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Mount Kinabalu

The highest peak in Borneo - a majestic granite massif rising above the rainforest of Sabah, a UNESCO biodiversity hotspot and a popular, achievable climb to a dramatic summit above the clouds.

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UNESCO World Heritage

Typemountain

WhereSabah

Nearest cityKota Kinabalu

Best seasonMarch to September

Time to allowTwo to three days for the climb

Getting thereIn Sabah, Borneo; by road from Kota Kinabalu

EntryPark fees; climb permits and guides required

Mount Kinabalu, rising over 4,000 metres above the rainforests of Sabah on the island of Borneo, is the highest peak between the Himalayas and New Guinea and the centrepiece of a UNESCO national park of extraordinary biodiversity. Its jagged granite summit plateau, often above the clouds, is reached on a popular and achievable, if strenuous, two-day climb, usually broken by an overnight at a mountain rest house before a pre-dawn push to catch the sunrise from the top.

What you actually see

The summit - the dramatic granite peak, reached at sunrise.
The two-day climb - the ascent through changing forest zones.
The national park - the rich biodiversity and rare pitcher plants.
The via ferrata - the world's highest via ferrata near the summit.

When to go

The drier months, roughly March to September, are the best and safest for the climb, avoiding the wettest period; even so, the summit is cold and the weather can turn, and cloud often builds by mid-morning, so the pre-dawn summit push aims to beat it.

Honest expectations

The climb requires a permit and a licensed guide, both of which are limited and book up well in advance, so plan ahead. It is a strenuous two-day trek, and the high altitude and cold at the summit affect some, though it needs no technical skill. Cloud and rain can obscure the summit views. It is a rewarding but genuinely demanding climb.