Mount Kinabalu News & Updates

05 Jun 2025

Marking 10 years since the Kinabalu Earthquake, we honour those lost and those who carried others down to safety.

04 Jun 2025

Dwinah reflects on love, grief, and resilience after losing family in the Kinabalu Earthquake. A deeply personal remembrance.

04 Jun 2025

Mountain guide Christopher recalls leading survivors down Mount Kinabalu after the 2015 earthquake. A story of fear, courage and survival.

03 Jun 2025

Mountain guide Asram shares his harrowing rescue story from the 2015 Kinabalu Earthquake and the unbreakable spirit of those who serve the mountain.

17 May 2025

Ten years after the Kinabalu Earthquake of 2015, we remember the lives lost and honour the mountain guides who led heroic rescues through fear and devastation.

02 May 2025

Danson Bulangai, one of MountKinabalu.com's experienced in-house mountain guides, has spent decades trekking up and down Mount Kinabalu.

11 Apr 2025

After a string of tragic incidents on Malaysia’s highest peak, Sabah officials are considering new safety measures—including a potential age limit for climbers. But those who know the mountain best say age isn’t the issue—it’s awareness, preparation, and access to the right kind of adventure.

11 Apr 2025

The majestic Mount Kinabalu, rising 4,095 meters above sea level, is a dream destination for many — but the recent death of a British climber serves as a stark reminder that this mountain demands respect, preparation, and caution.

11 Apr 2025

Timpohon Gate, the primary entrance to the Mount Kinabalu summit trail, has received a major facelift. Completed in December 2024, the RM1 million upgrade breathes new life into the iconic landmark, enhancing both functionality and visitor experience.

29 Apr 2025

Summit Closure Dates for 2025
January - 29
January - 29
February - 26
March - 5, 22, 27

11 Apr 2025

A landslide triggered by continuous heavy rainfall destroyed Syameen’s Homestay in Kampung Cinta Mata, Kundasang, on 16 January 2025. Fortunately, there were no casualties reported as the building was unoccupied during the incident.

21 Nov 2024

History was made on 15 November 2024, as Hot FM’s Bekpes Hot crew – Johan, AG, Fara Fauzana, and Khairy Jamaluddin (KJ) – successfully reached the summit of Mount Kinabalu while setting a Malaysia Book of Records title for the Longest Non-Stop Radio Broadcast While Climbing Mount Kinabalu.

07 Oct 2024

Porter Daved Simpat wins the 2024 Mount Kinabalu Climbathon. Explore how he conquered Borneo’s toughest endurance race to the summit of Low’s Peak.

05 Oct 2024

Mount Kinabalu, Sabah – In a thrilling display of endurance and determination, over 200 athletes from around the world have gathered at the foot of Malaysia’s highest peak for the prestigious Mount Kinabalu Climbathon 2024. This year, the world-renowned event , often referred to as the “World’s Toughest Mountain Race,” brings together elite runners and adventurers for an exhilarating challenge against the rugged slopes of Mount Kinabalu.

28 Nov 2024

Ever wondered how many steps it takes to trek from Timpohon Gate to the Panalaban Base Camp? Wonder no more!

23 Jul 2024

KUGGp and World Heritage Site hosted a memorable ceremony to present new uniforms to all licensed Mount Kinabalu mountain guides. The event, a collaborative effort between MountKinabalu.com and Sabah Parks, was generously sponsored by Amazing Borneo Tours as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.

29 Apr 2025

A list of Mount Kinabalu summit closures. Click on the year to view the specific dates.

29 Apr 2025

Summit Closure Dates for 2024
June - 11, 19, 24
July - 13, 15, 20
August - 26, 30
September - 14, 15, 16, 17, 18
October - 21, 23, 24, 25, 26
November - 19, 22, 25
December - 13, 21, 31

12 Jun 2024

According to Explore Worldwide, Mount Kinabalu is the world's most popular hike, with over 22,000 Instagram posts per km. Read more here!

11 Jun 2024

Great news for adventure enthusiasts! The world-renowned Mount Kinabalu International Climbathon is making a grand comeback on 6 October after a seven-year break.

07 Mar 2024

Mount Kinabalu is a popular destination worldwide for its unique and challenging climbing experience. However, some scams target potential climbers, leaving them with lost deposits.

06 Dec 2023

Starting from 1st Jan 2024, all international travellers entering Malaysia will be required to fill out the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC).

09 Jun 2023

Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Environment, Datuk Christina Liew, has announced the revival of the renowned Mount Kinabalu International Climbathon, scheduled to take place in 2024.

19 Feb 2024

Please be advised that due to the ongoing drought season, there is a temporary water supply shortage at Panalaban Base Camp.

24 Feb 2024

The Kinabalu National Geopark was recently declared the UNESCO Global Geopark title, making Malaysia the 3rd country in the world to achieve the coveted Triple Crown!

