"It is back, that incredible backdrop of teeth and fangs, gulley, precipice, cliff, plateau, gorge, peak, projectile, point - you name it, Kinabalu has it, up there above you, black and tense, looking as if forged in iron and dropped into place as a vast casting. Surely this is the most complete statement of 'I am a Mountain' made anywhere on this earth."

- Tom Harrison, Frontispiece to Kinabalu Summit of Borneo, 1978

Overview
This expedition consists of 4 major phases. A preparation phase, in which food and supplies are ferried to our resupply point, will be followed by phase II, a technical traverse of the of the Mesilau Pinnacles. In phase III, we plan to climb and gather data for a climbing guide to Mt. Kinabalu. Phase IV involves the first Canadian descent (also only the 2nd full descent) of the classic and committing Low’s Gully. Outward Bound Sabah (OBS) is kindly providing logistical and basecamp support for this expedition.

Phase I
Four days will be spent shuttling gear up the tourist trail to Laban Rata to resupply future phases. One return trip to the hut can be completed in a day. It is expected that a mininimum of two and a maximum of three shuttles will be necessary. In accordance to local customs, we will arrange a traditional ceremony prior to our expedition embarking in order to appease the mountain spirits - the Dusun people believe that the spirits of their dead ancestors reside on the summit.

Phase II
By ascending the E-ridge through steep jungle terrain, we intend to gain a position below the Mesilau Pinnacles. From here we will complete the first traverse of the pinnacles to reach the Eastern plateau. From previous observations, it is believed that this traverse will involve technical free and aid climbing. From here, we plan to descend to the resthouse complex of Laban Rata (11 000 ft) where we shall resupply from previously cached food and equipment for the next stage of the expedition.

Phase III
On previous ascents of Mt. Kinabalu, I compiled all of the existing information on rock climbing routes into a rough, unpublished guidebook to the area. In phase III, we intend to spend 12-14 days climbing both established and new routes and gathering data for a complete guidebook to the area. Copies of the completed guidebook (completed on return to Canada) will be donated to Outward Bound Sabah, members of the small local climbing community and to Sabah Parks for the purpose of encouraging the development of a local climbing community in Sabah.

Phase IV
The descent of Low’s Gully will be the most committing and spectacular element of this expedition. Our party will approach the gully via Easy Valley from the col between Tunku Abdul Ramen Peak and King George Peak. From a base camp in Easy Valley, we will wait for dry weather to begin our descent. In contrast to the sieged descent of the gully in 1997 by a group from the UK (this was the first complete descent of the gully), we intend to move in a fast, lightweight fashion. While increasing the commitment of the route, as exiting the gully is very difficult without leaving 100’s of metres of fixed line, this approach will maximize our chances of being out of the gully before wet weather arrives. The primary hazard in descending Low’s Gully is from torrents of water which inundate the route given any precipitation on the bare summit plateaus. We anticipate this descent will take 4-5 days from a base camp in Easy Valley. Although March is the driest time of year, we are allotting 8 days for the descent. This provides 3-4 days of buffer in the event of having to wait out poor conditions.

Conclusion
On returning to Park Headquarters, we will complete our expedition by re-ascending to Laban Rata and retrieving any leftover food, equipment or garbage. Anything left cached in Easy Valley prior to our descent of Low’s Gully, shall also be retrieved. This should take 2-3 days.

Back at OBS, we will wrap up our expedition by providing a training opportunity for Outward Bound staff. During previous visits to OBS, I conducted several similar training courses for OBS staff and park guides. The purpose of this training will be threefold:

1. To foster a respect and appreciation for the mountain environment
2. To encourage the development of a safe local climbing community and the development of a local climbing ethic.
3. To provide an opportunity for local Sabahans to learn more about the theory and practice of mountaineering.