Batu Lawi, Sacred mountain summit in Kelabit Highlands, Malaysia.
Batu Lawi is a twin-peaked sandstone mountain in the Kelabit Highlands of Sarawak, Malaysia. Its taller male peak reaches 2,046 metres above sea level, while the female summit stands at 1,850 metres. The pale rock of the peaks stands out above the surrounding forest and served as a landmark for Allied pilots during World War II.
In 1946 Tom Harrisson, with Lejau Unad Doolinih and five other Kelabits, made the first ascent of the female peak and left a commemorative board below the summit for the RAAF Liberator crew shot down returning to Morotai. The male peak was first climbed in 1986 by British and Australian soldiers of the 14th/20th King's Hussars led by Jonny Beardsall. A Malaysian team reached the summit on 14 August 2007.
Kelabit legend holds that the two summits are a husband and wife, protector gods and parents of all highland peoples, who defeated the fire mountain Batu Apoi. Pilgrims walking from Bario or Ba Kelalan, about two days through forest now in Pulong Tau National Park, must not speak the mountain's name from first sight of it until they reach its base, lest the spirits be angered.
The trek from Bario involves steep climbs and multiple stream crossings across rough forest terrain that demands good physical preparation. Hiring an experienced local guide is essential for finding the correct routes and staying safe in this remote highland setting.
In 1946 Tom Harrisson, who had parachuted into the highlands during the war, made the first ascent of the female peak with Lejau Unad Doolinih and five other Kelabits, then placed a commemorative board just below the summit for the crew of the Liberator shot down on its return to Morotai.
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