Field Trips Registration

Mulu National Park, Sarawak
Departing Kota Kinabalu morning of 20 June, returning Kota Kinabalu afternoon of 24 June

Gunung Mulu National Park covers over 500 km2 of karst and caves in Sarawak. This 5D4N trip will be based at Mulu National Park HQ and will comprise a series of day trips focusing on karst geomorphology and visiting a number of caves

Last date for booking: 27 April

Maliau Basin: Sabah’s Lost World
Departing Kota Kinabalu morning of 29 June, returning evening of 3 July.

Maliau Basin is a remarkable geomorphological feature, deep in the heart of Borneo. The crater-like basin is up to 25 km and the elevation of the rim ranges from 1000 to 1700 m. During the Early to Mid-Miocene, the Maliau area was a shallow coastal sea receiving huge quantities of sediment from the freshly uplifted Crocker Mountains to the west. The rapid accumulation of material in deltaic-coastal environments caused sagging of the underlying East Sabah mélange and the formation of a number of saucer-shaped depressions. Uplift of the area commenced around 10 million years ago prompting further deformation of the depression and the development of the spectacular Maliau Basin. The imposing scarp slopes of the basin inhibited access to the basin interior and there is no evidence of any human occupation other than occasional foraging parties. It took several scientific expeditions before a route into the basin was established in the 1980s. The ecosystem within the basin, which is strongly influenced by geology and soils, is therefore pristine. The basin lies within the Sabah Foundation timber concession but has been gazetted as a conservation area. Several temporary camps have been established in the basin and a field centre at Park HQ was opened in 2007.

Yayasan Sabah will organise a 5D4N hiking trip to Maliau Basin from 29 June to 3 July, traveling overland across the Crocker Range from KK to Maliau by 4WD vehicles. The hiking route will first climb to the southern rim of the basin and then proceed onward to Maliau Falls. The hiking requires a high level of fitness and will involve moving between camps.

Last day for booking: 4 May

Mount Kinabalu Climb
Departing Kota Kinabalu morning of 29 June, returning evening of 30 June.
*** subject to allocation of climbing permits ***

At 4101 m Mount Kinabalu is the highest peak between the Himalayas and New Guinea. The mountain forms the northern extension of the Crocker Range, formed by the Mid-Miocene intrusion of a granite batholith. The summit was glaciated at least once during the Pleistocene. The summit climb is not technically demanding, but requires a high level of fitness. This will be a 2D1N trip. On the first day climbers progress as far as the Laban Rata hostel at 3000 m elevation. Rising around 2.30 am the following morning the climb continues by flashlight (pr moonlight) to reach the summit for sunrise.

Last day for booking: 4 May. Places allocated first come-first served.

The middle day of the conference (27 June) will be reserved for local field excursions. Destinations will include:

• Mount Kinabalu National Park
• Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park (coral reefs)
• Klias Wetlands and Peatswamp Forest