soap b’coz I don’t want to pollute the river.


Pic: piles of sandstone and mudstone rocks next to Imbak Waterfall


Can you spot the man on the waterfall?

Besides Imbak Waterfall, there are other waterfalls such as Kuli Falls, Majau Falls and Pandan Falls in the canyon. Imbak Canyon is a mountainous region so there are many waterfalls to be discovered.

To see more of Imbak Waterfall, you may watch the 1.5-min video below:

Click Here for wider video

Forest of Imbak Canyon

Imbak Waterall is the most popular attraction of Imbak Canyon, but the real gem is the virgin forest there. In short, Imbak Canyon consists of two main vegetation, i.e., Lowland Dipterocarp Rainforest in the valley (Dipterocarp is the most important tree family of Borneo) and Montane Heath Forest (a.k.a. Kerangas, abundant with native orchids and endemic pitcher plants) on the ridges of higher altitude. Over 70% of the forest is unexplored.


Pic: a tree with huge buttress in BBC Camp. The ranger told me there is a tree with buttress that looks like crocodile in Kuli Camp.

There are a few forest trails in the canyon, ranging from 1 KM to 17 KM in distance, for those who want to do jungle trekking. Even though I stayed in Imbak Canyon for a day, I have seen or heard Serpent eagle, Helmeted hornbill and Gibbon. Many wildlife such as pygmy elephant, sambar deer, leopard, sun bear, mouse deer, orangutan, proboscis monkey and Sumatran rhinoceros also live here.


Pic: a dead tree with big hole that can house 3 to 4 people inside.

Tall trees such as Kapur and Keruing are common in the canyon, and Kapur Merah is the “iconic” tree of Imbak. To scientists, this virgin forest is a “botanical gene bank” where we can source for the seeds of rare and endangered plant species, which are considered high in pharmaceutical and biotechnological potential.

Like other primary rainforest, you can see a lot of fungus, mushroom and termite nest along the nature trails. They play an important ecological role in decomposing rotten dead wood/leaf, to recycle the organic nutrients.


Pic: a huge Ironwood (Belian) tree which is about 800 to 900 years old.

For birders, you will be pleased to know that over 200 bird species are found in Imbak. 5 of them are endemic to Borneo, namely, Borneon Bristlehead, Blue-headed Pitta, Black-throated Wren-Babbler, Borneon Blue Flycatcher and White-browed Shama.

Night walk here is fun as you may find vine snake and scorpion. But be careful of the hornet that is attracted by your torchlight, I was stung twice. It’s so painful that I thought it was snake bite.


Pic: a fully-fed Tiger Leech resting on a twig. It’s so fat and full that it ignored me.

Many are afraid of this blood sucker. Anyway, tiger leech is not a tiger, and its bite is not harmful, so no need to get panic if you see one on your skin. The presence of leech means the forest is healthy and full of wildlife (food source).


Pic: the leeches bypass my anti-leech socks and feast on my leg.


After the leeches are full and drop off my skin, they start to get horny and mate. I’m proud to say that my blood donation contributes to the birth of more baby leeches, haha..

Their mating process is so “intense”. You may watch 30-sec of them in video below:

Click Here for wider video

Tampoi Base Camp

Visitors can overnight in Tampoi Base Camp, which provides basic accommodation and facilities. A 3-day-2-night or longer stay is recommended. They also have camping ground for big student or researcher group. Though no mobile phone coverage, they have Wifi and public phone (i-Talk) in camp. For me, that’s really impressive for a campsite deep in the jungle.

Below is the location of Tampoi Camp and Imbak Waterfall:

View My Sabah Map in a larger map


Pic: Dining & Activity Hall of Tampoi Camp

You would see orangutan wandering around the camp in early morning.


Pic: accommodation of Tampoi Camp. It’s divided into male and female sections.


Pic: bunk beds with mosquito net.

It can be chilling at night, so it’s advisable to bring your sleeping bag for extra warmth. However, the night was warm during my stay. The electricity is cut off between 12am to 3am daily.


Pic: bathroom and toilet in Tampoi Camp

More Photos & Info

You can check out my photo album, to know more about what to expect in the trip. If you decide to visit Imbak Canyon Conservation Area (ICCA), you can book the tour with North Borneo Safari, the tour operator who is experienced in adventure tour and provides everything from 4WD transport, tour guide and meals in the tour.

Photos taken in Tongod, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

10 Best Places to see Sunset in Sabah

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Huffington Post says Sabah has one of the best sunset in the world. I guess there might be a few reasons. The sun looks bigger near equator. Our air is clean for better clarity of sunset view. The high humidity and dense cloud of our tropical climate also help to paint a more colorful and magnificent sky for sunset.

Below are 10 best places to see sunset in Sabah. I had personally visited all these locations. However, you need a bit of luck for seeing a beautiful sunset in good weather.

No. 10. Sutera Harbor

Only 2 KM from Kota Kinabalu city (KK), Sutera Harbor is highly accessible and it is next to 5-star Sutera Harbour Resort.


Unlike the bustling and noisy city, Sutera Harbor is a clean and quiet place for holiday, providing a better ambiance to appreciate sunset.

I rank Sutera Harbor as number 10 because its surrounding man-made structures don’t blend well into nature. I love the port view anyway.

No. 9. Bukit Padang

You need to workout a bit to earn the breath-taking view of sunset on top of Bukit Padang. Bukit Padang is a small hill in the most famous jogging park of KK, Tun Fuad Stephens Park.


Near the start of jogging track around Kampung Nelayan Seafood Restaurant, there is a nature trail that leads you to the top of Bukit Padang.


The uphill trail is a good training site for people who want to climb Mt. Kinabalu. You can see many people here during weekends. Just follow them, walk slowly and you will reach the top in 30 minutes. On top of Bukit Padang, you will have a bird-eye view of KK and the South China Sea.


Please note that there is no street light on the nature trail. You better bring a torchlight if you plan to see sunset and leave in the dark.

No. 8. Waterfront

Some may ask, “Just sunset no beer?” Ok, you may think beautiful sunset should go with beer, then Waterfront is for you. Waterfront is in the heart of KK and a famous Food & Beverage and Night-life center.


When sunset approaches, many tourists and locals congregate on the wooden open space platform facing the sea. There are plenty of choices for food and drink, for example, seafood, cocktail, BBQ lamb, beer, steak, chicken wing, fruit juice, western and Asian food, you name it.

After enjoying the sunset and sea breeze, you can continue your party in pubs and night entertainment centers nearby.