23 Mar 2023

Used to be a dormitory for affordable accommodation in Kinabalu Park, Grace Hostel has been renovated into Grace Lodge, a premium lodging option, perfect for your next trip to Kundasang.

20 Mar 2023

Sabah Parks Enforced A Smoking Ban On Mount Kinabalu

28 Nov 2023

Summit Closure Dates for 2023
- January 22
- June 8
- July 16
- September 16
- November 17, 25

07 Nov 2022

The State Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry will impose a higher conservation fee on visitors to Sabah Parks effective on January 1st, 2023

02 Mar 2023

For climbers who booked with Via Ferrata activity on November 18 - 20th, 2022 kindly take note.

15 Sep 2022

A teacher from Kedah recently made a police report after she and her two friends suffered a loss worth RM18,000 to a man claiming to be a Mount Kinabalu guide.

12 Sep 2022

A 90-year-old man recently scaled Mount Kinabalu, breaking the record for the oldest Malaysian to do so!

22 Jul 2022

Climbing mountains is often used as a metaphor for life. These “sleeping giants” of the natural world can represent not only our life’s obstacles and challenges, but our perserverance and ability to overcome despite the odds. Today, we are honoured to share with you the giants who conquered a mountain. Individuals who have overcome the metaphorical mountain of life achieving yet another summit - that of Mount Kinabalu.

21 Jul 2022

Mount Kinabalu in Sabah will soon have a historic Fire Station at the Gunting Lagadan Hut area on Mount Kinabalu. It will be the world’s highest fire station at an altitude of 3,382 metres above sea level and will be the operations centre of The Mount Kinabalu Search and Rescue Team (Mosar), a team of firefighters specialised with competent expertise to conduct rescue tasks in mountainous conditions.

08 Aug 2022

Updated: Please take note that all the trails in Kinabalu Park are now open as usual.

26 Apr 2022

A weak earthquake with a magnitude of 3.7 on the Richter scale was detected in Kundasang at 9.28am today.

28 Feb 2022

Lucky climbers were greeted by snowfall over the summit of Mount Kinabalu early this morning at approximately 7:00 AM!

01 Mar 2022

A new ruling came into effect whereby travellers who are fully vaccinated and recently recovered from Covid-19 infection need not undergo quarantine.

24 Dec 2022

Summit Closure Dates for 2022
- January 7
- April 8, 9, 10, 28
- July 7, 10, 28
- August 16
- September 18
- October 17, 18
- November 1, 22
- December 11, 24

26 Jan 2023

Mount Kinabalu is now open for booking, and we welcome all travellers. Please follow these SOPs.

26 Jan 2023

The wait is finally over! Mount Kinabalu has officially reopened for climbing activities for all!

In addition, Sabah Parks has issued a new list of SOP guidelines for Mount Kinabalu operations which will take effect from 1st January 2022 onwards.

16 Jun 2021

In accordance with the "Conditional Movement Control Order" issued by the Malaysian Government to curb the sudden surge in COVID-19 cases across Sabah, Kinabalu National Park and Mount Kinabalu Climb Operations will be temporarily closed until 28 June 2021.

We are contacting our guests whose tours are impacted during this tour suspension period to offer suitable alternatives for their travel plans. For those who have made bookings with us on the above-mentioned dates, you may reschedule your tour to a new date before 31 December 2021. We urge our valued guests whose trips are impacted to hold off from calling or contacting us unless your climbing dates are within 48 hours due to possible waiting time.

02 Mar 2021

Sabah Parks' Latest Covid-19 SOP guidelines for Mount Kinabalu Climbers: Effective 05 March 2021

02 Mar 2021

Mount Kinabalu will once again reopen for climbing activities from 5th March 2021 onwards!

The announcement made by Sabah Parks TTS (Board of Trustees) on 1st March states climbing activities will be allowed to resume following a new set of strict SOP guidelines set by the Malaysian government.

18 Feb 2021

In accordance with the "Conditional Movement Control Order" issued by the Malaysian Government to curb the sudden surge in COVID-19 cases across Sabah, Kinabalu National Park and Mount Kinabalu Climb Operations will be temporarily closed until 4 March 2021.

We are contacting our guests whose tours are impacted during this tour suspension period to offer suitable alternatives for their travel plans. For those who have made bookings with us on the above-mentioned dates, you may reschedule your tour to a new date before 31 December 2021. We urge our valued guests whose trips are impacted to hold off from calling or contacting us unless your climbing dates are within 48 hours due to possible waiting time.

20 Jan 2021

Car Park Outside Kinabalu National Park Collapses From Landslide

A large section of the roadside public car park located at the entrance to Kinabalu National Park has collapsed due to a major landslide from recent heavy rain.

