Mount Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
Climbing Mount Kinabalu: the climb, the people
I climbed Mount Kinabalu in Sabah. People ask about the summit, but what I filmed most was the people on the trail with me.
On that trail I was the older climber, walking and talking with Ayden, Bella Estilla's son. Two climbers a generation apart, sharing the same route up the mountain — that's the human moment this Mount Kinabalu hike actually holds.
The video above is the original footage from that climb. What it shows is the mountain, the trail, and that intergenerational stretch between us, exactly as it happened.
What I Did: walking with Ayden
I climbed Mount Kinabalu and filmed the people sharing the trail. I was the older climber walking and talking with Ayden, Bella Estilla's son. That conversation is the centre of this story.
This is my firsthand climb, not a summit-success claim or a complete hiking itinerary. I am not adding a summit time, altitude reached or trail condition that my record does not establish.
Where I Stayed: four Sutera Sanctuary Lodges properties
My stays around the climb were hosted by Sutera Sanctuary Lodges across four of their properties: Kinabalu Park, Laban Rata, Poring Hot Spring and Manukan Island. Disclosure: this was a hosted creator journey, and I credited Sutera Sanctuary Lodges in the stories I shared from the trip.
The journey spanned the mountain climb itself, the rainforest and hot springs at Poring, and an island stay on Manukan — four different settings within one hosted journey.
What I Did: the climb, told through the people
I climbed Mount Kinabalu. What I filmed most was not the summit but the people on the trail — including that stretch walking and talking with Ayden.
This is a record of my own climb, not a route guide: check current permit, guide and booking requirements with official sources before planning your own.
Before planning your own climb
Check current permits, guide requirements and accommodation availability directly with the operator. My filmed experience is not a substitute for current mountain advice.