Editing Mount Kinabalu (section)

== Climbing the mountain ==
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 | footer    = Mount Kinabalu climbing trail at lower elevations (left) and on the summit plateau (right) 
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Climbers must be accompanied by accredited guides at all times due to national park regulations. There are two main starting points for the climb: the Timpohon Gate (located {{cvt|5.5|km}} from Kinabalu Park Headquarters, at an altitude of {{cvt|1866|m|ft}}),<ref>{{cite book |author1=Quentin Phillipps |author2=Karen Phillipps |title=Phillipps' Field Guide to the Mammals of Borneo and Their Ecology: Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei, and Kalimantan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0SxzCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA236 |date=10 May 2016 |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=978-0-691-16941-5 |pages=236–}}</ref> and the [[Mesilau Nature Resort]]. The latter starting point is slightly higher in elevation, but crosses a ridge, adding about two kilometres to the ascent and making the total elevation gain slightly higher. The Mesilau Trail is no longer accessible due to the earthquake in 2015. The two trails meet about {{cvt|2|km}} before Laban Rata.

[[Sabah Parks]] grants a summit-climbing permit only to climbers who stay at [[Mountain hut|mountain huts]]. Due to the limited number of beds at the mountain huts, only 130 people are allowed to climb Mount Kinabalu per day.

Accommodation is available inside the park or outside near the headquarters. Sabah Parks has privatised Mount Kinabalu activities to an organisation called Sutera Sanctuary Lodges. The mountain may be climbed on a single day trip, or hikers may (usually) stay one night at Laban Rata Resthouse at {{cvt|3270|m|ft}} to complete the climb in 2 days, finishing the ascent and descending on the second day. The majority of climbers begin the ascent on day one of a two-day hike from Timpohon gate at {{cvt|1866|m|ft}}, reaching this location either by minibus or by walking, and then walk to Laban Rata. Most people accomplish this part of the climb in 3 to 6 hours. Since there are no roads, the supplies for the Laban Rata Resthouse are carried by porters, who sometimes bring more than {{cvt|35|kg}} of supplies on their backs. Hot food and beverages are available at Laban Rata. Most rooms have no hot water in the bathrooms and whilst the dining area is heated, most rooms are not. The last {{cvt|2|km|ft}}, from the Laban Rata Resthouse at {{cvt|3270|m|ft}} to Low's Peak (summit) at {{cvt|4095.2|m|ft}}, takes between 2 and 4 hours. The last part of the climb is on bare granite rock.

Given the high altitude, some people may suffer from [[altitude sickness]]<ref name=MedicalProblems>{{cite journal |author1=Cymerman, A |author2=Rock, PB |title=Medical Problems in High Mountain Environments. A Handbook for Medical Officers |publisher=US Army Research Inst. of Environmental Medicine Thermal and Mountain Medicine Division Technical Report |volume=USARIEM-TN94-2 |url=http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/7976 |access-date=5 March 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090423042510/http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/7976 |archive-date=23 April 2009 |url-status=usurped}}</ref> although staying overnight at the lodges before the climb and climbing at a lower rate of ascent may reduce the likelihood of this happening.

=== Low's Gully ===
Low's Gully (named after [[Hugh Low]] who first looked down into it in 1851) is a {{cvt|1800.|m|ft|adj=on}} deep gorge carved out by [[Glacial period|glaciation]] on the north side of Mount Kinabalu, which is exceptionally inhospitable due to its depth and high rainfall. In March 1994 two British Army officers were severely criticised after leading a party of 7 British and 3 [[Hong Kong]] soldiers in an attempt to [[Abseiling|abseil]] and climb down into the gully that required extensive rescue efforts from both the RAF and the Malaysian army. The party were not equipped with radios and the 2 officers and 3 Hong Kong soldiers were trapped for 16 days and did not eat for five days before being rescued when stretchers were lowered by helicopter. The breakaway party of five completed the first descent of the gully in three days.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/leaders-of-lost-expedition-criticised-1450078.html |title=Leaders of lost expedition criticised |author=Mary Braid |newspaper=[[The Independent]] |date=20 September 1994 |access-date=7 June 2015 |archive-date=27 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150627100506/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/leaders-of-lost-expedition-criticised-1450078.html |url-status=live }}</ref> A book about the 31-day fight for survival entitled ''Descent into Chaos'' was published in 1996 and a film drama ''[[The Place of the Dead]]'' was released in 1997. The first successful complete descent of Low's Gully was achieved by a 27 strong joint Malaysian-British team led by mountaineer and former British Army officer Pat Gunson in 1998.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk/news/237750.pat_wins_his_battle_with_lows_gully/ |title=Pat Wins His Battle With Low's Gully |work=[[The Westmorland Gazette]] |date=1 January 2000 |access-date=15 June 2015 |archive-date=27 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150627174627/http://www.thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk/news/237750.pat_wins_his_battle_with_lows_gully/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/46701.stm |title=British climbers prepare to tame Low's Gully |work=[[BBC News]] |date=12 January 1998 |access-date=16 June 2015 |archive-date=22 October 2002 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021022181444/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/46701.stm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Kvinta |first=Paul |title=Big Gulp, No Exit |date=1 March 2003 |magazine=[[Outside (magazine)|Outside]] |url=https://www.outsideonline.com/1821356/big-gulp-no-exit |access-date=8 February 2021 |archive-date=14 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210214085724/https://www.outsideonline.com/1821356/big-gulp-no-exit |url-status=live }}</ref>