No. 7. Tanjung Aru Beach

If you ask our locals for nice place to see sunset, 99 out of 100 will say Tanjung Aru Beach. To KK folks, Tanjung Aru Beach holds an important place in their memories. Many build their first sand castle or bring their first love here.


Most come there for the sunset. There are some restaurants along the beach so you can dine with the big egg yolk (sunset). Or you can enjoy a cocktail at the Sunset Bar of Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort only a KM away.


You can see Sulug and Manukan Islands on South China Sea. After the sunset, you may walk about 200 Meters to Perdana Park nearby to watch Musical Fountain, which starts at 7pm, 7:30pm, 8pm and 8:30pm daily.


Above: the famous “fire cloud”, which looks like burning cloud. It usually displays in full intensity a few minutes after the sunset.

No. 6. Pom-Pom Island

Pom-Pom Island is one of the islands of Semporna at east coast of Sabah. Tourists love to spend a holiday in their water bungalow. Pom-Pom is facing Bohey Dulang island at west side.


You can see sunset of Bohey Dulang island from Pom-Pom Island. Legend says there is a beautiful Suluk princess, named Arung Salamiah, hiding on Bohey Dulang.


There is no resident, except resort guests, on Pom-Pom. The whole sandy white beach and sunset of Celebes Sea are totally yours.

No. 5. Tip of Borneo

Located on the northern-most tip of Borneo, the third largest island in the world, Tip of Borneo is the meeting point of two vast oceans, namely, South China Sea and Sulu Sea. Tip of Borneo is frequented by tourists even during daytime, due to its scenic beach and countryside.

However, when most tourists leave before dark, it’s the time The Tip of Borneo shows her true beauty to those who are keen to stay put.

When the sun sinks, the ultra wide sea horizon becomes an infinite stage for the rich colors of sunset, extending over the edges of your eyesight.

No. 4. Maliau Basin

To see how nature goes to sleep, you must visit Maliau Rim Observation Tower of Maliau Basin, in the middle of Sabah.


In contrast to tranquility of sunset, the sunset in this pristine forest reserve is accompanied by numerous bird chirping and animal calls around you. Due to deforestation, such lively rainforest sunset is very rare nowadays.


At the end of the sunset, thick mist covers the forest, like Mother Earth putting a blanket over her land before bedtime. I want to rank Maliau Basin as the BEST sunset site, but its accessibility is poor, you need to drive more than 200 KM on 4-wheel drive to reach this place.

No. 3. Weston River

Weston River is a popular river cruise destination for sighting of firefly and long-nosed monkey. However, it is something else that catches the heart of tourists.


After visiting Weston, almost every tourists will post the sunset photos on their Facebook and Instagram, because it is so breathtaking!


The colors of sunset in Weston is so intense that you can even capture it with low-end phone camera. The sky is painted red and yellow, and these colors are also reflected on the big Weston River.


It’s a sunset with sky, river and trees as canvas, no wonder everyone is crazy about it.

No. 2. Laban Rata

Laban Rata is the mid-way accommodation for climbers of Mt. Kinabalu, the highest mountain of Malaysia. All climbers stay here for a night, before they conquer the summit next day. During good day, most of them will be rewarded by the sunset above the cloud, which is 3,000 Meters above sea level.

No. 1. Kokol Haven Resort

Alright, I know you can’t wait to see the BEST sunset of Sabah. My favorite place for sunset view is Kokol Haven Resort on Kokol Hill!

Sunset view at Kokol Hill

Kokol Hill is the highest point in KK and it is only 35 KM away from KK. After you pass by Menggatal town, just turn to junction that leads you to St. Joseph Church. Your car will zig-zag on a winding and hilly road for nearly half an hour (for 10 KM) and reach Kokol Haven Resort at 750 Meters above sea level (see Location Map). I was really surprised to find a cooling place (20°C) only 40-minute drive from warm KK city.

Night view of Kota Kinabalu City


The resort is at the edge of Crocker Range Park and surrounded by forested hills. You can see KK city from Kokol Haven Resort. There is a viewing platform with some dining tables. You can eat and drink there while enjoying the sunset view.

Sunset at Kokol Haven Resort


Don’t leave right after the magic moment of sunset. Just wait for a few more minutes to see the mesmerizing city light of KK.

Do you agree with my ranking? You can vote and comment in the list (and even edit it) below. Let’s see if we share the same favourite. 🙂

[listly id=”29Z” layout=”full”]

Photos taken in Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Night walk in Poring rainforest

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It was an exciting night in Poring rainforest. I finally found the insect that I had been looking for years. Many friends are also very impressed with this insect. Please read on to see it.


I suppose Poring rainforest is an ideal site for night walk due to its rich flora and fauna. Surprisingly, no tourist asks for a night safari in Poring, so I had to hire a nature guide to start one at 7pm. The fee is about RM70-100 (?USD20-30) per hour. We have a happy start when we spot a white wolf spider with red mouth.


Above: A litter frog that has big head, cute..


Then we saw a giant river toad, which is endemic to Borneo and famous for its foul smell. I didn’t smell anything though. There is a myth that this toad will laugh if you tickle its belly.

We rub its belly gently with a twig. You may watch the 1-min video below to see if it laughs:


There are quite a number of big spider around, like the leopard spider above. It is easy to spot them coz their eyes reflect our torchlight.


Small spider waits for prey in fungus cup.


A very long stick insect. The guide says the village kids are used to eat the eggs of stick insect because its eggs are big and look like chocolate.


Fat stick insect on tapioca leaf. Seem like stick insect loves tapioca leaf coz I found a few more.


Here comes the highlight of my night walk. Can you spot anything in the photo above?

Can’t see it? Below is the answer. It’s a Leaf mimicking Grasshopper (Chorotypus gallinaceus) that perfectly camouflaged as a dead leaf.

I had heard about this insect. I’m so glad to see one. When I was busy taking its photo, suddenly it just played dead and dropped itself to the ground. The guide and me shouted, “Oh sh*t!” because it would be very hard to spot it among the foliage. Luckily we located it again.


We also saw a big snail near Kipungit Waterfall. So far it’s the largest forest snail that I’ve ever seen.


Above: Giant bent-toed gecko on tree trunk.


There are some tiger leeches lurking in the bush. They were so excited when they sensed our heat.

