The real adventure for us started with the trip to Camp 5. First we had to take a one-hour boat ride from the entrance to the Clearwater Caves, carrying all the gear that we would need for the next two nights with us. Then, led by our guides but carrying our own stuff, we had to hike along a jungle trail 8.8 km to Camp 5. The terrain was flat for the most part, but there were still plenty of roots, rocks and muddy patches on the trail, so we had to keep our eyes constantly glued towards the ground or else we’d trip or slip and fall. We arrived about 2.5 hours later, including time for a rest stop in the middle.
Camp 5 turned out to be a small cluster of wooden buildings next the swift flowing Melinau River. The accommodation is very spartan: basically each person is assigned a hard mattress on top of a wooden platform in a large communal room. The scenery however is fantastic. The camp itself is located just at the base of the mountain that we’d be climbing, part of Gunung Api. On the opposite side of the river lies the even more majestic Mount Benarat. Meals were prepared by the guides assigned to each group using rations that they had carried with them from Mulu and eaten in the large open cantine area. After dinner, our guide briefed us on what the climb would be liked, reminded us of what we’d need to bring and gave some advice.
I couldn’t find a schematic of the climb anywhere on the net so I’m just going to briefly describe it. The peak is at about 1,170 m above sea level but Camp 5 itself is already at 100 m. The total distance that we’d need to actually cover to reach the peak is 2.4 km. The first 200 m is a fairly easy hike through the jungle. Then you arrive at what is called the “1st Rope”. Basically it’s a rough rock wall with a rope attached to help you scale it. After that comes what they call the “scrambling” portion of the climb up a slope averaging from 50 to 60 degrees. It’s called that because you basically need to use your hands as well as your legs to clamber over the rocks and roots.
This goes on up until the last 400 m of the climb which is called the “free climbing” section. It starts with a long ladder climb and proceeds mostly 90 degrees up the rock. There are ladders, iron bars and ropes attached at difficult sections to help you, but mostly you need to do rock climbing, finding proper handholds and footholds to make your way to the peak. There are also sections where you need to traverse a crevasse on a plank with ropes at the side to help with balance. We were instructed that each person would also have to bring at least 3 liters of water each for the climb as well as our own food.
Now, this may not sound terribly scary when you read about it, but I can assure that as someone with no experience of climbing at all, when I came across the first rope, there was a sinking feeling in my heart as I realized just how hard this climb was going to be. Then, add the fact that we had a schedule to keep. Basically you have to be able to reach certain checkpoints before a set time or else the guide will call the climb off as you won’t be able to get back to camp before dark. This meant that rest stops were few and brief.
Our group actually made pretty good time going up the mountain. It turned out that except for my wife and myself, the rest were all experienced climbers and had plenty of stamina to spare. It took all of our concentration and energy to keep going so as not to slow down everyone too much and I have to admit that I was cursing how hard it was the whole way. By the time we started the free climbing portion, we were so exhausted that we didn’t have the luxury to think about how dangerous it actually was and went ahead with it. My thigh muscles cramped about halfway through this portion but I pushed through the pain anyway.
I suppose that most people like to talk about the sense of achievement that they feel when they reach the peak, but for my part, what I felt was mostly relief that the ordeal was over. The view there is of the Pinnacles, natural limestone rock formations that have been shaped by the weather into jagged spikes. We reached the top at about 10.30 am, having started off at 6.45 am, which our guide said was very good time. We had a half-hour to rest and munch on our sandwiches and then it was time to start our descent.
Believe it or not, the descent was harder than the ascent by far, which is why the schedule calls for more time being spent on descending than ascending and why the guides keep pushing you to get to the top quickly. Firstly, when you climb down a vertical rock wall, it’s hard to see where to put your foot to descend, so you end up hanging helplessly like a fool trying to find a way to get down. Secondly, everything up there is slippery. The rocks, the roots, even the rungs on the ladders. You need to be ultra-careful with every step you take or you’ll end up falling. The two of us were so slow that the rest of the group went down ahead of us while the guide stayed behind to wait for us. Towards the end our leg muscles were so rubbery that we were practically crawling down the mountain. We finally arrived back at camp at about a quarter past four in the afternoon, with the rest of the group arriving a full hour before us.