Signs of cracks and damage had been noticed as early as last week by witnesses and was sectioned off by Sabah Parks with danger warnings. Worsened by consecutive days of heavy rainfall, the car park began to give way during the night, and the full extent of the damage was discovered early this morning; authorities were alerted at to the scene at 7:15 am.

12 Jan 2021

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF CLIMBING TOURS from 13 JANUARY - 26 JANUARY 2021

In accordance with the "Movement Control Order" issued by the Malaysian Government to curb the sudden surge in COVID-19 cases across Sabah, Kinabalu National Park and Mount Kinabalu Climb Operations will be temporarily closed until 26 January 2021.

We are contacting our guests whose tours are impacted during this tour suspension period to offer suitable alternatives for their travel plans. For those who have made bookings with us on the above-mentioned dates, you may reschedule your tour to a new date before 31 December 2021. We urge our valued guests whose trips are impacted to hold off from calling or contacting us unless your climbing dates are within 48 hours due to possible waiting time.

10 Dec 2020

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: Reopening of Mount Kinabalu From 7th December 2020 Onwards

Mount Kinabalu has now officially reopened with the resumption of climbing activities as of 7th December 2020! It was first announced on 2nd December by Sabah state Covid-19 spokesman Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun that Mount Kinabalu would be open to visitors along with other national parks across the state.

Following this announcement, a number of new standard operating procedures (SOPs) from the Health Ministry, National Security Council are being rolled out to ensure the safety of climbers climbing post-CMCO. For instance, visitors who are 12 years and below, as well as 60 years and above, are not allowed to climb Mount Kinabalu at this time until further notice. While they can enter Kinabalu National Park, they are not encouraged to do so.

03 Dec 2020

'Monolob' Ceremony Performed For 20th Anniversary of World Heritage Site

A ‘Monolob’ ritual was performed yesterday morning at the entrance to the climbing trail, Timpohon gate, in celebration of the 20th anniversary of Mount Kinabalu’s World Heritage Site status.

The traditional Kadazandusun ritual is held each year as part of an annual ceremony to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all who visit Kinabalu Park. This year’s ceremony coincided with the 20th anniversary event and was broadcast online as a webinar on Sabah Parks’ Facebook page to allow local and indigenous groups to bear witness.

09 Nov 2020

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF CLIMBING TOURS

In accordance to "Conditional Movement Control Order" issued by the Malaysian Government to curb the sudden surge in COVID-19 cases across Sabah, Kinabalu National Park and Mount Kinabalu Climb Operations will be temporarily closed until 6 December 2020.

We are contacting our guests whose tours are impacted during this tour suspension period to offer suitable alternatives for their travel plans. We urge our valued guests whose trips are impacted to hold off from calling or contacting us unless your climbing dates are within 48 hours due to possible waiting time.

25 Sep 2020

Kinabalu Park Temporarily Closed For Two Weeks After Climber Tests Positive For COVID-19

Kinabalu Park is closed for climbers and visitors after a Mount Kinabalu climber tested positive for COVID-19 following close contact with another patient.

According to the statement by the Board of Trustees of Sabah Parks (LPATTS), the park is closed for two weeks starting 25 September until 8 October.

24 Sep 2020

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF CLIMBING TOURS from 25 SEPTEMBER - 8 OCTOBER 2020

Given the sudden surge in COVID-19 cases across Sabah’s East Coast areas, Kinabalu National Park and Mount Kinabalu Climb Operations will be temporarily closed from 25 September 2020 to 8 October 2020 for sanitation purposes.

We are contacting our guests whose tours are impacted during this tour suspension period to offer suitable alternatives for their travel plans. We urge our valued guests whose trips are impacted to hold off from calling or contacting us unless your climbing dates are within 48 hours due to possible waiting time.

16 Sep 2020

Summit Closure Dates for 2020
- September 16

07 Jul 2020

After months of the Movement Control Order (MCO), Sabah is slowly reopening businesses around the state as we try to recover from COVID-19 and practice the new norm.

14 May 2020

LATEST UPDATE - REOPENING OF KINABALU NATIONAL PARK ON MAY 16, 2020.

Given the latest announcement on the reopening of domestic tourism by the Sabah State Government, Sabah Parks has announced that Mount Kinabalu will reopen on Saturday, 16th May 2020.

26 Mar 2020

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT - TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF CLIMBING TOURS: 18 MARCH - 14 APRIL 2020

Given the unprecedented impact of COVID-19 and the latest “Movement Control Order” issued by the Malaysian Government to contain the Covid-19 spread, all Mount Kinabalu climbing activities are temporarily suspended from 18th March - 14th April 2020.

Mount Kinabalu will allow postponement to a later date between 15th April 2020 - 30th December 2020. Postponement dates are subjected to suppliers’ availability & there will be no extra charges or price increment.

