68 students scaled Gunung Trus Madi in record time

KENINGAU: Climbing to the summit of Gunung Trus Madi by 68 students of SMK Keningau Bingkor earlier this week, will almost certainly be recorded in the Malaysian Book of Records as the quickest climb made in less than 24 hours besides the attainment of having the largest number of climbers at one time. The inspiration for this achievement is a tribute to a long serving and dedicated principal.

“This success is for our principal, Tuan Hj. Sahumin Hj. Mohd Daud who will be going on compulsory retirement, said program coordinator, Saidil Mazlan Abdul Razak.

Sahumin will be going on compulsory retirement in 2011 after years of selfless dedicated service to the nation.

“We created this challenging situation as an expression of our commitment to pay tribute to a caring and dedicated person,” said Saidil.

Gunung Trus Madi, the second highest mountain in Malaysia, is 2,642 meters or 8,668 feet above sea level – the group of students of SMK Keningau Bingkor became the first in the country to reach the peak en masse and in less than 24 hours. The Management of Sabah Forestry Department has confirmed that it is the first climb of its kind in Malaysia.

“The climb by the group of students are very significant enough to be recorded in The Malaysian Book of Records,” said Saidil.

Saidil said, 7 buses and 4 four-wheel drive vehicles were used to transport the students, starting from SMK Bingkor to Kg. Kaingaran, Tambunan. The students were then divided into 16 groups and taken by four-wheel drive vehicles from Kg. Kaingaran to the Base Camp.

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Sabah eyes RM4.7 billion in tourism receipts this year

KOTA KINABALU: Tourist arrivals to Sabah are expected to increase to 2.6 million with receipts of RM4.7 billion this year from 2.5 million and RM4.4 billion, respectively last year, said Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Datuk Masidi Majun.

“We will not be attracting more numbers, but rather focusing on quality, high yield and long staying visitors,” he said at the opening of a forum themed ‘From Philanthropy to Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)’ at a leading hotel here yesterday.

It was organised by Malaysian Institute of Management (MIM) and Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS).

Compared with the national tourist arrivals for 2010 which recorded 26.4 million visitors and generating RM56.5 billion in receipts (estimated at RM1 billion a week), Masidi said Sabah only had a ten per cent share of arrivals and 13 per cent in receipts.

He added that the state needed to develop high quality physical infrastructure, as well as maintaining high standards and services of existing facilities.

“Tourism development in Sabah in the past was guided by the 1st Sabah Tourism Masterplan (STMP) 1996-2010,” he said, adding that the 2nd STMP (2011-2025) has identified many challenges which the state has to overcome to bring the tourism industry to the next level.

“The most challenging is improving infrastructure for accessibility (to interesting spots in the interior).” Citing Gunung Trusmadi, Malaysia’s second highest peak after Mount Kinabalu, he said there was no proper road leading to the foothill.

Masidi said accessibility is a problem in Sabah. Most of the tourist arrivals are by air, whereas in the Peninsula there are good road linkages. He lamented that federal funding was either not enough or came too late for infrastructure development, resulting in insufficient time to implement.

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Time to climb Sabah's Trusmadi

Ever heard of Trusmadi? No? Figures. All everyone knows is Mt Kinabalu. Nobody remembers No 2.

Maybe it’s true what they say about being Number Two — nobody knows, let alone remembers you.

Everyone and his brother know Gunung Kinabalu is the highest mountain in Malaysia, and many, many people have climbed it. That’s how it is when you are Numero Uno. What about the second highest mountain in Malaysia?

What is the second highest mountain in Malaysia?

Most of the time, there’s a deafening silence because so few people have ever heard of Gunung Trusmadi in Sabah, which, at 2,642m above sea level, is a relative dwarf compared to Kinabalu.

But that’s no reason not to climb it, which was why five companions and I found ourselves in a speeding minivan on a scenic drive across the Crocker Range. This rugged range of mountains is virtually in the backyard of Kota Kinabalu, yet little visited by tourists.

To one side of the road, down a deep ravine, was a rushing river, while a slab of verdant rainforest rose vertically on the other side. Clouds of mist rose, wraith-like, from damp valleys far below to obscure the road.

From the heights of the Crocker Range, some 80km later, we descended into the flat, sunlit valley of Tambunan. There were golden fields of padi in the late afternoon light, a clear blue sky and lush surrounding hills. The air was sweet.

Tambunan could have qualified as the most idyllic postcard-village in the state. The roads were straight and well-paved, the buildings in good repair and the town itself looked scrubbed and prosperous.

We put up at a little resort a short distance from town. Our hut, basic but adequate, looked out to a disused football field beyond which was a shallow, rippling river crossed by a wire suspension bridge. The small riverside restaurant served surprisingly good food to the few customers it had. Hot food, good companions, a murmuring river nearby, peace and quiet in a remote corner of the country — what more could one ask for?

The next morning, our two 4WDs left the tarred road for an unpaved logging road a few kilometres from Tambunan town. The air was cool and fresh, with logged forest on either side of the road. At some point, the gradient became steep enough for our driver to lock the freewheels of the vehicle. Some distance later, we turned a corner and I gaped.

Up ahead was the largest butterfly I had ever seen in my life. It was a Rajah Brooke Birdwing, no less, with distinctive green triangles on black wings, but with a wingspan well over 3m wide.

For a fleeting moment, the thought of Nature striking back for all the indignities we heap upon the blemished land crossed my mind — the Attack of the Giant Butterflies. And that was before I noticed the giant Rafflesia and giant pitcher plant near the butterfly.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Time to climb Sabah's Trusmadi
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