Another highlight is the mating of two tiger leeches. It lasts for quite a long time and both leeches caress each other like crazy. You may see their action in the 1-min video below:

Click Here for bigger video

Our night walk ended at 11pm, just before the heavy rain came. I can’t wait to go back there again one day. If you love such activity, Poring is highly recommended for night safari.

More Photos

You may check out my photo album on Poring night walk for more nice pictures:

Related posts:
Night Walk in Miki Camp
Night Walk in Crocker Range Park

Other articles about Poring Hot Springs Park:

  1. Poring Hot Springs bath
  2. Poring Canopy Walkway
  3. Gardens of Poring
  4. The Most Expensive Orchid in the world
  5. Accommodation at Poring
  6. Jackie, orangutan who owns a house
  7. Waterfalls of Poring

Photos taken in Poring, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Waterfalls of Poring

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How does it feel to stand in front of the majestic 120-Meter Langanan Waterfall in Poring? Langanan Waterfall is one of the tallest waterfalls in Sabah. On the way to this huge waterfall, you will pass by the smaller Kipungit Waterfall and a bat cave, and enjoy nearly 4 Kilometers of nature trail in rainforest. Below is a walk-through for you.


Above: this is the signage at park entrance and where you start your jungle trekking.
As you can see, your first stop Kipungit Waterfall is only 665 Meters away. Please register at the Ticket Counter before you go to Langanan Waterfall.

Kipungit Waterfall

Just follow the path and you will reach Kipungit Recreation Area after 20 minutes. It’s only a relaxing short walk and you are not really in a forest yet.


You would see some tourists playing with water near the Kipungit Waterfall. This is an area for picnic and swimming, and there are a toilet and camping ground nearby. As you are near the river and under the tree shade, the air is more cooling and refreshing.


Kipungit is the most accessible waterfall of Poring. I saw a few girls soaking their feet in calm water, giggling and pull their feet out of water. I tried to do the same and saw many tiny fishes nibble the skin of my feet. Kind of fun, haha.


With a height of only 10 or 12 Meters, Kipungit is nothing if compared to the 120-Meter gigantic Langanan Waterfall. Most tourists are happy with this little waterfall, but I decide to see the bigger Langanan 3.3 KM away.

You may watch the following 40-sec video of Kipungit Waterfall:


One of the birds you would see here is White-crowned shama (see photo above), which is endemic to Borneo and considered as the best singer of rainforest. You could see a dozen of them around the park in early morning. The surrounding rainforest of Poring has over 300 bird species and great for bird watching. Personally I had seen Asian Fairy-bluebird, Yellow-rumped flowerpecker (endemic) and a few types of bulbuls in Poring. Prevost’s Squirrel is also common here.


You will see the signage to Langanan Waterfall near Kipungit Waterfall. At normal walking pace, most people can reach Langanan Waterfall in 2 hours. Before you go, you should have registered first at the Ticket Counter. For safety reason, the Park won’t allow you to go to Langanan Waterfall after 2pm. Do bring water (600-1,000ML), raincoat and snacks (e.g. chocolate, cereal food bar) with you. There are leeches on the jungle trail, so you better put on your anti-leech socks.


After this point, you enter the rainforest and the surrounding won’t be tourist-friendly. The jungle trail to Langanan is quite steep in the first half. Poring is about 400-500 Meters above sea level, and the forest is mainly lowland rainforest and mixed dipterocarp hill forest, characterized by tall and dense tropical trees (20 to 70 Meters high), warm and humid air, and abundant liana and strangler fig tree.

Bat Cave (Gua Kelawar)

After walking for 360 Meters, you will see Bat Cave next to the trail.


There is a broken warning notice sign reads “Visitors are not encouraging to enter the cave” (the grammar sounds funny).


Actually the cave is a deep crevice formed by a few huge boulders that stacked together. The dark and humid space in the cave becomes the ideal roosting spot for bats. You can smell guano from outside.


I tried to go deeper inside the cave. The rock surface is covered with green moss and very slippery, so I don’t recommend you to go in.


There are hundred of bats clinging on the rock wall. The smell of guano was getting stronger so I only stayed shortly.

To see what’s inside Bat Cave, you may watch the 1min-27sec video below:

Rainforest of Poring

I continued my jungle trekking after visiting Bat Cave. The first 1.5 KM of the trail is steepness with 20 to 40 of inclination, like climbing a hill. There is no boardwalk, hand-rail and shelter hut. Part of the trail turned muddy after rain.


You can see some bug along the forested trail, like the 9-inch long millipede above.


I played with a pill millipede that foraged on forest floor.

You can watch the 46-sec video below to see why it is called “Pill” Millipede:


Strangler fig tree is a common sight in Poring rainforest. The host tree is killed by parasitic strangler fig tree that wrap around it.


There is a small stream to cross. The water is shallow with some rocks above water, I can walk on them to cross the river without getting wet.


I saw many burrows on the exposed soil of the slopes. I think they are belong to hornet or wolf spider.


Animal dropping next to a water hole, probably belong to small mammal such as civet.


Shed skin of cicada, can be used as cooling agent for Chinese medicine.


Above: daddy longlegs (harvestmen spider) are everywhere.

Surprisingly, I only saw 3 leeches, far less than I expected. Probably the Park clear the trail twice a month, and leech dislikes ground surface that has no grass and foliage. The buzzing deer flies are more of a concern. They cut a small wound on your skin to suck your blood. The bite will become very itchy for next few days.

Langanan Waterfall

The milestones along the trail have worn out and I had no idea how far I walked. On the way, I saw 2 groups of high school students and 1 group of tourists returning from Langanan. I was dismayed by their answers “the waterfall is still very far away” when I checked my progress with them. 🙁


Anyway, I just kept walking and felt relief to see the signage above. Though I was only half-way there, the trail is not steep anymore from this point on and there are more descending trail.


After long hours of jungle trekking, I heard the thundering sound of Langanan Waterfall not far away. I speed up and finally I reached Langanan Waterfall!!!


This 120-Meter Langanan Waterfall is the tallest waterfall that I’ve ever seen. Before that, the tallest fall I saw was the 38-Meter Takob-Akob Waterfall in Maliau Basin. The huge water volume creates a micro-climate, it was windy there and I was shower by the droplets from splashing water high above.


It’s such a rewarding experience. This huge waterfall really worth my long hours of hiking.

You may watch the 1-min video of Langanan Waterfall below:

Btw, before you leave the Park, don’t forget to sign-off at Ticket Counter to inform the Park that you are back from Langanan safely. Otherwise they will send a search and rescue team to look for you.