I guess there’s something about sharing an arduous experience that breaks the ice between strangers because our group had a good long discussion that night. The rest of them all had plenty of stories to tell about the different mountains they’d climbed and the dangerous experiences they’d had. The British lady in our group commented that the descent was probably the hardest of all the different mountains she’d climbed while the Japanese guy, Yuma-san, commented that the free-climbing portion was the longest he’d yet encountered and he thought that the entire climb was so dangerous that he’d expect that out of every ten people, at least one would get some kind of injury. Our guide confirmed that on average only around 60 percent of the climbers actually manage to reach the peak.
For my part I have to say that if I’d known how hard the climb would be beforehand, I would never have gone but now that I have, I am glad that I did. I’m still annoyed by our tour agent for not warning us however because this climb is clearly not suitable for amateurs. She didn’t even ask if we had any medical conditions that would complicate things. Our hike back the next morning was uneventful and a cakewalk compared to the climb. I did learn a lot during this trip and I have to admit that I’m looking forward to our Mount Kinabalu climb more than I did. Perhaps my wife and I will end up climbing it twice! Once using the usual Timpohon route and again using the harder Mersilau route that our Pinnacles guide recommended.
Finally, I’d like to add that Camp 5 is a really picturesque and pleasant environment to visit on its own. I was a bit miffed at first at how basic the facilities are but you stop caring after a while and learn to appreciate what is there. Most of all, the sense of camaraderie there is incredible. The first night you arrive, you ask the ones who are already there about how hard the climb is. Then once you’ve come back from your climb, a whole new group arrives and eagerly asks you about your experiences. To anyone who’s interested, yes, it’s worth it but be warned that it is extremely tough so you do need to train yourself first. And please, please listen to your guide and bring enough water. You’re going to need every drop of it.
The story still continues where our thighs, feet, arms, under-arms, shoulders ache for a few days. However still, it’s a cost that worth it:)
Hi,
Stumbled on your blog looking for exactly what I need to know. I’m not a climber, but plan to climb the Pinnacles next April. I’ve been trying to find out how hard it is for amateurs, and your experience plus pictures just speak for itself. I’m a lot more encouraged to go for it and train now. Thank you!
A question though: how much water did you bring? 3 litres? I’m a bit worried bringing too much may just slow me down.
I’m glad this post helped you! Listen to your guide’s advice and bring at least 3 liters. Remember, this is the minimum. Consider bringing more if you know that you tend to sweat a lot. In our case, our guide said we had almost perfect weather for our climb and we still used all of our water. If it’s especially hot and sunny, I shudder to think how much more water we would have needed.
If you’re worried about the weight, note that on the way up the guide tells you about a place to keep one bottle you already drank from to retrieve and use on your way down so you don’t need to carry all of your water all the way to the top. In general, I wasn’t too bothered by the weight. I appreciated every drop of water I’d brought with me!
hi, enjoyed reading your blog on Mulu Caves. i realized it is no walk in the park from your pictures and description! I am planning a trip to Mulu National Park in early July. I am contemplating about the Pinnacles. 2 things are daunting to me 1) the physical climb – sounds dangerous and challenging. Would you recommend it to a untrained climber? What kind of training can you recommend? 2) did you encounter any leeches? I am terrified of leeches. Do you know of any “preventive” measures? 3) which month did you visit mulu? I understand there are dry season. thanks in advance.
I’m not sure about the seasons but we did our climb in September. We were told that if it rained, the climb would be canceled and the guide would take us hiking instead. We did have rain in the night just before the day of our climb, but not enough to prevent us from being able to climb.
I definitely would not recommend this to someone who is completely untrained. Before going on this trip, my wife and myself had already been training in anticipation of our Mount Kinabalu. Even so, the climb was incredibly exhausting to us. I don’t think we would be able to make it if we had not trained at all.
