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Borneo 3 Peaks Mt Mulu Api Pinnacles, Mt Kinabalu and Mt Trusmadi

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Borneo 3 Peaks Mt Mulu Api Pinnacles, Mt Kinabalu and Mt Trusmadi Borneo 3 Peaks Mt Mulu Api Pinnacles, Mt Kinabalu and Mt Trusmadi • Climb to Mt Mulu Api Pinnacles, Mt Kinabalu and remote Mt Trusmadi • Jungle and flora like entering the world of ‘Lord of the Rings’ • Mulu National Park and the ‘most beautiful mountain view in Malaysia’ • World’s highest Via Ferrata EXPEDITION OVERVIEW A unique adventure that is not just your standard Mount Kinabalu (4095m) ascent; this expedition takes you to the remote parts of Borneo to climb the Mulu Pinnacles and the wild and rarely climbed peak of Mount Trusmadi (2642m), where few tourists venture but from where you get the most spectacular sunrise views back over to Malaysia’s highest peak. You experience a longboat journey, the cave exodus of two million bats as featured in the BBC series Planet Earth. It is just one of many natural wonders to find in this off-the-beaten trail and tropical paradise alongside turtles, orangutans, pitcher plants, flora and fauna of the mossy jungle as an alien world, like entering the world of ‘Lord of the Rings’. Add to this a tropical island, the world’s longest cave system and the world’s highest via ferrata, it is just an amazing trip in just two weeks!! 101 Lake Road, Ambleside, Cumbria LA22 0DB Tel: 01539 433794 www.adventurepeaks.com [email protected] OUTLINE ITINERARY return to camp is by the same route and we spend the KEY to inclusions: remainder of the day relaxing by the river or visiting a (H-hotel, Ld-lodge, R-mountain refuge/hut, C-campsite, nearby population of the fanged pitcher plant. (Ld, B, L, D) B-breakfast, L-lunch, D-dinner/evening meal) (Probably one of the toughest days on this expedition) Day 1: International flight (normally Malaysian). Day 2: Arrive Kota Kinabalu, transfer by domestic flight to Mulu on the edge of the Gunung Mulu National Park. Overnight Mulu Marriot Hotel & Spa with time to relax and take a swim in the hotel pool surrounded by rainforest (H,B) Day 3: A relaxing morning with a late start allowing you time to recover from the long international flight. (H, B) Canopy Skywalk - Deer & Langs Cave In the afternoon those with a head for heights can impersonate ‘Ant & Dec’ on an optional canopy skywalk. This is a skywalk of about 500m, the longest in the world and takes around 45 minutes to complete. You may be able to see the following en route: macaque monkeys, flying lizards, squirrels, hornbills and a spectacular array of Day 6: Return to Mulu National Park HQ colourful birds. Alternatively, you can explore the lowland Today we return on foot to Long Litut and our longboat that creatures. We continue our journey on a scenic 3km plank takes us back down the Melinau River to Mulu walk to reach the entrance to Deer Cave, the world’s largest Headquarters. If all goes to plan we will arrive around cave passage. Its scale is awesome with moonlike landscape midday in time for lunch. Transfer to Mulu Airport for flight and from one vantage point, a perfect profile of President to Kota Kinabalu. (H, B, L) Lincoln. Next door is Langs cave, famous for its stalactites and stalagmites. Day 7: Rest day exploring Kota Kinabalu Optional visit to Poring hot Springs for a therapeutic bath Dusk will be approaching so we gain a good vantage point and marked trails to small waterfalls (approx. £30). (H, B) in readiness to view the great natural phenomenon of millions of bats and swifts leaving and entering the caves in Day 8: Trek to Mount Trusmadi a superlative wildlife spectacle. Return by torchlight to After breakfast we depart Kota Kinabalu for Base camp at Mulu Marriot Resort. Kg. Sinua on the remote side of Mount Trusmadi. The journey takes us through the beautiful Crocker Range to Day 4: River Journey & Trek to the great Pinnacles Keningau and Sook before reaching Kg Sinua by late An exciting and varied day starting with a longboat ride up afternoon. Mr Dennis our guide is inspirational, having built the Melinau River to Kuala Litut. On the way we visit two his own lodge and created some of the only alternative more caves (not more caves you say, yes but they are employment in the valley beyond ‘palm oil’, the enemy of spectacular and different with intricate walkways!). Wind the rainforest! His bamboo lodge looks out to Mt Trusmadi. Cave and Clearwater Cave, the latter is the longest cave in In 2017 Dennis, in conjunction with Adventure Peaks, made Asia at 127km, and both display magnificent limestone the first ever traverse of Mt Trusmadi via the Mannan