1976 Mt. Kinabalu Submit

7th April 1976

The mountain guide took the group photo for us.

7th April 1976 Mt. Kinabalu Submit. 11 of us in the group. Every make to the top by sunrise before 6am. Most of them were secondary school teachers. Some of the teachers were from SMK Mat Salleh of Ranau. 


Organizer of the trip is Mr. Parama of SMK Mat Salleh of Ranau. Our Mount Kinabalu climb took two days and one night to complete.

Slow and steady, we conquered the mountain and the cold wind. 


For me, more important is I conquered my own self doubt! With the new gained self confident, I came back again to the peak with timing of only 1 day 1 night together with 4 other group members after 2 years.

Sir Hugh Low was the first person that reached the summit in 1851. The highest peak, Low's Peak, was named after him. 


I like to come back to the peak again for the 3rd time.

Photo above : Stunning view from Pana Laban Hut at 11,000 feet.

Waterfalls and water stream on rockfaces at mountain top.

The plant is getting less as you move higher. The temperature will be near to freezing point on top but never snow.


When you climb, have something to keep your fingers and ears warm. Get a raincoat ready. You will need it badly if it rains.

This is my 1st climb. 2nd time would be 1 year later with Rony from West Malaysia. Without any guide but just joining with another group of 3 who prefer to be independent without enrolling the service of a guide. This group of 3 are 2 Japanese and a German lady teacher in SMK Mat Salleh.

We explored some simple jungle trails to get a feel for what was in store for us – we would discover that the trekking over the next two days were significantly more challenging.  Our accommodations were very comfortable at the Peak Lodge.  There was a perfect view of the mountain from our deck.  Again, the constantly changing character of the mountain was an inspiration for what lay ahead.  Rain came and went throughout the afternoon into evening, giving us pause to consider what our climbing conditions would be.  By early morning, the skies had cleared........  Mount Kinabalu Climb, March 16th and 17th, 2011 : http://peterwongphotography.wordpress.com/2011/03/19/mount-kinabalu-climb-march-16th-and-17th-2011/

1978 - My 2nd Climb Mount Kinabalu

April 1978, I made a second and last climb to the tip of Mount Kinabalu.

 Photo above : Plants on the high rocky slops. The high rocky slopes reveal to adventurers many unique species of plants. Many of the world's richest variety of orchids are found on the high rockier slopes.

On the rocky slope you will discover over 800 unique species of orchids. With its wide ranging climate range and differing soil and rock conditions, this helps to create a large variety of plants. Wildlife Around Mount Kinabalu: http://EzineArticles.com/7168666 An estimated 5,000 to 6,000 plant species call Mount Kinabalu, and its surrounding National Park, home. Many carnivorous plants and orchids grow on its slopes, which also attract 326 species of birds and over 100 mammals, including orangutans, Black shrews and the gloriously-named Bornean Ferret-Badger. Mount Kinabalu : http://www.viator.com/Kota-Kinabalu-attractions/Mount-Kinabalu/d4171-a2639 The descent should take between two and four hours, depending on your level of fatigue. Sore legs, knees and ankles tend to be the limiting factor on the way down, rather than aerobic fatigue. In fact, our group found itself in more collective pain halfway down the mountain than at any other stage in the trek. The second half of the descent, through the rainforest stairs after Layang-Layang, was the most taxing. Climbing Mt Kinabalu - Day 2 :  http://www.climbmtkinabalu.com/climb2.html

Photo above : On the way down, with other climbers (in the photos). The blue rope accompanies climbers to Low's Peak begins here. On some section you  need to pull yourself up the rockface, this can be an exhilarating experience.

On our way down the views over the clouds and the valleys below are breathtaking. 

The night when we climbed up was a clear night with clouds stretched as far as the eye could see, broken intermittently with views down to the forest below. 

My 1st climb to Mount Kinabalu was in 1976 : http://wongfookyee.blogspot.com/1976/06/1976-mt.html

BUKIT TENGKORAK ARCHAEOLOGICAL HERITAGE SITE

BUKIT TENGKORAK (SKULL HILL) ARCHAEOLOGICAL HERITAGE SITE

"It is estimated that more than 6 million prehistoric potsherds can be found all over this hill" as written on a signboard at the archaeological site.

This broken piece I am holding (above photo) is from a 3000 years old pot made on the hill.

It’s Labor Day, our whole family has an outing to Semporna. A town 105 Km 1.5 hours drive from our home. Our main destination is this BUKIT TENGKORAK ARCHAEOLOGICAL HERITAGE SITE, a major pottery producing site 3,000 years ago.

It’s a dizzying day that ruined much of the fun of an outing that other wise a joyous holiday outing.

Visitor Center of the site was complete only in 2010 and is a new tourist attraction in Sabah.

This is a RM4.2 million project by Malaysia National Heritage Department aimed at preserving the historical site which showed the area's civilization

Bukit Tengkorak is one of Sabah sites with the highest prehistoric value. An important archaeological site in South-East Asia.

Situated 500 feet above sea level, Skull Hill was a volcanic rock cave and formed part of the rim of a 2km-wide volcanic crater, surrounded by numerous isolated hills and mountains.

Universiti Sains Malaysia and Sabah Museum Department since 1994 found 3 important items aged over 3,000 years on this SKULL :

1) pieces of porcelain,

2) stone equipment

3) food remnants from various marine species

Walking up the wooden stairs on the upper forested area will lead you to the site.

At the foot hill is a museum for visitors to view its historical finds.

Archeological research uncovered pottery shards in layers of ash which were probably remnants of open kilns used for firing pottery.

Historical studies point to trading between the people of Bukit Tengkorak and other prehistoric communities along the southeastern coast of Sabah.

Archaeologists believed that long-distance sea trade and migration of people in insular SEA and the Pacific moved east from Melanesia (near Papua New Guinea) to Polynesia, leaving behind what is known as the “Lapita culture” of pottery, stone tools and ornaments.

“Our research at Bukit Tengkorak shows that 3,000 years ago, people were not only moving east towards New Britain in Melanesia but also westwards towards Sabah.............This is one of the longest trading routes in the world during the Neolithic period.....”

Archeochemist Dr Stephen Chia
of University Science Malaysia
who based his PhD thesis on the site.

Dr Stephen Chia found obsidian (a volcanic glass used to make tools) at the site and traced it chemically to Talasea in New Britain, 3,500 kilometers away. His fieldwork in Southeast Asia also found stone tools and pottery similar to Bukit Tengkorak in the Zamboanga Peninsula, the Sulu Archipelago and Sulawesi.