KOTA KINABALU: The Mount Kinabalu International Climbathon will proceed to be held in October this year with a few modifications to the route and number of participant, despite initial proposals to postpone the event due to the earthquake and current economic conditions.
Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun said the climbathon was slated to be held on October 16 this year, while the participation would be by invitation only.
“The Adventure Series surely cannot take place because the trail has been badly damaged by the earthquake last year.”
However, he said climbathon would continue with its Elite Series, meaning that the quality of participants would be better.
The one-day climbathon will be slightly longer than the previous route, an increase from 8.72 kilometres to close to nine kilometres.
Climbers will begin the race at Timpohon Gate to Panalaban, Aki Point and finally the summit via the Ranau trail before making their way back down again.
“Despite the earthquake in mid-2015 and climbing activities just resumed on December 1, we at the ministry and Sabah Tourism Board have decided to hold the Mt Kinabalu International Climbathon this year with slight modifications.
“There were suggestions that we should postpone the climbathon but the event adds value to Sabah.”
Masidi said participation of the Mt Kinabalu International Climbathon would be limited to invitees only, though the exact number had yet to be determined.
“We have not decided on the actual number, but it will definitely be much lower than before,” he said in a press conference after officiating at the relaunch of the Via Ferrata on Mount Kinabalu by Mountain Torq Sdn Bhd.
He explained that the limit on the number of participants was imposed because evaluation needed to be conducted on the first few months after the opening of the trail.
“We’d like to make improvements wherever we can.”
He added that the safety of participants would be the top priority.
Nonetheless, he said the race course and participation number would be adjusted from time to time.
“The second trail, the Kota Belud trail, will be opened in mid-2016, and that will be taken into consideration on how we modify the climbathon in the future.
“We will make adjustments from time to time to make the race better,” he said.