Exploring Mt Trus Madi, Malaysia's second highest mountain is a very special adventure. Trus Madi is entirely covered in jungle, and there is no tourism infrastructure, both of which are part of its lure. The keen observer will encounter some of Borneo's rarest birds and distinguish unique plants, some of which grow nowhere else in the world. But the climb is also daunting, due to the very nature of the terrain. It might seem that it is not a very high mountain, and from far it sure looks like a nice hill - 2642 meters, what can be so difficult about that? The climb starts at 1800 m a.s.l., and a convenient clearing for lunch at 2300 m is quickly reached. If the weather plays along you can already savour the grand views this mountain is famous for. Then you think you should be close to the peak, another 350 m or so in altitude, over some maybe three kilometres - but that is when the tough going starts. For every meter in altitude you gain you have first lost one. The approach to the peak is along ridges, some of them barely three feet wide and with 500 meter sheer drops to either side - simply breathtaking! The approach is also a seemingly endless succession of smaller hills and valleys and you find yourself going up just as much as you go down. For this you need some serious stamina, and maybe also an iron will! But when you start despairing, stop and look around - most of the time you are in a fairy wood where from stunted trees with gnarled roots and thick moss covered twisted trunks and branches huge carnivorous plants dangle above your head; a world of drifting mists and cold gusts of wind, sudden unexpected views over endless expanses of rainforest, and brilliant little orchids wherever you look. It is in every sense an enchanted forest, and when you let yourself be entranced by this most wondrous environment you will make it to the peak before you realise it. In fact, the peak is such an unspectacular site - especially late in the afternoon when clouds shroud the sky and surroundings that you might not even perceive it.

The night on Trus Madi is cold and windy, maybe even rainy and good tenting equipment is certainly an advantage but you can also rough it out with us under a tarp, the way the locals do it. This tour is again a thorough immersion into the rainforest and local culture. It is maybe our most demanding trip, especially physically! Contact us for more details if you are interested in this tour so that you can prepare yourself.

Itinerary

Day 1 0900 hrs - pick up from your hotel in Kota Kinabalu. Our first stopover is Donggongon, some 20 minutes out of KK where there is a fantastic tamu (weekly market, Wednesdays and Thursdays). We will buy some vegetables and other provisions for our trip before we continue on the Donggongon – Tambunan. We will stopover at the Rafflesia Conservation Area in search of the largest flower in the world, and if there are any flowering, we interrupt the journey to see them. By midday we normally arrive in Tambunan, where we will have lunch in a local restaurant before we continue on gravelled roads to Kg Kaingaran at the foothills of Trus Madi. We will stay with local people, who will prepare us a traditional dinner and probably have some rice wine for us to taste…

Overnight: homestay
Meals: lunch, dinner (local)

Day 2 0900 hrs – after breakfast we continue by 4x4 to the starting point of the climb, and the first bit is innocent enough. By midday we arrive at a clearing where we will have a simple lunch and some rest before we attack the really serious stretch. We will go slowly – most of the journey is now through a ‘tunnel’ of stunted trees hung with thick mosses and garlanded with carnivorous Nepenthes (pitcher plants), some of which can attain amazing sizes and contain over two liters of digestive fluids. The climb lasts anything from 4-6 hours, and normally we should arrive at the campsite just below the peak before nightfall. We will pitch up our tents (or tarp) and improvise a campfire, not an easy feat with the prevailing winds. When night falls it guest very dark rather quickly and generally we sleep early, right after dinner.

Overnight: camping
Meals: breakfast, packed lunch and diner (local)

Day 3 5.30am: we should wake up early to profit of the breathtaking views the peak of Trus Madi offers for a short time in the morning. Watching the sun rise over Mt Kinabalu is simply awesome. We will have some simple breakfast, break up our camp and then ‘climb down’ – it is not so much climbing as descending back into a valley of one ridge, climb back up the other side and start all over again. By around 1 pm we are expected at the starting point and drive back to Kaingeran, where we can have a rejuvenating wash in the river before rewarding us with a sumptuous dinner the locals prepare for us.

Overnight: homestay
Meals: breakfast, lunch and diner (local)

Day 4 9.00 am – or whenever we feel we have slept enough we leave our hospitable Dusun family and drive back to Tambunan from where we continue on the main road to Gunung Alab. On the pass we can have lunch before we finally head back to Kota Kinabalu.

Overnight: no
Meals: breakfast and lunch

What To Bring

You need footwear that provides excellent foot hold and traction, and you might wear gaiters but you also have to bear in mind that ever so often we might have to ford rivers/enter local houses and we have to take off our shoes. Further it is recommended that you wrap your spare clothes, and other items, tightly in plastic bags to prevent them from getting wet. If you have sophisticated camera or filming equipment a dry-bag is a good idea!

Further take along:

• towel and swimwear (underwear actually is ok...)
• sun hat and sun block, rain coat/poncho, mosquito repellent & usual toiletries
• basic medical kit with antiseptic cream, plasters, pain killer (ibuprofen-based such as Advil are ideal) etc
• energy food bars
• change of clothes for the overnight stay
• light blanket/sarong (sleeping bag for Trus Madi)
• light sleeping mat (inflatable lilo, or foam)
• torchlight and spare batteries
• camera & video (fully charged); spare films
• if you have: small things that you can easily dispose of as gifts such as promotional ball-pens, lighters, some post-cards of your place… bear in mind, the local people are as curious about your place as you are about theirs!

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