More Photos

You may check out my photo album on Poring rainforest for more nice pictures:

Other articles about Poring Hot Springs Park:

  1. Poring Hot Springs bath
  2. Poring Canopy Walkway
  3. Gardens of Poring
  4. The Most Expensive Orchid in the world
  5. Accommodation at Poring
  6. Jackie, orangutan who owns a house
  7. Night walk in Poring rainforest

Photos taken in Poring, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Climbing Mt. Tambuyukon (part 5 of 5), the 4th highest mountain of Malaysia

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Continued from Part 4…

(You may start reading from Part 1)

This article tells you how to organize a climbing trip to Mt. Tambuyukon. You may skip this if you don’t plan to climb the mountain. Please note that planning and preparation for Mt. Tambuyukon trip is tedious and time-consuming. If you have little spare time, getting a tour operator to arrange everything is a good option, but the cost will double or even triple.

Planning & Preparation for the Climb

Step 1. Gather the Climbers

First, you need to decide the number of climbers and the climbing date. Prepare a name list (with Full Name, MyKad/Passport No. and Phone contact) and confirm a date with all the climbers. Usually May to July are dry months and best time to climb. However, the global climate has gone haywire, for example, the La Nina or El Nino phenomenon would change weather pattern. Nobody can predict the weather, so you better be prepared for the worst. But try to avoid Dec and Jan, which are the wettest months.

Normally, you need 5-day-4-night to complete the climb. For experienced and fit climbers, 4-day-3-night is possible. If you are unsure, just plan for a 5-day climb.

Step 2. Book the Date with Sabah Parks

You need to book the climb with Sabah Parks at least 1 month in advance. All the paperwork and registration are done with Sabah Parks office in Kinabalu Park (Tel: +60 88-889888). Later, you will still need to communicate with Sabah Parks back and forth on various arrangement, more on this later.

Under Sabah Parks policy, only a maximum of 9 climbers (exclude Sabah Park rangers and porters) are permitted in one trip. Inform Sabah Parks your climbing date and submit your name list. They will mark the date for you if no other group climbing.

Step 3. Plan the Itinerary

Once the climbing date is confirmed, you may plan your itinerary.

Below is the summit trail map of Mt. Tambuyukon. Click it for bigger picture:

Below is a standard 5-day schedule (for reference only. You may adjust it):

Day 1
6:00am Depart from Kota Kinabalu to Kinabalu Park
8:00am Register at Kinabalu Park. Fill up climber & Indemnity forms. Pay for climb permit & insurance. Collect climber tags.
9:00am Transfer into 4WD to Monggis Substation
10:30am Register at Monggis Substation. Meet porters & Briefing by guide.
11:00am Start trekking to Wuluh Camp (KM6)
4:00pm Arrive Wuluh Campsite for camping overnight
Day 2
7:00am Breakfast
8:00am Trekking 4.8KM to Musang Camp (KM10.8) for camping overnight
3:00pm Arrive Musang Campsite
Day 3
3:30am Breakfast
4:00am Trek up to summit of Mt. Tambuyukon
10:00am Reach the Summit (KM14)
5:00pm Back to Musang Campsite for dinner & overnight
Day 4
7:30am Breakfast
8:30am Descend 13 KM (via old trail) to Monggis sub station. Overnight in Monggis Sub Station
Day 5
8:00am Breakfast
9:00am 4WD transfer back to Kota Kinabalu
1:00pm Arrive KK

Below is a 4-day itinerary (for very tough climbers only):

Day 1
Depart to Kinabalu Park
Register at Kinabalu Park.
Go to Monggis substation by 4WD
Overnight in Monggis
Day 2
8am: Breakfast
Start climbing to Musang Camp (13KM old trail recommended)
Overnight in Musang Camp
Day 3
Breakfast
Climb to the Summit (KM14)
Back to Musang Camp for overnight
Day 4
Breakfast
Back to Monggis via 13KM old trail
Go to Ranau (by 4WD)
Back to Kota Kinabalu

Of course there are other variations of itinerary, depends on your needs.

Step 4. Working out the Budget

This part is not easy… You only know the exact amount spent after the trip.

Mandatory Expenses
  • Climb Permit: RM100 for Malaysian, RM200 for foreigner
  • 4-Wheel-Drive (4WD) Transport (Ranau-Monggis Substation return trip): RM400-500 per car
  • Sabah Parks Ranger Guide Fee: RM70/day (Policy: 1 ranger is required for every 3 climbers)
  • Conservation Levy: RM3 for Malaysian, RM10 for foreigner
  • Insurance: RM7 per day (you must insure the porters & rangers too)
  • Camping Fee: RM10 per pax
  • Food: estimated RM20/day per pax
Optional Expenses
  • Tour Guide: RM100-150 per day. Besides guiding, they can cook & setup camp for you.
  • Porter: RM70/day (carry up to 20Kg)
  • Cooking service: extra charge if you also want tour guide to cook for you
  • Accommodation (Monggis Substation): RM10/pax per night (not so sure the rate)
  • Use of cooking facilities (e.g. gas) in Monggis Substation: RM50
  • Certificate: RM5
Misc. Expenses

Individual / group may purchase the items below:

  • Camping tent
  • Portable cooking stove & utensils
  • Cooking gas cylinder, RM5 each (for portable cooking stove)
  • Personal medication (e.g pain-killer, anti-septic cream) & 1st Aid Kit (for minor cut & injury)
  • Insect repellent, mosquito coils (anti-sandfly)

For example, there are 3 Malaysian climbers who would like to hire one 4WD and two porters for a 5-day trip. The budget will look like table below (all fees in Malaysian Ringgit (RM), USD1 = RM3.3):

Item Price Qty. Total (RM)
Climber Permit* 100 3 300
4WD Transport 500 1 500
Sabah Parks guide fee (RM70 x 4 day) 280 1 280
Camping Fee 10 3 30
Conservation Levy* 3 3 9
Porter (RM70 x 4 day) 280 2 560
Insurance (RM7 x 4 days x 6 pax) 28 6 168
Food (RM20 x 5 day) 100 3 300
Accommodation (Monggis) 10 3 30
Certificate 5 3 15
GRAND TOTAL: 2,192

*Malaysian rate

So the basic fee is about RM731 (=RM2,192/3 pax) per climber. Please note that optional, individual and misc expenses are not included in this calculation, so the final cost will be more than this.

