Mount Kota Kinabalu, Protected mountain summit in Sabah, Malaysia.
Mount Kota Kinabalu rises 4,095 meters (13,435 feet) above sea level and is the highest peak in Sabah, located within Kinabalu National Park. The granodiorite mountain structure shows jagged rock faces and rocky plateaus with individual granite needles jutting against the sky.
Hugh Low reached the summit plateau in March 1851 and made the mountain known through his reports in England. Kinabalu National Park was established in 1964 to protect the mountain and its rainforest belts.
The name Kinabalu comes from the Dusun language and means revered place of the dead. Climbers often leave eggs and chickens at a rock along the trail before ascending, honoring the mountain spirits and asking for a safe journey.
The two main routes require mandatory guides and advance registration at the park office in Ranau. Climbers usually stay overnight in mountain huts halfway up before completing the final section to the summit in the early morning.
The mountain slopes support over 5,000 plant species, including carnivorous pitcher plants that trap insects in cup-shaped leaves. On a rock wall near the mountain huts, dense carpets of mosses and lichens grow, soaking up mist and storing moisture.
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