We reached Miri international airport at about 5 pm. David, the friend I met last year in Borneo Backpackers Kota Kinabalu, promise to bring my friend and I around Miri. David and his gf bring us to a famous beach spot in Miri to watch sun set and we had a great dinner there. Then we check in The Highlands backpacking place for RM 25 per bed. After some unpacking, we walked to Imperial Mall to do some shopping. We were told that all supplies in Mulu is very expensive.

 

Today, we woke up early, David and gf fetch us to catch the sun rise at Canada Hill. Visited a few historic places in Miri and explore every corner of Miri city.

 

 

After lunch, David drove us to Miri airport to catch our 19 seater Twin Otter to Mulu. The flight took us 30 minutes and cost us RM 192 return. This plane is really small and it is pretty scary as it shakes a lot when there is heavy winds. Flying in Twin Otter is really my first time.

 

 

From Mulu Airport, the airport transfer to Mulu National Park takes 5 minutes for RM 5. We check in the headquarters long house accommodation for RM 30 per bed and paid RM 10 for Mulu National Park fees. I am really impress with the quality of the accomodations. It has clean bed and air-con too. Yes, air-con . That is nothing cause 1 km away, at Royal Mulu Resort, a 5 star hotel, they even have a disco. Can you believe it, disco in the middle of nowhere.

 

 

2.30 pm, we enrolled in Lang & Deer Cave tour for RM 5 per person. The caves are far from the headquarters, it is 1 hour walk to the cave enterance. The whole journey, there is elevated wooden walk ways to save us from walking on the muddy forest floor. Wow 1st class comfort.

 

 

We visited Lang Cave first. It is a very beautiful cave with great cave formation and the great lightings just enhanced the beauty of the cave. Next Deer Cave, it is the world largest cave and it is home to 3 million bats and Cave Swiftlets.

 

The tour is very educational, the tour guide explained how the cave is form and how water create the amazing structure inside the cave.

 

At 6pm, everyone gathers at the viewing platform outside the cave when 3 million bat will fly out from the caves while Swiftlets will fly back to the cave. A very spectacular nature show.

 

After the nature show we walked back to the headquarters for dinner at Mulu Cafe. The food pricing is indeed expensive but we don't have a choice.

 

 

 

Wake up for breakfast and pack our bags, getting ready to take the long boat to Wind and Clearwater Caves. The boat transfer is RM 25 per person but since we enrolled in the Pinnacles tour, we have to pay RM 350 per boat trip for the transfer to Wind and Clearwater Caves & Kuala Litut. Wind and Clearwater Cave tour is RM 5 per person. Both caves has their own uniquness and I enjoy Wind cave the most.

 

 

The boat ride is not a smooth one because most of the time we have to push the boat up stream. After the cave tours, we travel by boat up stream for another 1.5 hours to reach Kuala Litut.

 

 

 

From Kuala Litut, we have to carry our heavy bags to Camp 5 which is 8.8 km from Kuala Litut. This part of the journey is unguided so we have to use our jungle skills, Mulu forest maps and compass to navigate ourself to Camp 5. Just joking, we just have to follow the red and white marks and wide pathways to reach Camp 5. The 8.8 km walk is very tiring because of our heavy backbags.

 

 

After 2 hours of walking, we finally reached Camp 5. Camp 5 is just so beautiful and the best is their natural swimming pool with a magnificent view. After a tiring walk nothing beats a deep in the cool spring water in Camp 5 while admiring the limestone moutain.

 

 

Camp 5 facilities is very basic with no air-con and no cafe. Camp 5 basic accomodation, RM 20 per night. How basic? See for yourself.

 

 

No fans, no blankets, no pillows and no mosquito nets. If you think it should be cooling at night with a lots of breeze, sorry it is not. I did get some sleep, after a tiring 8.8 km walk who doesn't.

 

 

Thats my dinner, self cooked Instant Mee and canned curry chicken. Camp 5 has no cafe like the one in Mulu National Park headquarters. We have to DIY unless we enrolled with an expensive tour company, then our multi-talented tour guide will cook a feast for us. Even for this simple meal we paid RM 1.50 for the instant mee and RM 7 for the tasteless can of curry chicken.

 

 

Wake up as early as 5.30 am to cook breakfast and pack our back pack. 3 little of drinking water, some energy snacks, 100 plus (RM 5 per can, bought in Camp 5) and our lunch (Fried Rice with an egg, RM 10). We start our climb journey at 6.30 am, pinnacles guide fees RM 100 per person. Although the climb is only 2.4km but the climb is very challenging and dangerous. Our guide told us this climb is top 5 most difficult climbing trek in Malaysia and even the highest peak Mount Kinabalu climb is not listed in the top 5.

 

The first section of the climb is not that challenging with a 45 - 50 degree slope. The second section to the mid point (mini pinnacles) has a steeper slope of 50 - 60 degree. Once you reach the mini pinnacles, your guide will let you know who are fit enough to continue the second half of the journey to the pinnacles viewing point. The 3rd section is the most dangerous section with a 60 - 80 degree slope. This section is very very tiring, you need to crawl up with your hands. To add to the difficulties the whole mountain floor has sharp mini pinnacles. The mini pinnacles looks like the whole mountain is on fire thats why this mountain is call Gunung Api (Fire Mountain). The last section of the climb has 70 - 90 degree slope. There is a total 18 - 20 ladder in this section.

 

 

The climb is so tiring and so stressfull on my legs, but our park guide makes it look piece of cake. One of the freelance tour guide even climb with just sandals Respect respect.

 

 

After 4 hours of non stop climbing, finally success

 

 

 

The journey doesn't stops here. The way down is more suffering and tourturing than the climb. It takes me 5 hours to climb down. The pain in my knees is really killing me. This is really the first time the journey down is harder and more suffering than the climbing up. I actually cried in joy when I reach down.

 

 

The pinnacles climb kill my Nike shoe  not to mention lots of bruises on my legs and hand.

 

We limp back to Kuala Litut from Camp 5 to catch 9 pm boat back to the headquarters. Then with the kiasu mentality, we enrolled in the canopy tour (RM 30 per pax). Well Malaysia longest canopy right.. must experience it lah..

3.30 pm we fly back to Miri, had a real nice seafood dinner and spend the rest of the night at Coffee Bean, Bintang Plaza watching football.