Step 5. Physical Training

Very Important! Ask your climbers to start physical training. Climbing Mt. Tambuyukon is a few times harder than Mt. Kinabalu, and it is no joking matter. Climbers who never exercise regularly is almost guaranteed failure. You just can’t hide your weakness from Mt. Tambuyukon. The climber must jog at least 15KM per week for consecutive 3 months, the more the merrier. The more pain you get in training, the more relaxing your climb will be. The most suitable training track is the hilly trail. Do exercise the muscles of arm and waist, because the extra strength will help you a lot on carrying bag and free climbing.

For elder climbers, you may advise them to take glucosamine daily supplement before the climb. That can help preventing serious knee pain after climb.

Step 6. Briefing & Discussion with Climbers

Have at least one meeting with all the climbers and do the following:

  • Briefing: Tell them what they should prepare (see “Things to Bring” below) and what to expect (better if you can show them my blog about Mt. Tambuyukon, haha).
  • Give them a copy of the itinerary and trail map.
  • You may start collecting money from all climbers, so you can start purchasing food & supplies for the group, also as a non-refundable “deposit” to avoid inconsiderate people withdraw in last minute.
  • Get the mobile phone number of everyone to keep in touch.
  • Assign one or more members to help you on food preparation.

Step 7. Booking Porters & 4WD Transport

Though it’s possible to carry the bags and supplies yourselves during the climb, hiring porters will greatly reduce your burden and the climbers will have better chance of reaching the summit. During emergency situation, porters will be the extra hands that save life. Besides your personal backpack, do not forget you also need someone to carry your camping tents, food & supplies, portable cooking stove, cooking utensils, etc.

You can contact Kinabalu Park to arrange for the porters and 4WD transport. Each porter can carry up to 20Kg of stuffs. Just call Kinabalu Park about 1 week before the climb and tell them how many porters you need. Most of them are villagers from Monggis Village near to the Substation. Usually they will wait for your group at Monggis Substation.

Step 8. Guidelines for Food

You may start buying food 1 or 2 weeks before the climb. Below are some tips:

  • Light & dry food is preferred: e.g. noodle, creamy soup pack, dry vegetables, cabbage, cucumber, onion, dried anchovy fishes (ikan bilis), salted fishes, dried shrimps, salt, pepper, sugar, instant oat meal, sausage, dried meat, chocolate bars, 3-in-1 drink (Tea/Coffee/Milo)
  • Our warm and humid climate causes food to spoil quickly and you can get food poisoning. Avoid bringing “wet” food (e.g. fresh meat & fish), which is prone to growth of bacteria.
  • Avoid food that needs a long time to cook coz it will consume more cooking gas.
  • You don’t need to prepare food for porters and rangers.
  • Instant noodle is a poor choice for breakfast (before the climb) coz the excessive salt dehydrates you. Personally I highly recommend Oat meal coz it releases energy for many hours. You may mix oat meal with sugar & milk powder to make it tastes better.
  • Avoid heavy or canned food. You also can’t dump the empty can in the camp. No, you can’t bury them.
  • You may bring frozen meat so you can have meat in day 1.
  • Remove food packing to reduce weight & size.
  • Every day the climb starts from morning and ends at evening, so you can’t stop to cook lunch. You need to prepare packed lunch in the morning.
  • Ration, organize, pack and label the food nicely in plastic bags (prevent getting wet).
  • Store all the food in a proper backpack for porter to carry.
  • Hang the food on air to prevent rats and civets having a buffet.
  • Prepare food menu list so you knows what to cook each day. It is taxing if you only start sorting out what to cook, after a long tiring climb.
  • You can refill water at the rivers / streams (KM5, KM6, KM8 & KM10.8), but bring a few bottles just in case.
  • Bring a few garbage bags for disposal of leftover food.
  • Please find out if anyone has any food preference (allergy, vegetarian and religion).
  • Control the weight of your food. Don’t bring tons of food!

Step 9. Final Check

To make sure everything is in place, you should do the following a few days before your climb:

  • Pack and weight your food to check if you have hired enough porters to carry it.
  • Remind Kinabalu Park again on the climbing date and number of porters you need.
  • Sabah Parks may send their Ranger from Poring. Confirm with them if the ranger will wait for you at Poring or Monggis.
  • Confirm with 4WD driver on the pick-up date & time.
  • Send a friendly reminder to all the climbers (e.g. date of departure & gathering time).

Things to Bring

  • MyKad/Passport: required for registration at Kinabalu Park
  • Camping tent
  • Sleeping bag (the temperature can drop to 10°C at night)
  • Floor mat / ground sheet
  • Clothing (jean, shirt, underwear, fleece/jacket, pant, socks)
  • Leech Socks
  • Raincoat / Poncho
  • Lunch box, spoon & cup
  • Backpack (with rain cover)
  • Toiletries (e.g. toilet paper, tooth brush & paste, soap)
  • LED Head Lamp & extra batteries
  • Camera & spare batteries
  • Water bottle
  • Personal medicines (e.g. allergy, pain killer)
  • Cash
  • Walking stick: some swears by it
  • Optional: energy bars, hand glove, pen & notepad, lighter, camping light

Tips & Advices

  • Keep your backpack light. I repeat, keep it LIGHT!
  • The temperature of Mt. Tambuyukon ranges from 6°C – 30°C (43°F – 86°F). of course, the higher the altitude, the colder. It’s quite windy near the summit.
  • If you hire a porter to carry your bag. Don’t let him carry everything. He might be very far ahead. Bring raincoat and water with you in a small bag.
  • If you plan to overnight in Monggis Substation in last day, you may leave a set of clean clothing (and some food) in their storeroom. Pointless to bring unused stuffs up and down the mountain.
  • Don’t bring too many clothing. Keep 1 set of clean clothing for bedtime
  • One of the best shoes for trekking in wet tropical forest trail is “Adidas Kampung” rubber shoes, available locally for RM6–7 a pair only and water-proof.
  • Hygiene: wash your hands before meal and try to drink only boiled water.
  • Drinking unboiled river water is quite unavoidable. Prepare some water purification tablets to sterilize river water. Available in outdoor shops.
  • Trim your fingernail & toenail before the climb.

