KOTA KINABALU: The safety of climbers and guides at Mount Kinabalu remains a priority for Sabah Parks.
Its director Dr Maklarin Lakim said mountain guides, porters and other park workers, as well as the Mountain Search and Rescue (Mosar) team, have constantly kept updated with safety practices over the years.
“We have a system we adhere to, from the number of climbers allowed up Mount Kinabalu to the ratio of guides to climbers.
“Therefore, we always follow safety guidelines in the best interests of all our climbers and staff,” he said on Wednesday (Dec 6).
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Maklarin had been asked about the safety aspects on Mount Kinabalu following a recent incident when water gushed down the mountainside following heavy rain.
In the incident on Monday (Dec 4), 49 climbers were safely brought down after mini-waterfalls and streams formed following a downpour at around 5.50am.
Maklarin said as standard practice, climbers would only be allowed to continue their journey to the summit if the weather is good.
“The weather condition at around 2am was good, and that is the time we usually start bringing climbers to the summit,” he said, adding that was not their first such experience.
He said it started to rain at around 4am, and the streams formed soon afterwards.
Maklarin said some climbers even felt that the incident served as a challenge and a memorable experience.
