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Adventures/Across the Roof of Borneo!

Itinerary in Detail

Day Itinerary
Day 1 International flight overnight to Kota Kinabalu.
Day 2 Arrive in Kota Kinabalu the Capital of the Sabah, one of the states of Malaysia. A short 15 minute drive along the coast will bring us to Faridas Bed and Breakfast. It’s a very relaxed place with a large colourful  garden, and very friendly owners. There is time to relax and recover from your flight and have dinner under the stars.
Day 3 After breakfast we will depart for Mt Kinabalu Park, about a 2 hour spectacular drive. We will deposit food, fuel and equipment to be taken by porters up the mountain, for our use later on the expedition, and continue to Mesilau resort at 6,600feet the start of our expedition.  We are now going to ascend the Mesilau route which was discovered in 1963, but in that time has received very few ascents .It involves a long trek and scramble around the east side of the mountain through very remote terrain. A wide variety of vegetation layers will be encountered. Primary and secondary rainforest, pitcher plants, orchids, flowers, mossy forest, bamboos and the possibility of seeing wild pig, deer, monkeys and other small mammals. We initially ascend a steep hillside of Nepenthes Rajah, the largest pitcher plant in the world, followed by a traverse to our campsite at 7,750feet through bamboo, mossy rocks and thorny palms. 
Day 4 We are at the bottom of a ridge, which we ascend steadily throughout the day until eventually making a campsite at 10,200 ft. There are lots of orchids, flowering rhododendrons and great views of the Eastern plateau above.
Day 5 We continue to follow the ridge until reaching rock pinnacles, and start a long traverse. The route meanders over and under tree branches, vegetation and boulders. Our campsite for the evening at 10,800feet is in an open area with wonderful views Eastwards to the ocean.
Day 6 Today we ascend to 11,000 feet with fine views of the unexplored Mekado valley below and then continue steeply down using hand ropes in places for safety. Our final campsite is on the hillside at the only piece of flat ground. It is called “Mekado” - a hard cold place!
Day 7 We continue traversing, then ascend through the lessening vegetation, until we reach the smooth granite slopes of the Eastern plateau polished by glaciers. As we gain height fantastic views are gained of a multitude of peaks, until we reach King George peak the natural summit of the Eastern plateau. From here you can gaze across the awesome Lows gully to the peaks of the Western plateau.We descend easy angled granite slopes until reaching the start of Bowens route. This traverse provides the essential link between the Eastern and Western plateaus. For about a kilometer it contours along the line where vegetation meets rock slabs, deep into mossy forest and eventually negotiates a series of rock ledges with the aid of fixed ropes and aluminium ladders. It is safe and very exciting.After 2 hours we will reach the normal route of Mt Kinabalu, and ascend it to just below Lows peak the actual summit of Mt Kinabalu. From here a short descending traverse brings us to the West Gurkha hut, and our sleeping quarters for the next 3 nights.
Day 8/9 The West Gurkha hut at 3,900m is so named as it was built with the help of Gurkha soldiers in 1985. It is a small shelter with an area to camp and many comforts, but its main attraction is its magnificent quiet setting amongst the high peaks of the mountain. It will provide us with easy access to all the peaks of the Western plateau.In the next 2 days we will explore all areas of the summit plateau, combining fine views with magnificent scrambling and ridge walking.
Day 10 After breakfast we once again descend to cross Bowens route to the Eastern plateau. Once there we will hike the fabulous North ridge with inspiring views into Lows gully and way in the distance the coast of Borneo. A steep descent down a subsidiary ridge will bring us to our campsite at about 8,000feet.
Day 11 Continuing our descent to a river, we then follow hunters trails through the rainforest, with a number of small river crossings. We make our final expedition camp just above 4,000 feet where you will notice the warmth and humidity.
Day 12 This morning we will soon be trekking through orchards of tropical fruit and reach the small village of Melankap Kapa. From here we have transport to take us to Kota Kinabalu and overnight at Faridas Bed and Breakfast. Showers, cold beer and a farewell dinner under the stars!
Day 13 We have an evening international flight so have time in the day to buy souvenirs and visit the offshore islands of Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park to swim and snorkel on the tropical reefs.
Day 14 Arrive home