Potential Problems / Dangers

Below are a list of issues you should prepare to prevent/rectify:

  • Diarrhea: use handwash sanitizer for cleaning before meal. Bring medicines just in case.
  • Leech Bites: wear leech socks
  • Wasp / Bee / Hornet: bring medicines if any climber allergy to bee stung
  • Deer Fly / Sandfly: apply insect repellent with DEET formula or burn mosquito coils
  • Thorny rattan & poisonous plant along the trail: look before you grab anything for support
  • Snake: just watch out under the rocks / log
  • Dehydration: bring enough water. Rehydration salt is useful.
  • Fall / Slip: be extra careful at slippery or steep trail
  • Sprained ankle: watch your steps
  • Blister & small cut: use anti-septic cream
  • Losing way: stick with the group
  • Falling tree branches: pray!

Tour Packages

Now you can see that it’s a lot of work and preparation. If you don’t want to do the tedious planning, you may hire TYK Adventure Tours (Tel: (6088) 232821, 238702 Email: tykadto@gmail.com) to arrange everything for you, from transport, meals, registration, porters, guides to camping tents. Of course it’ll be more costly.

More Photos

You may check out the photo album of Mt. Tambuyukon trip for more nice pictures:

References

  1. Mandalam, Ravi, “Mount Tambuyukon – Sabah’s Mystery Mountain”, Sabah Society Journal, 2002, Vol. 19, 65-77
  2. Clarke, Charles M., “The Nepenthes of Mount Tambuyukon, Kinabalu Park”, Sabah Parks Nature Journal, Jan 1998, Vol.1, ISSN 1511-1121

Photos taken in Ranau, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Climbing Mt. Tambuyukon (part 4 of 5), the 4th highest mountain of Malaysia

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Continued from Part 3…

(You may start reading from Part 1)

After spending 3 days of camping inside the forest, we go back to Monggis Substation (starting point of the climb) today. Please refer to trail map for the location.

DAY 4. Back to Starting Point

Descending to Monggis Substation

We are going home. When we worried that we needed to go through the same dreadful 10KM undulating trail again, Maik said we would use the old 13KM trail (some says 15KM), which is longer but mostly flat and descending route. We packed our stuffs and left Musang Campsite at 7:30am.

Maik was right, the walk on old trail is a heaven compared to previous 3 days. We only climbed over a few mildly steep slopes and hardly called these a challenge.



In contrast to the dim new trail, there are more sunlight came in from the open canopy.

You may watch the 2.5-min video below to see the jungle trekking via old trail:

Track marks and footprints of wild boars and deers are found along the way. I could hear hornbills flied over the canopy too.



Above: hole dug by wild boar

Camp 1

By 11:30am, we arrived Camp 1 (altitude 578M), a large flat ground that can accommodate 6 camping tents and under a canopy of tall oak trees. There is a stream nearby for refilling our water. We had some fried rice as lunch there, rest a while then moving again.



Above: Camp 1 on old trail


Not a single signage is found along this 13KM old trail, so we had no idea how far we went. After Camp 1, the trail is narrower and nearly unrecognizable. The old trail is poorly maintained and flanked by dense undergrowth. During rainy season, the climbers will harvest dozens of leeches while walking and brushing through the dense shrubs. On the way, we saw a wild Agarwood (gaharu) has been cut and left to dry by thief. Gaharu is a highly precious fragrant wood, which can fetch for RM5,000 per Kg.


Above: Agarwood cut down by thief

By 2:30pm, we reached the Kinabalu Park boundary which means we are only 2-hour away from Monggis Substation.


Above: Boundary of Kinabalu Park

After this point, we were walking on private land and passed through rubber plantation, farm land and orchards. The trail is inside private land and not maintained at all. We trekked inside bushes and occasionally moved around the fallen trees that blocked our way. All of us made it to Monggis Substation around 4:30pm, right before the pouring heavy rain.


Above: heavy rain coming

Overnight in Monggis Substation

Most of us have been wearing the same trekking outfit since day 1 and didn’t take shower, so everyone smells funny. We took a shower in Monggis Substation and put on clean clothing.

We are also glad that we can sit on a proper chair to rest our exhausted legs and bodies. After I settled the payment for porters and guides, I submitted the name list of climbers to Justin, manager of substation, for printing of certificates.

You may watch the 40-sec video below to see Monggis Substation:

Monggis Substation is a two-storey administration building and accommodation of Sabah Parks. In ground floor, there is a bathroom, toilet, park office, kitchen, living room (with TV) and a bedroom.


Above: standard room with bunk beds

In first floor, there is a living room (with TV), 3 bedrooms with bunk beds and one VIP room with two beds. Electricity is only available from 6pm to 11pm and powered by generator. The accommodation can accommodate up to 20 visitors for a small fee. My room has a ceiling fan, wardrobe and bunk beds come with pillow. To us, this is a 5-star accommodation compared to camping. By the way, you better close the windows, otherwise your room will be full with hundreds of insects attracted by the room light.


Above: VIP room of Monggis Substation

No, there is no restaurant here and neighborhood, so you need to prepare your own meals. The kitchen in substation is quite well-equipped, common items such as refrigerator, cooking stove, gas, cooking utensils, dining table and tableware are available. Visitor is required to pay a fee of RM50 for using the gas and cooking facilities. We had rice, chicken, curry, sardine and mixed vegetables as dinner, reminisced about our experience, then crawled to our beds.


Above: kitchen

DAY 5. Going Home

Back to Kota Kinabalu

Last day is a happy day for everyone. Climbers are happy that they will be back to civilization soon; guides and porters are happy to receive their tips. After a few rounds of photo sessions, we say good bye to Monggis and Mt. Tambuyukon. Despite the muddy road caused by heavy rain last night, it was a smooth ride to head back home.


Bye bye Mt. Tambuyukon!!!


Above: Exhausted climbers. Better not showing their faces or I’ll be skinned alive. :p

Mt. Tambuyukon Vs. Mt. Kinabalu

Many ask me, “Mt. Kinabalu and Mt. Tambuyukon, which one is harder to climb?”
I can tell you, though Mt. Tambuyukon is about half the height of Mt. Kinabalu, it’s 3 times harder (multiply 2 if the weather is bad) to climb. IMHO, “Mt. Kinabalu is for kids, Mt. Tambuyukon is for men.” After the climb, whenever I see online travelogue that says climbing Mt. Kinabalu is “extremely challenging”, I laugh my ass off. One advice – do not try Mt. Tambuyukon if you think climbing Mt. Kinabalu is hard!

You may watch the 5-min video below to see our climb from the start to the summit:

In contrast to Mt. Kinabalu, Mt. Tambuyukon is a forested mountain. The climbing route is pure nature trail, full of leeches and no boardwalk, rope, hand rail and other support. In our team, one member stung by wasp, two got swollen finger/arm caused by poisonous plant, one suffered altitude sickness, and one got sore knees. Overall, it’s impossible to came back from Mt. Tambuyukon without any cut, wound, bruise, pain and leech / sandfly bites on our bodies.


