Dressing Up for the Occasion

If you think about it, Sabah & Kinabalu Park, a designated World Heritage site, encompass at least 4 different climatic zones. So the key phrase is "Dress in Layers".

Here's what my wife advises :
"On the lower slopes, you can actually feel hot if you're wearing trousers & long-sleeves plus carrying your backpack (see her breezy aerobics gear early on the Mesilau Trail). From Laban Rata to the summit, I basically wore a high-tech wind-cheating pair of hiking trousers (Arc'teryx) and thermal long-sleeved top (Marmot), with my spare aerobics gear underneath & wind-breaker outside."

Another truism about mountain-climbing is the fact that the weather changes ever so swiftly. You may start off with clear, blue skies first thing in the morning, but by the afternoon, the clouds may suddenly gather & rain on you by 3 or 4 pm.

Remember, as a dermatologist, I always throw in my best advice as :
"Slip, slop, slap" just as the Australians do, to protect against sunburn. Slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen and slap on a hat. Plus "wrap" a pair of sunglasses to protect your eyes as well. There's also an oral supplement that is essentially an antioxidant which confers extra protection. It's called "Heliocare or polypodium leucotomos". Use it with a few caveats in mind - there's not enough data for its use in the young & in pregnancy and it's always prudent to check for drug interactions if one is on medications.

Remember that even on cloudy days, you can get burnt because UV rays still get through. Bad sunburns can induce painful blisters. And the damage from excessive sun exposure in the longterm is Premature Ageing of the Skin and Skin Cancer. You have been forewarned.

Another thing, on a mountain trek like Kinabalu, alpine hiking poles (like Leki) will ease the wear & tear on your knees. Waterproof, sturdy hiking shoes (like Columbia) will guard against ankle sprains & frostbite at the summit where wind chill temperatures can plummet below zero degrees Celsius!