All in a day’s work for Kinabalu porters

FOR as long people have been trekking up Mount Kinabalu to conquer the nation’s highest peak, porters have been part of that experience.

They have been called human mules – and understandably so – these porters have strapped everything from trekkers’ backpacks, food and cooking gas tanks on their backs and carried them over a 6km steep trail from the base of the mountain to Panalaban – where the lodgings for weary climbers are located.

Like the Sabah Park rangers, mountain guides and staff of the lodges at Panalaban among others, porters have been an indispensable part in making it possible for climbers to make that trek up to Low’s Peak, the mountain’s highest peak.

Porters making the trek up to Mount Kinabalu to deliver goods.

And yet throughout the decades of trekking on Mount Kinabalu, porters have largely been in the background – carrying the loads on their backs without much fuss.

There have been the occasional photos taken by trekkers of porters carrying seemingly impossible loads up the mountain. A case in point was the picture of a porter lugging up a 400 gallon water tank circulating on social media some years ago.

By and large, however, the porters, many of whom are from the Kadazandusun communities around the mountain in Ranau and Kota Belud districts, have stayed away from the spotlight.

Just another day on the job – Javy hiking up the mountain with two television sets strapped to his back for delivery at Panar Laban.

In recent years however, as more social media savvy youths have taken up the job, some have begun telling their stories on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

Among them and quite likely one of the most prolific is 26-year-old Javy Mius, whose JVY Waterproof TikTok channel features dozens of short video clips describing his work routine.

Though he began working as a porter in 2017 soon after completing his Form Six studies in his native district of Ranau, it was only two years ago that Javy began posting on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok with the latter gaining the most traction.

Javy posing for a photograph along the mountain trail.

His journey as a content creator began as a response to a lament on social media.

“A climber complained of the high prices of food and drinks at Panalaban. Didn’t he realise that anything he ate there, whether it’s rice, chicken or the coffee he drank, had to be carried up there? That adds to the cost,” said Javy, who grew up at Kampung Waang in the foothills of the mountain.

“I also wanted to show those who have not climbed the mountain what the trail is like and the conditions there so that they will be better prepared.

Two metal beams were among the construction material Javy has hauled up on his back up the mountain. Others include sacks of sand and cement.

“That’s why I decided then to upload videos of what I do, the things we as porters carry up and bring down the mountain,” he explained, adding that since he started, the videos he uploaded are minimally edited.

As for the things that he has strapped on his back and hauled up the mountain, they have included several dozen egg trays and all types of food.

Among the more memorable loads were two 50-inch television sets and among the heaviest items he has carried was a 68kg sack of sand for a contruction site.

Javy taking a breather at a hut along the trail on the mountain.

On most days however, the average weight strapped on his back is about 58kg that could include food items or sheets and towels for the lodges. And Javy, like other porters, will carry down used sheets and towels as well as other solid waste on the return trip down the mountain.

“The most difficult load for me was those trays of eggs. I wrapped them with card board to protect them and I was careful to avoid tree branches during the hike. Nevertheless, some were cracked by the time I got to Laban Rata.

“Carrying a tray of eggs from the shop to the house is one thing but carrying trays of them up the mountain is something else,” he said.

Describing his work as tough especially when he has to trek up the mountain with a heavy load during a downpour, Javy said he has gotten used to it. A climber saw him under those circumstances and he appeared to be “waterproof”, hence the handle he chose for his Tik Tok account.

Cooking gas cylinders, each weighing 16kg, are among the essential items brought up the mountain on a daily basis by porters.

“But I will use a raincoat when the rain is heavy. It’s better not to risk getting sick,” he said, adding that a long break – four days or more – puts him at a disadvantage as his stamina would have dropped.

Javy, who took on the job out of necessity, said he has come to like the work and will remain for as long as he is physically able.

“There is no pressure or stress. The work and the pace, it’s all up to me. I only have to motivate myself,” said Javy.

As long as Javy and others working on the mountain continue to share their experiences, the daily routine up and down Mount Kinabalu is only a tap away for the rest of us.