Above: Now I have climbing certificates of Malaysia’s top 3 mountains. From left to right: Mt. Kinabalu, Mt. Trus Madi & Mt. Tambuyukon.

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Photos taken in Ranau, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Climbing Mt. Tambuyukon (part 3 of 5), the 4th highest mountain of Malaysia

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Continued from Part 2…

(You may start reading from Part 1)

Today is the BIG day because we will go to the summit. Please refer to trail map for the location.

DAY 3. To the Summit!

All climbers wake up and had oat meal / Maggi instant noodle as breakfast at 3:30am and headed to the summit at 4am. In the briefing, our tour guide, Maik, says today will be the most challenging day and he is right. As difficulty multiple, the so-called 4 KM distance to summit looks more like a longish 8 KM trek.

Climb to Summit

For safety reason, we target to reach the summit before 11am. All climbers must return to Musang camp at 11am, no matter how far they make. As there is no water point along the way, a few porters will carry some water and follow the climbers.

Under a mixed feeling of apprehensive and excitement, we climbed slowly and quietly in the dark. The first 1.5 KM is steep and narrow ascending trail and many parts need to climb over by hands. Besides, the overhanging tree trunks always blocked our way that we have to move over or under them. My head bang on a tree and bleed when I struggle to move up in the dark.



Above: Mind your head and feet!

After KM12, we were awarded by a few hundred Meters of relatively flat trail to the Jeneral Camp (named after General Poon, who led a team of Royal Malaysian army on this route years ago) at KM12.6.


Above: climbing over network of slippery entangled roots

Jeneral Camp is a small open area which can setup 3 small camps. I checked my watch and it was 6:40am, but the summit is still a long way ahead.


Above: Jeneral Camp (KM12.6). Still a long way ahead…

You can watch 10-sec video below to see the Jeneral Camp:

Though it didn’t rain, after the morning shower by mist, the cloud forest was wet all over the place, and I can even feel the moist filling my nose. Most of the time, I had to hold the trees and roots to move up, actually I like it coz climbing by hands saves a lot of leg work.

Nepenthes Garden (KM11.5 – KM14)

When the day turns brighter, I can see clumps of pitcher plant along the trail after KM11.5. The most spectacular Nepenthes edwardsiana is hard to be missed due to their bright color and huge size (20 to 40 CM, and known to reach 50CM). Nepenthes edwardsiana is characterized by highly developed ribs and teeth peristome. They are most abundant between KM11.5 and KM13, where a few small colonies of Nepenthes villosa and lowii are also found in this mossy environment.


Above: Nepenthes edwardsiana (left) and rajah (right)


Above: Nepenthes lowii (left) and villosa (right)


Above: Nepenthes burbidgeae (left) and tentaculata (right)

After KM13, colonies of Nepenthes rajah, the largest pitcher plant species in the world, takes over. Botanists also record the presence of N. burbidgeae, N. tentaculata, N. fusca, N. stenophylla and various hybrids such as N. xKinabaluensis (N. villosa x N. rajah), N. harryna (N. villosa x N. edwardsiana), N. tentaculata x N. burbidgeae and N. edwardsiana x N. burbidgeae in Mt. Tambuyukon.


Above: pitcher plant from 1CM to 40CM

KM13

The summit trail is relatively less steep after KM13. Shortly the luxuriant mossy forest thin out and we came to a long rocky ridge with clearing to sky. If you turn around, you can have a panoramic view of neighboring ridges of Tambuyukon converging towards the summit. I feel like walking on the backbone of a gigantic dinosaur.

When the mist clears, I can see Nambuyukon (second highest peak of Tambuyukon Range) in Kota Marudu. I have to put on my jacket when it gets cold and windy in open area.


Above: Nambuyukon Peak, 2nd highest peak of Tambuyukon Range

An author (Clarke, Charles M.) has the best description of the mountain relief:

“The summit sits at the top of a number of very long ridges which drop away gradually over several Kilometers. The sides of these ridges plunge steeply down into deep and similarly long gullies. These gullies funnel strong winds up towards the summit. The winds rush over the summit at tremendous speeds, the result being that the vegetation can only grow up to 1 Meter high in places. The upper parts after 2,100M of mountain are covered with low, scrubby vegetation, punctuated by large ultramafic boulders.”

You can watch 1-min video below for panoramic view of Tambuyukon Range:

Ultramafic Boulders

We moved carefully along the rocky ridge and conquer a series of hillocks. At this point, we know the true meaning of Tambuyukon, which always cheats us with a number of “faked summits”. And DON’T believe those milestones as they lie too. My experience and gut feeling tell me that the distance between KM13 and KM14 is not 1KM, but 3KM!!!

The huge yellowish-grey boulders near the summit are ultramafic rocks. Ultramafic rock derived from the Earth’s mantle, the layer of the Earth below the crust and above the core, formed billions years ago from melted rock when the Earth first solidified. Such rock consists of heavy minerals (Magnesium, Iron, Nikel) and its soil is poor in nutrients, which promotes the growth of endemic and highly specialized plants adapted to this environment. Ultramafic rock was pushed to Earth’s surface mostly during tectonic movement and Mt. Tambuyukon has the highest concentration of ultramafic rocks in Sabah. Sound cool but watch out for snake under the rock.

After 9am, we reached the last and smallest camp, Rajah Camp (KM13.6), which can hold only one camping tent. More N. rajah is seen around this area.



Above: Rajah Camp (KM13.6)

The last 400 Meters to the summit is a narrow and rocky passage under the leptospermum recurvatum dwarf trees and dense with underbrush.


Above: see the summit at the right?

The Summit (KM14)

Finally, all of us reached the summit at 10:10am. The summit has no beacon or survey landmark, but only a signage that shows the trail distance and height of Mt. Tambuyukon.



Above: group photo on the summit. WE MADE IT!!!

The summit area is no wider than 20M across and densely surrounded by leptospermum trees. Frankly, it is not an impressive peak, but we are still happy about the victorious moment. We had an early lunch on the summit. The guides and porters have brought some rice with dried anchovy fishes, biscuit and 3-in-1 hot drink.