Training would mean regular climbing to build fitness and leg muscles. We have a small hill here in Kota Kinabalu that we go to climb every week and it’s great. Barring that, you could climb steps in tall apartments or something. Note that the hill we climb here probably has like 500 steps in total, with each step being considerably higher than a regular step in a building, and we’d only consider it a good workout if we climb the hill twice. This means a lot of climbing in an apartment building to get the equivalent exercise!
I think we only saw one leech and it was a tiny one on our hike to Camp 5. It probably came from the damp jungle ground. Personally, I think it’s nothing to worry about. You won’t get your whole body covered with them or anything. Have fun on your trip!
Good thing to have an email notification to follow up to this post.
I did the climb early this month. I have to say it was one of the [physically] hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. Prior to it I trained for about 1.5 months. Running 3 times daily, followed by stairs, as wankongyew suggested. The stairs at my apartment building is 22-story high, but I don’t feel it was enough. Also, I climbed some rough terrain once every weekend. My friend, who was equally unfit as I, trained with me during weekends. We both made it to the top. My point is: at least some level of fitness is required. If you go steady, you’ll be doing fine.
Weather-wise, if it rains in the morning, your climb would be cancelled. It rained the night before we climbed, so it was okay. Then it rained again 4 times, luckily after we descended the 400m free-style rock climbing part, which made the descent part much more of an ordeal.
There was no leeches in the Pinnacles itself–I was worried too, what with the slippery roots and rocks and me no longer caring what place I stepped on as long as it was safe–but definitely watch out for them during the 8.8km trek to-fro Camp 5. My friends and I got plenty of the bloodsuckers. When it rains, it’s more difficult to stay away from them. Do bring stuff that would help peel them away from your skin–we used Dettol handwash as it was the only thing available–and first aid kit.
Pixie, let me know if you need more information regarding Mulu/Pinnacles. I was there just two weeks ago, so I could probably tell you the latest situation. Good luck and be safe 🙂
Good to hear that you made it e.! What country are you from and any interest in climbing Mt. Kinabalu next?
I’m surprised that you got so many leeches on the trek to Camp 5. It must have been really pouring that day.
I’m Indonesian. Was actually planning to climb Kinabalu instead of Mulu, but during research I learned that the total cost had shot up in recent years so I had to put the plan aside. I’m glad I did the Pinnacles first. Guides said if we’d made it, Kinabalu wouldn’t be a problem. Is this true?
Yeah, it rained consecutively every day during my stay, but only in the afternoon/night. I consider myself very lucky. Partly because my friend and I wore strap sandals instead of proper shoes. Almost didn’t climb at all! Two weeks before I’d injured my ankle, so I wasn’t really supposed to climb.
You took a tour package, right? Who was your guide?
Our tour package was operated by Borneo Tropical Adventure, though I don’t recall the name of our guide anymore. He’s actually the guy shown in the second photo above. Big guy who wears tight bicycle shorts when climbing.
I found Mt. Kinabalu to be much less intensive and far less technical than the Pinnacles, but it was still a challenge because the route is so long and it’s so cold at the peak when you stop moving. The second day is particularly hard because you need to climb up from Laban Rata and then descend all the way back to the bottom in one day. But, yeah, reaching the peak of Mt. Kinabalu should be easily achievable after the Pinnacles, depending on weather.
As for cost, going to the Pinnacles cost us much more per person than Mt. Kinabalu. Of course, our Pinnacles trip also included the first day excursion to the Mulu Caves, so I’m not sure if that applies to you.
There was a separate couple who went their own guide, also from the same company as yours. Our NP group and theirs eventually descended together. Having two guides waiting on us to descend slowly was a fun distraction as I thought they were really THAT bored.
