Mt Kinabalu prides itself on cleanliness

Keeping clean: A mountain guide collecting rubbish along the trail. — Pic courtesy of Sabah Parks

KOTA KINABALU: As popular mountains around the world such as the Himalayas are strewn with garbage and human faeces, Malaysia’s Mount Kinabalu appears to be an exception to the rule – the most common trash found on the trails to its peak is cigarette butts.

This is thanks to the mountain park’s rangers, guides and porters who run a tight ship when it comes to supervising climbers, numbering up to 60,000 every year before the Covid-19 pandemic.