A small twin engine airplane is the only way to get to Gunung Mulu National Park in Sarawak Borneo, and looking out the window you will be overwhelmed with the vastness of the jungle that lay below. Once you have landed on the isolated runway, you truly feel in the middle of nowhere.
A climb to the mysterious pinnacles is the star attraction of Gunung Mulu. The Pinnacles are a stone forest jutting 45 metres out of the earth in razor sharp formations. Part of the fun and challenge is getting there. Make your way to the parks headquarters and you can book your multi-day excursion deep into the heart of the Borneo Jungle.
You will arrive most likely in the afternoon, so book a dorm room for the night. Meeting other trekkers, you can arrange to share a boat and guide to bring down the costs. It can be quite expensive to hire a private boat so it is worth it to make friends quickly as people tend to pair up fast.
The Pinnacles is not an easy undertaking. You must carry your own food to last for 3 days and carry your garbage out with you. The trek itself involves a 2-hour boat ride to the start of an 8.9 km trail which takes you to Camp 5 situated at the base of the Pinnacles and the entrance to the Headhunters. trail.
At 7:00 am you start the journey up the Melinau river. The water can be low and the driver and navigator earn their money as they pull it through shallow water careful to avoid rocks and logs. Once you arrive at the trail entrance, make sure to inform the captain how many days you will be staying so that you are not stranded.
It is now that you begin the 8.8 km jungle hike. It is an adventure to say the least.
Within the first kilometre, you will come across your first of two river crossings. The water can be high and fast so there is a rope spanning the river as a safety line to keep from falling over and being swept away. Once you are across, make sure to check for leaches. Even thought you can't feel them, you can be sure that they have latched on somewhere.
Your destination, Camp 5 is in a beautiful location surrounded by large cliffs, a quiet stream and lush jungle. Here is where you will relax for the night before your climb. Be sure you bring an ample supply of food with you, because there isn't any provided. There is a kitchen so you can cook whatever you bring, just be sure to take the waste with you when you leave.
The accommodations are very rustic and basic, but that is the appeal of going to the Pinnacles. Everyone sleeps in one room on a row of vinyl mats placed in a raised wooden platform. Nobody sleeps well however, because of the anticipation and excitement of the climb.
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.
Giant white stones, jutting out of the jungle like sharks teeth, the Pinnacles are majestically poised for your viewing. The silence is unsettling and soon, clouds and mist roll in making the pinnacles even more ominous. They turn to a darker shade of grey and take on an even more dramatic look as they tower over the trees.
You can only sit and look on for so long however, because the climb down is even more difficult than the climb up and you have to be back at camp before the sun goes down. It is a slippery and exhausting climb, but to be among the rare few that venture to this part of the world and make it to the look out for this magical view is worth every ache and blister.
To explore everything in Gunung Mulu National park could take months. The Sarawak Chamber, the largest cave chamber in the world, rock climbing, the head hunters trail, The summit of Gunung Mulu and the Bario and Kelabit Highlands are just a few of the things that you can do at Gunung Mulu. But rest assured, whatever you choose to do in Sarawak, it will definitely be and adventure.
Debra Corbeil is one half of Canada's Adventure Couple with her husband Dave Bouskill. Together they have traveled to over 30 countries on 5 continents. Follow their journeys at http://www.theplanetd.com as they hike, bike, dive, trek and climb their way around the globe. You can also see their photo stories at http://www.picturetheplanet.com
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