I assume that’s why your Pinnacles trip cost more than Mt. Kinabalu. I did the caves as well, but all of it was arranged directly with the park so we could save a few hundred ringgit. I think because of its popularity the management of Mt. Kinabalu tourism is handled by private companies now? It’s good to hear that the real challenge was the temperature though. Humidity is no problem for me, having grown up in the tropics, but cold is a different thing altogether. Must be a good exercise before heading to the Himalayas.
hi wan and e., thank you very much for sharing your experience!
I felt comforted by Wan’s remark that he & wife encountered only 1 small leech 🙂 , then dismayed to read e. reply about being “blood-suckered” 🙁
Wan, do you have any leech preventive measures you can recommend? e.g. long pants? And is there anything that you wished you had brought along?
e. mentioned about not having proper shoes. Wan – what kind of shoes do you recommend?
The tour package i have found is from Mega Borneo comprising 4D3N (caves + pinnacles) and extra 2 nights to explore Mulu National Park e.g Canopy Walk. Is there anything else that I should consider to add/minus in my itinerary? Esp. if i decide not to attempt the Pinnacles.
BTW, I am from Singapore 🙂 Really appreciate all the survival tips I can get. I should get started on training – about 2 months to go.
the shoes i was thinking of wearing is a Timberland boots – however, i saw pictures of a river crossing on the route to-fro Camp 5. Would a cross trainer be a better option since the mesh will dry faster?
I doubt any long pants would stop them leeches from latching on to your skin. I wore a knee-high cargo pants and a leech managed to crawl up to my upper thigh. I had no idea at all until I scratched and saw bloodstain. Not too worry too much about this leech problem. They look ugly, but I swear it doesn’t hurt more than the soreness of after-climb.
Boots are awesome. The girls wearing boots in our group got to the grounds 1hr faster than the rest of us because they navigated more easily wearing them. A lot of fellow travelers I met in Camp 5 wore cross-training. But the couple that went with us ended up having to tape their Adidas with rubber bands because they broke during the climb. You can bring an extra pair of slippers for the longboat and around Camp 5. The boat transfer itself takes less than 1 hour and you don’t have to get wet at all unless the water level is low.
Well, if you’re planning to take on the Pinnacles, it would require 3D2N, leaving the other day for the caves in Park HQ. You can do the Canopy; depending on your guide and your pace, it can take around 1.5-3 hours. But what I would recommend is to have some fun with adventure caving. From what the guides told us, the Garden of Eden seems great (you can see it at the end of Deer Cave), and I wouldn’t mind getting a bit wet for the beginner level Turtle and Racer caves. I did some adventure caving before; it was great fun.
Pixie, like e. says, your feet shouldn’t get wet at all. There are bridges for all the river crossings. When I googled the Pinnacles a while back, I found some photos of people crossing the river with just a guide rope, but this is no longer true. The only chance of getting your feet wet would be if you have to wade in the river for some reason, such as the water level being too low as e. says, so the boat can’t get over some parts of the river.
Also, I think you are under the impression that the leeches are coming from the river. That’s not true. They’re coming from the damp jungle ground while you are trekking through the mud. I don’t think there’s not much you can do to avoid them beyond wearing boots and high socks. The trek is quite tiring as well and if the ground is wet, you’ll have mud splashing all over the place, so it’s not surprising that you won’t notice any leeches. Really, if you’re exhausted enough, you won’t even have the energy to get alarmed about them.
My wife’s sneakers broke during the trek as well. I told her she should buy new ones as the soles were obviously coming loose but she wouldn’t listen. The trip is tough on shoes so don’t bring shoes that are already coming apart. I wore a pair of new sneakers with rough soles for trekking and that worked fine for me. The best shoes however are the hard rubber ones that the guides themselves use. They’re practically indestructible and have fantastic grip but most people won’t be able to use them because they have no cushioning at all so you’ll feel every rock you step on. They’re really cheap though.
