Heading to Mount Kinabalu

Today I met up with my hiking group and we took a 5 hour bus ride from KK to Mount Kinabalu park headquarters. About halfway there, the road became really curvy and the weather turned to fog and then pouring rain. All I could do was hope for clear weather by tomorrow, since I really didn't want to hike in the rain. By late afternoon, we arrived at the park headquarters and got a good look at the mountain. What did I get myself into?

We arrived at the dorms by the Mesilau trailhead and had to walk up a steep slippery hill to get to our rooms. Right then, I started to question whether I would be able to make the climb. I was already cold - and this was the section where you supposedly could wear shorts!!
The group had dinner together at the Mesilau Nature Resort where we were briefed for tomorrow's climb. One couple had taken a short stroll on the trail before dinner and said it was too hard. The tour leader made alternate arrangements for them to spend the night near park headquarters and hike the flat trails at the bottom of the mountain. Three others also decided that the Mesilau Trail was too hard and asked to start at the Timpohan Gate. Now there were 3 of us - a German couple, me, and our guide Neils.

The dorm rooms were freezing (I wore all the clothes I had to bed). After a cold, shivering night, morning finally arrived and it was time to start the hike.