KOTA KINABALU: Climbers’ confidence on Mt Kinabalu after the 5.9 richter scale quake that rocked Ranau 18 months ago is improving.
Sabah Parks director, Dr Jamili Nais said that they were seeing an increase in the number of climbers at the mountain, particularly since the launch of the new Kota Belud trail.
He said that the quota for climbers allowed on the mountain daily was only 135 climbers after the quake which transpired on June 5, 2015.
Prior to the quake, the quota was set at 194 climbers per day.
The quake robbed 18 people of their lives, including four mountain guides.
Based on statistics derived from the Sabah Parks, the number of climbers scaling the mountain in 2015 was 33,414 people comprising 19,426 Malaysians and 13,988 non-Malaysians.
Last year, the total climbers went up to 37,805 people comprising 17,357 Malaysians and 20,508 non-citizens.
When mountain climbing was re-allowed but only up to Laban Rata in Sept 2015, the number of climbers for three months were less than 900 people.
However, once the trail up to the summit was re-started on Dec 1, 2015, the total climbers rose, he said.
Prior to the quake in 2014, a total of 58,428 climbers comprising 30,151 Malaysians and 28,277 non-Malaysians went up Mt Kinabalu.