Gunung Mulu national Park in Sarawak Malaysia is a must see destination on anyone’s list visiting Borneo. Take a twin engine plane from Kuching and fly over the vast jungle. By air is the only way to get to the park and once you land you feel as if you are in the most remote corner of the world.
The most magnificent sight in Gunung Mulu would have to be the Pinnacles. Several people trek out to see them daily and they will not disappoint. The pinnacles are a cluster of 45 meter high limestone formations, standing tall like sentries in the jungle.
Before booking your trek, it is good to check with other travelers to see if they are going to the pinnacles also. If so, you can share the cost of boat and guide and it feels more comfortable trekking through the jungle in a larger group.
You have to bring your own food with you, so if you did not bring anything on your flight, you can go to the canteen to stock up. Pack lightly because you have to carry everything on your back. After being dropped off by boat 2 hours into the jungle, you will have to hike 8.9 km to your camp. Make sure to bring enough to eat for 3 days and remember to carry all of your waste back out.
Don’t forget to tell your driver how long you will be at the Pinnacles. Give them an approximate time and exact day that you will meet them for a ride back to park headquarters. They will be ready and waiting for you when you emerge from the jungle.
After a long and adventurous boat ride where you will stop to look at amazing caves, villages and incredible scenery, you are let off to set out alone on an 8.9 km trail leading to Camp 5 where you will make camp for the night.
The trek is an adventure, you will be crossing rivers, fending off leaches and walking through spider webs. The first river crossing can be quite an adventure if the water is high, but never fear, there is a rope provided to keep you from being swept down river.
Camp 5 isn’t as rustic as it sounds. There are a couple of buildings containing a kitchen, showers, toilets and an area to relax. It is situated in the middle of high limestone cliffs with a little river running beside it. It is a nice lace to make your dinner and settle in for the night meeting fellow travelers and getting to know your guides.
Your sleeping arrangements are a dorm room with mats sitting on a raised platform. It is definitely a roughing it experience, but that is exactly what you came to the Pinnacles to do. Be at one with nature. Who can sleep anyway when you are about to view a natural wonder.
At 6:00 am sharp, you will meet your guide with your water bottles filled and begin to climb. You must reach a certain section of the climb by 11:00 am, otherwise you will not be able to go on. This section is the steepest part of the trek and has 17 aluminum ladders bolted and fastened into the mountain to help with the climb. It can be tricky and you always need to make sure to have 3 points of contact at all times for safety.
Many people that try to climb the Pinnacles do not summit. It is not a high climb, but it is a technically challenging climb without safety ropes. You cross crevasses on metal beams and balance on rocks while holding onto a rope over head. It is a challenge, but the payoff is definitely worth the effort.
Coming off of the trail and turning a corner, you are treated to one of the most spectacular sights on the planet.
An amazing vision of huge stones pillars unfold before your eyes. Razor sharp, grey stones stand side by side towering over the jungle. Take your time to really enjoy the view. Clouds roll in and out creating a different feeling with each pass. As it grows darker they become more dramatic, when the sun re-emerges, they have a light and peaceful glow.
You have probably heard the saying “climbing down is the hardest part?” Well this holds true for the pinnacles climb. Don’t linger to long to look at the formations, because you still have hours ahead of you as you go back the way you came up. This time climbing down ladders and crevasses and down-climbing some steep cliffs. Once you make it to camp 5 however at the end of the day, you will forget all about your trials and tribulations and be grateful to have experienced such an adventure.
Climbing to the pinnacles is definitely a highlight of any visit to Gunung Mulu, but there are other spectacular things to see here as well. An must is to take a 3 km trek out to Deer Cave to see 2 million bats circle above high in the sky at sunset at they feed on insects. Visit the Sarawak Cave, the worlds largest cave chamber and enjoy exploring its many trails, most notably the Head Hunters. If you are making a trip to Malaysian Borneo, make sure to take extra effort to visit Gunung Mulu National Park.
