NST

19 November 2007

KOTA KINABALU: Mount Kinabalu has added another feather to its famous cap. It now has the world's highest via ferrata and the first in Asia.

Via ferrata, or iron road, is a mountaineering sport that originated in Italy during World War 1. It is a mountain route equipped with fixed rungs, rails, cables, stemples (crossbars and supports), ladders and bridges.

It makes otherwise isolated routes accessible to people with a wide range of climbing abilities. The sport is popular all over Europe.

Introduced in September, Mount Kinabalu's via ferrata is the highest in the world, starting at 3,200 metres and ending at 3,800m above sea level. The next highest is in Italy, ending at 3,600m.

"The sport is still new and relatively unknown here. We offer it as an additional activity to those climbing the mountain," said Adventure Factors Mountaineering Centre Sdn Bhd sales and marketing director Quek I-Gek, adding that more than 50 people have tried it since the company introduced it.
There are three routes. From Laban Rata, there is the beginners "walk the torq". The "preamble" is a slightly more difficult route, with the hardest being the "Low's Peak Circuit".

Adventure Factors's technical and operations director Wilfred Tok said that Mount Kinabalu was an ideal location for a via ferrata with its rocky granite mountain top.

"Most mountains of that height are covered in snow. The terrain and the environment here are perfect for this kind of mountaineering," said Tok, an experienced rock climber of 20 years.

"Doing the via ferrata route, a climber will experience the mountain through the eyes of a rock climber. The views, the terrain and the experience is unrivalled," he added.

The via ferrata is the first of the company's plans to expand mountaineering activity in the region. It is suitable for anyone aged 10 to 70.

"Establishing Mount Kinabalu as Asia's first mountaineering centre will be a big boost to tourism and put it on the map for mountaineers and adventure seekers.

"The potential is very good, given the number of people who climb the mountain," said Quek.

The company plans to make official the record for the highest via ferrata in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Photos by Mountain Torq