By Olivia Miwil
RANAU: A new trail up Mount Kinabalu replacing the route that was damaged in the earthquake will offer climbers a safer way up to the mountain.
The old trail was badly damaged in teh earthquake and was no longer safe. The earthquake, measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale, killed 18 people.
The new trail sits on a ridge en-route to the rocky plateau and the highest point, Low's Peak.
It will have a clearer view of the district below along with new safety features installed.
Tourism, Culture and Environment minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun who launched the first batch of 135 climbers yesterday said he hopes the new route will leave visitors in awe.
"This reopening to the public is a significant day," he said adding the new route from around the 3,500m mark will be named "Ranau Trail".
“Sabah Parks, with the advice from Canadian and Japanese experts, managed to rebuild the new route within six months,” he said during the reopening of the trail to summit here yesterday.
On Sept 1, it is reopened to public but only up to the rest house at Laban Rata which is at an altitude of 3,272m.
Masidi added Sabah Parks would get feedbacks from climbers to better improve the facility at the mountain over the next few months.
Over the weekend, some 70 people including staff from government agencies and mountain guides participated in the trial climb to summit during the weekend.
Sabah Tourism Board Communications manager Hana Harun, who had scaled the mountain several times, said the new trail was better and designed for public to have enjoyable climb.
“New trail designed on a ridge so you can see the view of Ranau as early as 2am while the new rock face has 39 steps of each step is about one foot (30cm) apart.
“We also found ice at the peak as it was reported -3 Celsius on the day we climbed,” she added.
On other development, Masidi also announced the rate for mountain guides would be raised from RM150 to RM230 for their ability to take care of climbers and well-equipped as rescuers.
Sabah Parks will also bear premium insurance cost covering casualty or death for all mountain guides.
20 'fly' off Mount Kinabalu
RANAU: Twenty people took off from the South’s peak of Mount Kinabalu via paragliding yesterday to commemorate the earthquake victims.
On June 5, a quake measured 5.9 at Richter scale killed six Malaysians including four mountain guides, nine Singaporeans, one each for China, Japan and Philippines nationals.
The Kinabalu Paragliding club members were among the first 135 people who climbed to the mountain summit via new trail during the reopening on Tuesday.
The club vice president cum coordinator Haznain Ngamil said the flying ceremony which kicked off at 6am saw 16 solo and two in-tandem paragliding.
“Sabah Parks chairman Datuk Seri Tengku Zainal Adlin Tengku Mahamood was on tandem paragliding with pilot Suhari Jainau, who is also a mountain guide from Kundasang here.
“The ceremony was also witnessed by other climbers and the villagers when they landed at Kundasang town,” he said.
Haznain also added there were also Hungarian and Chinese pilots joined in the 40-minute paragliding session.
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