Conquering the Mulu pinnacles
After the success of her first climb up Mount Mulu, Olivia Miwil looks forward to more mountaineering adventures
THE hike to the Pinnacles at Mulu National Park in Sarawak is much more difficult than climbing Mount Kinabalu. That was the warning given by the tour operator when my husband and I booked a trip to the park, which is one of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s (Unesco) world heritage sites.
Although it is less than an hour by flight from Kota Kinabalu, Mulu was never in my travel bucket list. But when I won two return flight tickets from MASwings to the city, we decided to sign up for a four daythree nights trip that included climbing the mountain.
We felt that it would be a once in a lifetime opportunity to visit the heritage site. Instead of visiting caves and taking part in other leisure activities, we also hoped to create an unforgettable moment by conquering the pinnacles.
Mulu is often associated with its magnificent show caves and biodiversity but the pinnacles are seldom mentioned. Our preparation for the trip was mainly by looking at websites, reading blogs and watching videos.
In the beginning, my husband and I were not sure whether we were fit enough to conquer the pinnacles since we had never climbed a mountain before. Not even Mount Kinabalu although we live in Sabah.
According to the Mulupark website (www.mulupark.com), to climb the pinnacles, your fitness level has to be above average and you must be in excellent health.
Hiking up the 2.4-kilometre trail with its steep gradient that ascends to 1,200 metres above sea level is a high-risk activity. Descending is more challenging and it is even more dangerous to do so in the dark. This is due to the fact that some of the limestone have a slippery surface and are sharp, which further heightens the risks, especially when it rains.
FITNESS LEVELS
Unlike at Mount Kinabalu, where climbers can go up and down at their own pace, the time to ascend to Mount Mulu is limited to 3.5 hours. This is to ensure that all climbers are able to come down in time before it gets dark.
Knowing the risks, we had to prepare ourselves to ensure that our fitness levels were up for the tough climb. For three months, we focused on improving our stamina to face the hiking distance of 4.8km. Our training included running and hiking up hills. We also engaged in exercises for upper body strength such as planks, sit-ups as well as indoor rock climbing. On Aug 19, we set off on the trip, which involved a lot of walking, at least 10km daily to reach Camp 5. Camp 5 is a base camp that offers a basic forest shelter for climbers to stay overnight in before and after the climb.
Our guided climb began at 6am after a heavy breakfast. The first 15 minutes were a struggle and tiring, especially when the altitude gradually increased. After the first 500 metres, I managed to maintain the pace while making sure to follow all safety precautions.
I had read articles about people who fell and died while climbing Mount Mulu. Knowing the danger, I had to be careful and follow all the rules so I could safely return home to our 5-year-old daughter.
Climbers are advised to bring at least three litres of water for the eight-hour hike for rehydration. However, the concern is that it would cause pain on the knee joints due to the extra weight.
I am used to not drinking water when I run, at least until the fifth kilometre. So I was confident that two litres of water would be enough for me during the climb. But I was mistaken, as it was not enough. I had to push myself to reach Camp 5 as soon as possible so I could have water to drink. To minimise the impact on my knees, I took small and low steps, and grabbed rock edges to pull myself up instead of using my hiking pole. Some climbers wore gloves to protect their hands from the sharp razor rocks, but I used my bare hands for a better grip.
COOLING DOWN
At the viewpoint, we had about half an hour to eat snacks and take pictures. The view on the top was totally worth all the effort. I also enjoyed the landscape of low dipterocarp and moss forests with pitcher plants that could be seen at the side of the trail.
The rest was too short as we all wished that there was a helicopter, or cable car, or other easier ways to descend the mountain. Unfortunately, our group of 14 people, including a 60-year-old woman, had to continue on with the longer-than-expected hiking hours.
Some of us had to apply analgesic cream on our calfs to carry on the journey while others had to rest a few times along the way. Thankfully we managed to arrive at Camp 5 by 4pm.
While it was very tempting to just lie down and do nothing after completing the daunting quest, we had to do stretching exercises to cool down. After that I took a dip in the river while taking in the stunning view of the mountain.
My husband and I were glad that our three-month preparation had helped us to conquer the pinnacles. However, the expedition would have been easier if we had worn proper hiking shoes and brought along isotonic drinks. We made the mistake of wearing shoes made of rubber polymer with thick lugs on the soles, which did not offer good padding to cushion the impact on the knees while descending.
Despite that, the experience had us craving for more adventures in nature.Our next expedition will be climbing the peak of Mount Kinabalu. Maybe.