You can watch 5-min video below to see the climb from the start to the summit:

Behind the signage is a narrow trail that takes us to the side (very windy!) facing Mt. Kinabalu. Many say we can get the nearest and best view of Mt. Kinabalu from Mt. Tambuyukon. Too bad Mt. Kinabalu was covered by thick mist and refused to show her face.


Above: Mt. Kinabalu refused to show her face..

The temperature was about 20°C but the chilling strong wind makes us feel like 10°C. I notice there is a vast camping area that can house more than 5 tents behind the summit.


Above: camping ground behind the summit

You can watch 1-min video below to see the surrounding of the summit:

Return to Musang Camp

We need to be back to Musang Camp before 5pm, so we must leave the summit by 11am. By coincidence, today (24/6) is the birthday of Joimis, so all of us gave him a surprise by singing a birthday song to him on the summit. This might be the first time ever a birthday song echoes on the peak of Mt. Tambuyukon.


Above: The end is also the beginning. Now we are 0KM on the way back to the starting point.

The descending route is not easier than ascending. On the way down, I spotted a few N. tentaculata and N. burbidgeae. We arrived Musang Campsite around 4:30pm. The climb is considered over. Everyone was in relaxing mood and shared their joyful stories. We also prepared a birthday fruit cake for Joimis to celebrate his birthday.


Above: you do not want to fall from here….

Though extremely tired coming back from the summit, I took a shower at the small stream nearby. A leech bites me. Anyway, I feel fresh and clean after the cold shower. Because of humid environment, our cloth is always damp and “sticky”, making us uncomfortable. Tonight is still a warm night, but free of stress.

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Photos taken in Ranau, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Climbing Mt. Tambuyukon (part 2 of 5), the 4th highest mountain of Malaysia

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Continued from Part 1…

DAY 2. From KM5 to KM10.8

We wake up at 7am to have chicken porridge as our breakfast and trekked 5KM to Musang Campsite (KM10.8) at 7:45am for day 2. Please refer to trail map for the location.

Wuluh Campsite (KM6)

KM5 to KM6 is mainly steep descending trail and we reached Wuluh Campsite (KM6) after an hour. Wuluh Campsite is next to Wuluh River and has large clearing that can house 4 to 5 camps.

If the mobile toilet and water tank there are not in bad shape, Wuluh Campsite can be the best camping spot on summit trail. We continued our climb after a brief stop at Wuluh Camp.


Above: Camping ground of Wuluh Campsite

Below: Wuluh River next to the camp



You can watch 1.5-min video below to see the surrounding of Wuluh Camp:

The undulating terrain between KM6 and KM7 was punishing and I was told that the narrow walk along the hillside at KM6.5 took a life of a foreigner who fell. We rest a while on a high point at KM7, then descended one hour to Kepuakan Campsite (KM8).



Above: probably an ant-snatching assassin bug that likes to pile stuffs behind its back to confuse preys and predators

Kepuakan Campsite (KM8)

Around 11:30am, we arrived Kepuakan Campsite, where we had Maggi instant noodle and fried rice as our lunch.

You can watch 1-min video below to see the surrounding of Kepuakan Camp:



Above: Kepuakan River next to the camp


The Kepuakan River next to the campsite is bigger than Wuluh River, but the camping ground is a smaller area which can fit only 3 camping tents. Mobile toilet and water tank are available in the site. Gaining more energy from lunch and rest, we crossed Kepuakan River to head to Musang Campsite (KM10.8) at 12:30pm.


Above: Crossing Kepuakan River

Tough! KM8 – KM10

80% of the trail between KM8 and KM10 is over 50 degrees of steepness and the worst part for day two. The climb is twice the difficulty of previous day.

Things got better after KM10. The trail is relatively flat and the air is cooling and refreshing, as we reach 1,400M above sea level. From the misty air, mossy carpet and slimmer trees around, we can see the switch of hill forest to montane vegetation. 10 minutes later, we came to a junction that can take us to Serinsim Substation in Kota Marudu. According to the ranger, the journey to Serinsim takes 5 days.


Above: Junction to Serinsim substation in Kota Marudu

We knew Musang Campsite was only a few hundreds Meters away so we speed up, then the ranger advised us to be cautious and stick to the right. Because a few steps to the left of the narrow trail is a sheer drop. A lady from Peninsular Malaysia fell here just a month ago and luckily stopped by trees from a fatal plunge.


Above: Entering lower montane forest (above 1,000M)


Above: I’m only one step away from the cliff at the left

About 200M before Musang Camp, we were surrounded by 3 to 4 species of birds. Probably they never seen a human before, so they perched on the trees and made calls to us, as if they were asking who we were. I only can tell there were an Ashy Drongo and a Magpie Robin among them.

Musang Campsite (KM10.8)

Situated at 1,445M above sea level, Musang Campsite gets its name from the presence of civets around the site. Though the ground is not so wide and flat, Musang Campsite is quite spacious and able to host more than 4 camping tents on a long ridge that overlooks deep valley at both sides.

We overnight here on day 2 and 3. The canopy of montane forest is thinner, allowing more light to enter, so the surrounding is brighter here.

You can watch 1-min video below to see the surrounding of Musang Camp:

However, the only available water source is a small stream that requires 5 minutes walk on a steep descending trail (10 minutes to come back). I checked out the stream and found that its volume is only slightly better than tap water.

Climbers can take shower there by scooping water from a small pond, though icy cold but still bearable. May be leeches exist in this wetter area, so few are keen to come here. I also saw an abandoned mobile toilet and shower area not far from the stream.


Above: small stream for taking shower (icy cold water)

You can watch 40-sec video below to see the stream:



Above: check if any girl taking shower

Our makeshift toilet is 15-second walk from our camp. Basically it is just a deep hole with rotten wood plank cover on top, and 3-side surrounded by canvas as wall. The toilet is really smelly after everyone “contributes” their bit for 2 days.

For dinner, we had rice served with dried anchovy fishes and mixed vegetables. It was a bit warm tonight and we were bitten by tiny sandflies (agas). The bites are very itchy and can last for days (The itches worsen if you scratch). There were a few leeches in the campsite, presumably brought in by porters who took water from the stream.

Tomorrow is the day to climb to the summit, so we went to bed earlier. The late night was windy, we heard loud rustling leaves and felt the howling strong wind shaking our tents. Mt. Tambuyukon is like a living monster that breathes.


Above: someone bitten by leech and bleed inside the camp

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More Photos

You may check out the photo album of Mt. Tambuyukon trip for more nice pictures:

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Photos taken in Ranau, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo