This day day started early … we woke up at 02:00am, had a quick breakfast (they actually called it supper) and started our ascent up to Low’s peak at 02:30am. Ahead of us was a 3 – 3,5 hours climb up the mountain – up to 4095m – and up to the top of Borneo.
Most of us reached the top of Mt. Kinabalu between 05:30 and 06:00 … just in time for an amazing sunrise over the Borneo jungle at freezing temperatures with wind.
While the views were fantastic it was just too cold, windy and unprotected around the summit; so we did just stay long enough to take in the moment and atmosphere – before heading back down again. It was not earlier than now that many realized what hell-ish climb they just managed to accomplish. The whole group made it – in near perfect weather conditions … really amazing – lucky us.
We got back to Laban Rata between 08:30 and 09:00 – in time for a generous breakfast to celebrate the whole team’s (now called team turtoise train) victory over the mountain. Afterward we made our way back to park headquarters via the summit trail.