GUNUNG · Malaysia

Mount Kinabalu

Gunung Kinabalu

Information

Elevation: 4.095 m
Country: Malaysia (MY)
Location / Range: Crocker Range, Sabah
Mountain type: Granite massif (non-volcanic)
Volcanic?: No (non-volcanic)
Coordinates: 6.0750, 116.5586
Difficulty: Challenging (permit and licensed guide required)
Best Season: March–September (relatively dry season)
Permits & Rules: Mandatory Sabah Parks climb permit + registered mountain guide; limited daily quota
Hazards: Altitude sickness, rapidly changing weather, slippery granite rock when wet

Description

Mount Kinabalu in Sabah, Malaysia, rises to 4,095 metres and is the highest peak between the Himalayas and New Guinea. It is a non-volcanic granite massif within Kinabalu Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The climb to Low's Peak is typically done over 2–3 days for acclimatisation, and Sabah Parks requires every climber to hold a permit and a licensed guide, with limited daily quotas.

Gallery

Foto bersumber dari Wikimedia Commons — klik untuk memperbesar & lihat sumbernya.

Routes

Via Mesilau

Berat

2 hari

Alternatif lebih panjang & hijau (kadang ditutup).

Via Timpohon (Ranau)

Berat

2 hari

Jalur utama: Timpohon Gate → Laban Rata → summit Low's Peak.

Safety Statistics

Aggregated for prevention and awareness — not a casualty list. Read alongside the safety tips below.

Indicative — small sample size.

18 Recorded deaths

Period 2015–2015 · Kinabalu (4,095 m, Southeast Asia's highest walk-up peak) is a guided two-day climb; deaths are very rare in normal operation. The largest loss of life came in a SINGLE event: a magnitude-6.0 earthquake on 5 June 2015 triggered rockslides that killed 18 people. That figure of 18 is not an annual rate. More than 29,000 climbers ascend each year (per the official site), but no aggregate death total is documented, so a fatality rate cannot be computed.

Causes of death

Rockfall 18

💡 On seismically active peaks, follow guide instructions and know your shelter points; via ferrata routes beneath cliffs are highly exposed to falling rock during tremors.
Source
Altitude illness (AMS/HACE/HAPE)

💡 AMS is the most common complaint on Kinabalu (~22–24% incidence at 3,272–4,095 m, study of 345 climbers in 2018) — mostly mild; avoid alcohol, heed guide advice, and descend if symptoms worsen.
Source

Notable incidents

2015 2015 Sabah earthquake on Mount Kinabalu (18 dead)

On the morning of 5 June 2015 a magnitude-6.0 earthquake struck Sabah and triggered large rockslides across the summit plateau and via ferrata route, killing 18 people — among them students, teachers, and four local guides/trainers; about 137 climbers were stranded and later rescued. Several guides died shielding climbers. The event shows that geohazards can strike suddenly even on a popular walk-up peak, and how vital trained guides and evacuation protocols are.
Source

Statistics source: Source Source

Climbing Experiences

Climbing Mount Kinabalu (4,095 m) in Sabah usually takes two days via the Timpohon route to Laban Rata, then a pre-dawn summit push to Low's Peak along ropes over granite. Climbers describe the altitude, the cold summit, and a stunning sunrise. A Sabah Parks permit and licensed guide are mandatory.

References

The summary above is compiled from the following sources. Click to explore them yourself.