The mountain’s highs and lows
Kinabalu is a mostly steep-sided mass of granite. It has three prominent ridges (South, East and North) and the deep Low’s Gully that splits the mountain into two. The mountain top is characterized by sweeping easy slabs, referred to as the East and West Plateaus, and numerous rock peaks and pinnacles of varying severity. Although it often freezes at night, snow and ice are rare so it is a potential playground for rock climbers. The larger summit peaks mostly offer choices between slabby dip-slopes, undercut and often overhanging faces, and faces and ridges that range between these extremes. Many of the peaks have easy ways up for climbers, although everyday visitors are restricted to climbing Low’s Peak, which is the easiest of all and also happens to be the highest by a whisker at 4,095m.

The other major peaks that can be accessed from the west plateau include Victoria Peak, which, with its characteristic summit spire at 4,094m is only marginally lower than Low’s Peak; and St John’s Peak which is a few metres lower still at 4,091m. King Edward Peak, 4,081m, is on the less frequented east side of the mountain and is the only high peak without an easy way up. King George Peak, at 4,063m, is an easy scramble and more often climbed. At the head of Low's Gully in the centre of the mountain is Tunku Abdul Rahman Peak (3,948m) which is separated by Cauldron Gap from two rock pinnacles known as Donkey’s Ears (4,054m). Most of these provide routes with 200 - 300m of climbing although the abundant pinnacles offer shorter climbs.

The peaks of Kinabalu supply good climbing at any grade, on clean and mostly reliable granite, with some fine positions, classic lines and wonderful panoramas. Nevertheless, it is in Low’s Gully that the mountain’s magnificence is fully realized. This dramatic cleft features the mountain’s highest rock faces, some of which are unrelenting for over 1,000m.

Early climbers
As there is no record of local people climbing Mt Kinabalu, the first honor goes to Sir Hugh Low, a British colonial officer from Labuan, who reached the summit plateau in 1851. However, he did not scale the highest peak, believing that “the highest point is inaccessible to any but winged animals” In honor of his journey, a peak, along with a mile-deep gully, a pitcher plant and a rhododendron were named after him.

The custom of leaving a signed and dated letter in a bottle at the top of the mountain gives a history of the early climbers. In 1858, Sir Hugh Low made a second expedition to Kinabalu with his friend Spencer St John. The highest peak was finally conquered by John Whitehead and his intrepid Kadazan porters in 1888. Whitehead also made the first zoological collection of the mountain’s animals.

In 1910, English botanist Lilian Gibbs became the first woman to scale Kinabalu. Along the way, she collected over a thousand botanical specimens for the British Museum. In the same year, Mt Kinabalu’s first tourist made the ascent, describing the trip as “purely a vacational ramble”.

Sources
A Colour Guide to Kinabalu Park Susan K. Jacobson - Sabah Parks

Sabah’s Kinabalu Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site - Heng Wah

World Mountaineering, chapter on Kinabalu - Robert New

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