and sculptures. Another hour’s river journey and we arrive at Kaingaran Trails. (L, B, L, D) Kuala Litut. We reorganise our bags before we walk through the rainforest to the base of Mt Api and the great Unlike the summit track of Mt. Kinabalu, the trail is heavily ‘Pinnacles’, about 9km. Overnight at Camp 5 which is foliaged and surrounded by dense vegetation most of the actually a basic lodge with basic bedding, and a great place time. The trail is narrow, no boardwalk and hand rail, but to cool off with a swim in the river pools. (Ld, B, L, D) lots of overhanging trees, entangled roots with some fixed lines that you must use to haul yourself up. Day 5: Ascent to the Mulu Pinnacles After an early start we start to climb Gunung Api for the So why go to Trusmadi? Some say climbers will be limestone pinnacles, a steep climb of about 4-5hrs to reach rewarded by the beautiful sunset and close view of Mt. the summit of the mountain where you can look back on the Kinabalu. According to the book ‘Mountains of Malaysia’ towering, blade like, limestone pinnacles. A great day for by John Briggs, Mt. Trus Madi has “The most beautiful those who like to scramble on steeper ground. The Pinnacles mountain view in Malaysia”. Others have described the are razor sharp limestone needles rising up 45 metres to mossy jungle as an alien world, like entering the world of create a spectacular sight. This will involve some steep ‘Lord of the Rings’ film. But above all, the region is most sections where you climb tree routes/branches and rock special for its unique abundance of rare plants and flowers. fixed with ladders and in-situ ropes (not suitable for those who don’t like steep ground). The rewards, however, are Just before reaching our overnight cabin (at 2,000m awesome as you look out over the great rainforest canopy signage), you will enter Taman Bunga Peak, which means with the Pinnacles reaching up through the jungle. Our Flower Garden. It is a natural garden full of flora and is one 101 Lake Road, Ambleside, Cumbria LA22 0DB Tel: 01539 433794 www.adventurepeaks.com [email protected] of the few places where you can see the rare pitcher plant, Nepenthes lowii. And this is just one example of many! The mountain is home to a large variety of flora and fauna and encompasses a range of climatic conditions from Day 9: Mount Trusmadi approach day to Khiong Point tropical forests at the lower level to montane and sub A wonderful walk through the jungle, crossing a number of montane and finally alpine attributes. The mountain boasts rivers and streams, we weave our way upwards to Shelter over 1200 types of orchid. Some of the animals prevalent Camp II, set in a lovely clearing overlooking the wonderful on the mountain include monkeys, squirrels, lemurs, valley below. Overnight in an open lodge. (Ld, B, L, D) 7- orangutan, deer, many variety of birds, insects and snakes. 8hrs walking However, the nature of the well-trodden path means that these are rarely seen. Day 10: Mount Trusmadi summit day We leave the lodge in total darkness at around 3am to reach Summit Approach (Day 13) the summit in time to view the sunrise. The ascent is steep We depart our hotel in Kota Kinabalu and travel 1.5 hours to and in places it is impossible to climb without the help of in- Kinabalu Park. We register our names with the Park Office situ ropes to pull on. Time passes gradually and with hidden for the mountain climb and proceed to the start of the interest as your torch lights up beautiful flowers and weird summit trail from Timpohon Gate at 1866m. We trek up moss sculptures that add to this unique peak. Given good through a variety of terrain and ‘cloud forest’ to Pendant weather the views and sunrise are spectacular and, not to be Hut 3289m, enjoying a packed lunch along the way. Look disappointed, the summit holds one last flower Melastoma out for pitcher plants and orchids. The air will start to feel minahanse, this plant is only found on Trusmadi and Papua considerably colder here due to the altitude. Overnight at New Guinea. Descend via Kaingaran route to meet our 4x4 Pendant Hut. (R, B, L, D) transport to the town of Tambunan and return journey to Kota Kinabalu. (H, B, L) 8-9hrs walking To the Summit of Kinabalu (Day 14) We rise early around 0200hrs to climb to the summit of Mt Kinabalu in time for a magnificent sunrise. The route is lit by torchlight or moonlight and we adopt a steady pace taking into consideration the affects of altitude as we head upwards towards the summit. As day breaks you should be rewarded with stunning views and on a clear day can see as far as the southern islands of the Philippines.
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