The only thing my wife and I neglected to bring was some warm clothing as the accommodation at Camp 5 is extremely basic and it does get cold at night. We ended up renting blankets from the camp people. Still, bringing more stuff would mean extra weight during the trek to Camp 5.
hiya – many thanks for your detailed advice. I have been re-reading and digesting, getting mentally prepared. I have also started on my stair climbing, about 22-storey. Hope to get reasonably fit for the challenge. The leech part… i truly am not sure yet, but i got myself a pair of leech socks 🙂 And will research more on how to keep blood suckers away.
Wan, i know you had some grouse about Borneo Tropical Adventure – e.g. the lack of proper information before the trip. How did you find their on-site service? e.g. experienced guide, how many pax to one guide etc. About to finalize with them as they are reasonable in price. However, I hope they do not compromise and cut corners on-site. From the sound of it, it is going to be physically and mentally challenging, dun need any last minute “surprises.” Any feedback welcomed.
btw, either of you been to Kuching? Have 4 days in Kuching. Beside Bako National Park, do you have any recommendations to share?
I have no real complaints about Borneo Tropical Adventure. I understand that they’re based in Miri. We actually first booked through another agent in Kota KInabalu and it was this other agent who didn’t provide sufficient information about the trip. The person handling our trip also made a number of elementary mistakes. For example, she was supposed to meet with us at the airport but never showed up, leading me to wonder if we’d been scammed as we’d partially paid through a bank transfer but never received any physical tickets or receipts. We had to call several times before we got through and she finally told us our names were in the system and we could just check in ourselves.
The trip itself was fine once we arrived. The guide from Borneo Tropical Adventure was excellent and quite talkative, telling us all about his climbing adventures and how he became a guide. We had a very good group between us two Malaysians, two British and a Japanese and we bonded very well, chatting with each other late into the night together with the guide after the climb. Just don’t expect too much as the food and accommodation facilities are all quite basic.
Sorry, I’ve never been to Kuching, so I can’t help you there.
I went to Kuching for a short weekend trip. Spent a day trip at Bako, wished it had been longer and I’d researched more so I could’ve explored the many treks there. If you go in July you can catch the annual Rainforest world music festival. There’s plenty of attractions in and around Kuching as well so I doubt you’d be lazing around, do nothing like what I did in Miri. And if anything else fails, dive into the food scene!
It seems that my brother in law have been impressed enough by our stories of our experiences that he wants to go climb it for himself with his wife. They’ve booked their trip for mid-June, so I might have some updates.
that is cool! I will be waiting to hear their “positive” experience before i take off in end June 🙂
After all the discussion, it will be quite “ma-lu” for me not to conquer the Pinnacles & leech phobia… Pressure is on me to train up… ha ha.
Hey, I just forwarded this to some friends, loving it!
hello wan and e! i am glad to update that i “successfully” conquered Mulu Pinnacles… not without souvenirs of gashes, bruises, plenty of insect bites! It is certainly not something I would recommend for the faint-hearted cos there were many scary moments. It is hard to fully grasp how challenging it would be until you experience it yourself… safety was at the top of my mind during my descent – shudder to think how long before any aid can come to rescue in the event of injury. Having completed it, i am mighty proud of myself 🙂 🙂 🙂 Thanks for sharing your experiences. Overall, Mulu National Park is an amazing experience. Hmmm, should i consider KK next… ;p
My brother-in-law cancelled his trip so I didn’t post an update. It’s great that you managed to reach at the top at the Pinnacles. Now, aren’t you glad that we said training is an absolute must?
I think you’ll find KK to be a total cakewalk compared to the Pinnacles. It’s a long trip, mind you, but it’s far less exhausting or challenging.
Hiking is one of the most exciting activities. However, you must be fit enough to be able to climb different obstacles and mountains.
Many climbers would really love to enter Mulu caves. These people are very adventurous and brave enough just to reach the cave.
The Mulu Trip looks great. Gotta try one of these days.
Anyways, if you do want to give it for a second chance to get to the top once more, then here is a link that will help you out. I have not try Mulu by myself actually…but will do it one of these days.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pakej-Percutian-Sabah-Sarawak-Travel