Off the trail, into danger: Mount Kinabalu guides warn trespassers of the price rescuers pay

Kinabalu Mountain Guides Association chairman Danson Bulangai said unauthorised trails on Mount Kinabalu pose safety risks to climbers and mountain guides and complicate search and rescue operations. — Unsplash pic

First Published: Monday, 02 Nov 2026 7:00 AM MYT

KOTA KINABALU, Nov 2 — Security controls at Kinabalu Park are adequate, but trespassing on prohibited trails on Mount Kinabalu puts mountain guides at risk of physical injury and adds to the burden of search and rescue (SAR) operations.

Kinabalu Mountain Guides Association chairman Danson Bulangai said restricted areas had been marked with red paint along the park boundaries, with warning signs and references to the relevant legal provisions at every sub-station to deter trespassing.

“Using unauthorised trails endangers both mountain guides and the individuals involved, who face risks including physical injury, exposure to extreme weather and altitude sickness.

“Mountain guides also have to balance SAR duties with their primary responsibility of accompanying registered climbers, but we are always ready to assist whenever an incident requires SAR operations,” he told Bernama.

He said the vast area covered by Kinabalu Park, spanning about 754 square kilometres, posed a major challenge for the authorities and mountain guides in monitoring all potential routes.

Danson stressed that trespassing incidents created the wrong perception that mountain guides’ supervision was lax, despite the association having 241 registered guides, which he said were sufficient to meet the needs of official climbing activities.

He said the standard ratio for registered climbs was one guide for every five climbers, increasing to two guides for the same number of climbers if participants were under 16.

“The number of mountain guides also takes into account several other factors, including demand for specialised guiding services,” said Danson, who has worked in the sector since 2005.

He said mountain guides also paid close attention to the use of guide ropes, which were normally kept at a standard distance of three metres from climbers to prevent accidents at high altitudes.

However, the distance was reduced to less than one metre in thick fog to prevent climbers from straying from the actual trail.

“The situation becomes more challenging when white quartz veins on the granite surface resemble guide ropes, potentially confusing climbers when visibility is limited,” he said.

He said the association was actively strengthening emergency response skills through joint training with Sabah Parks (TTS) and the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM), particularly in rope rescue techniques.

The rescue skills programme is planned to be extended to all association members in stages in the future.

The association also welcomed the planned requirement for every mountain guide to carry a walkie-talkie once repairs to the repeater system at the Panalaban sub-station were completed.

The measures followed previous incidents involving foreign trespassers, including Croatian climber Mauro Persic, 46, who was fined the maximum RM25,000 after falling and sustaining injuries to his ribs and legs while using an unauthorised trail last September. — Bernama