30 Jan 2020

Sabahan Edward Taning will attempt to raise fund and break the world record by making a round trip to Mount Kinabalu while walking backwards! Edward Taning says climbing Mount Kinabalu the conventional way is too normal for him.

29 Apr 2025

People said that the best time to climb Mount Kinabalu is around March to September. But is it true? Well, here at MountKinabalu.com, we will tell you when you should conquer the mountain!

18 Nov 2019

For millions of years, Mount Kinabalu has stood sentry over Sabah and continues to remain sacred to the people of Sabah. On 13th November 2019, volunteers from all over Sabah participated in a clean-up programme of Mount Kinabalu, organised jointly by Sabah Parks, Sutera Sanctuary Lodges and Mountain Torq. Climbing from Panalaban all the way to Low’s Peak, they gathered over hundreds of used cigarette butts and everyday trash.

27 May 2019

Low's Peak Circuit Maintenance - FIXED

22 Apr 2019

Exercising Water Conservation Measures Due to Low Rainfall

09 Apr 2019

Opening of Two New Accommodation Blocks at Panalaban Hostel

25 Mar 2019

Good Deed Raises Awareness of Our Actions on Mount Kinabalu

06 Mar 2019

(Latest) Dry Season Causing Water Shortages at Panalaban Base Camp - Laban Rata Resthouse & Pendant Hut

07 Mar 2019

Experiencing Water Shortage Due to Drought Season - Timpohon Trail KM4 to Panalaban Base Camp

01 Mar 2019

Climbers and Mountain Guide Cleans Up Summit Trail - after being first to reach summit

15 Feb 2019

Mount Kinabalu International Climbathon - Sending it off with a heavy heart

12 Feb 2019

Shower Facilities Closed at Pendant Hut Due to Low Rainfall

16 Sep 2020

Summit Closure Dates for 2019
- January 1, 26
- July 8, 14
- August 8
- September 13, 14
- November 6, 7, 8, 9, 29

10 Dec 2018

Water Shortage at Lemaing Hut started 6th December 2018.

07 Nov 2018

Beware of scam websites while making Mount Kinabalu Climb bookings

07 Nov 2018

Be sure to be in line with Sabah Parks' new guidelines when you would like to fly a Drone in Sabah Parks Area.

13 Nov 2018

Mount Kinabalu Activities has resumed as usual on the 10th of March 2018 onwards

13 Nov 2018

KOTA KINABALU: A moderate 5.2 magnitude earthquake hit Ranau at local time 9:06pm on 8 March 2018. Tremors were felt in some parts of Sabah.

As a safety precaution, Sabah Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun has ordered the temporary suspension of Mount Kinabalu climbing activities.

19 Dec 2018

Summit Closure Dates for 2018
- January 11, 28
- February 28
- March 13
- July 7, 14, 15
- August 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9
- December 19

13 Nov 2018

Kindly take note that due to the dry season, Laban Rata Resthouse is experiencing severe water shortages and the low water pressure that cause limited water supply for shower and washroom usage...

13 Nov 2018

Mountain Torq Management (Via Ferrata Activity Provider) has issued a new policy (as of 16 Mar 2017) on footwear for all climbers participating in Mount Kinabalu Via Ferrata Activity...

13 Nov 2018

(Latest Update 25th Oct 2018) Latest All Day Dining & Beverage Menu from Sutera Sanctuary Lodges Laban Rata Resthouse.

11 Jun 2024

30th Mt. Kinabalu International Climbathon

Runners from all across the globe will gather on Malaysia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site for the 30th Mount Kinabalu International Marathon that will be held on the 15th October 2017.

13 Nov 2018

Summit Closure Dates for 2017
- January 18, 19
- March 12
- April 5
- May 20
- August 26
- October 4, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24
- December 2, 11, 24, 31

06 Nov 2017

30th Mt. Kinabalu International Climbathon

Runners from all across the globe will gather on Malaysia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site for the 30th Mount Kinabalu International Marathon that will be held on the 15th October 2017.

13 Nov 2018

Kota Belud Trail

With the addition of many new safety features at the cost of millions of dollars and the addition of a new Mountain Search and Rescue Team (PBB MoSAR) based in the town of Ranau in the foothills of Mt Kinabalu it is now confirmed safe to climb again...

19 Sep 2016

Climbathon 2016 Is Coming!

The excitement is building already in anticipation of next month’s Mount Kinabalu International Climbathon event. Elite mountain runners...

13 Nov 2018

Summit Closure Dates for 2016
- April 2
- June 20
- June 28
- September 7
- October 9
- October 21
- November 3

25 Jun 2024

Summit Closure Dates for 2015
- January 2
- June 6 – November 31

13 Nov 2018

MOUNT KINABALU EARTHQUAKE UPDATES
5 June 2016
A year after the earth shook Mt.Kinabalu with a 6.9 magnitude earthquake, a group of climbers scaled the mountain as...