Off the trail, into danger: Mount Kinabalu guides warn trespassers of the price rescuers pay

KOTA KINABALU, Nov 2 — Security controls at Kinabalu Park are adequate, but trespassing on prohibited trails on Mount Kinabalu puts mountain guides at risk of physical injury and adds to the burden of search and rescue (SAR) operations.

Kinabalu Mountain Guides Association chairman Danson Bulangai said restricted areas had been marked with red paint along the park boundaries, with warning signs and references to the relevant legal provisions at every sub-station to deter trespassing.

“Using unauthorised trails endangers both mountain guides and the individuals involved, who face risks including physical injury, exposure to extreme weather and altitude sickness.

“Mountain guides also have to balance SAR duties with their primary responsibility of accompanying registered climbers, but we are always ready to assist whenever an incident requires SAR operations,” he told Bernama.

He said the vast area covered by Kinabalu Park, spanning about 754 square kilometres, posed a major challenge for the authorities and mountain guides in monitoring all potential routes.

Danson stressed that trespassing incidents created the wrong perception that mountain guides’ supervision was lax, despite the association having 241 registered guides, which he said were sufficient to meet the needs of official climbing activities.

He said the standard ratio for registered climbs was one guide for every five climbers, increasing to two guides for the same number of climbers if participants were under 16.

“The number of mountain guides also takes into account several other factors, including demand for specialised guiding services,” said Danson, who has worked in the sector since 2005.

He said mountain guides also paid close attention to the use of guide ropes, which were normally kept at a standard distance of three metres from climbers to prevent accidents at high altitudes.

However, the distance was reduced to less than one metre in thick fog to prevent climbers from straying from the actual trail.

“The situation becomes more challenging when white quartz veins on the granite surface resemble guide ropes, potentially confusing climbers when visibility is limited,” he said.

He said the association was actively strengthening emergency response skills through joint training with Sabah Parks (TTS) and the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM), particularly in rope rescue techniques.

The rescue skills programme is planned to be extended to all association members in stages in the future.

The association also welcomed the planned requirement for every mountain guide to carry a walkie-talkie once repairs to the repeater system at the Panalaban sub-station were completed.

The measures followed previous incidents involving foreign trespassers, including Croatian climber Mauro Persic, 46, who was fined the maximum RM25,000 after falling and sustaining injuries to his ribs and legs while using an unauthorised trail last September. — Bernama

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哥打基纳巴卢，11 月 2 日讯——基纳巴卢公园的安全控制措施是足够的，但擅自闯入基纳巴卢山的禁行小径会使登山向导面临人身伤害的风险，并增加搜救行动的负担。

京那巴鲁山向导协会主席丹森·布兰盖表示，公园边界沿线已用红漆标明限制区域，每个分站都设有警告标志和相关法律条款，以阻止擅闯行为。

“使用未经授权的小径会危及登山向导和相关人员的安全，他们面临的风险包括身体受伤、暴露于极端天气和高原反应。

“登山向导除了要履行陪同注册登山者的主要职责外，还必须兼顾搜救任务，但只要发生需要搜救行动的事件，我们随时准备提供协助，”他告诉马新社。

他表示，京那巴鲁公园面积广阔，约 754 平方公里，这对当局和登山向导监控所有潜在路线构成了重大挑战。

丹森强调，擅闯事件造成了一种错误的印象，即登山向导的监管松懈，尽管该协会拥有 241 名注册向导，他表示这足以满足官方登山活动的需求。

他说，注册登山的标准比例是每五名登山者配备一名向导，如果参与者未满 16 岁，则每五名登山者配备两名向导。

“登山向导的数量还取决于其他几个因素，包括对专业向导服务的需求，”自 2005 年以来一直在该行业工作的丹森说道。

他说，登山向导也非常注重引导绳的使用，引导绳通常与登山者保持三米的标准距离，以防止在高海拔地区发生事故。

然而，在大雾中，为了防止登山者偏离实际路线，距离缩短到不到一米。

他说：“当花岗岩表面的白色石英脉形似引导绳时，情况就变得更加棘手，在能见度有限的情况下，这可能会使登山者感到困惑。”

他表示，该协会正积极通过与沙巴公园管理局 (TTS) 和马来西亚消防救援局 (JBPM) 的联合培训，加强应急响应技能，尤其是在绳索救援技术方面。

救援技能培训计划未来将分阶段推广到协会所有成员。

该协会还对计划要求每位登山向导在 Panalaban 变电站的中继系统修复完成后携带对讲机表示欢迎。

这些措施源于此前发生的几起外国擅闯者事件，其中包括46岁的克罗地亚登山者毛罗·佩尔西奇（Mauro Persic）。去年9月，佩尔西奇在使用未经授权的小径时坠落，导致肋骨和腿部受伤，被处以最高罚款25000令吉。——马新社

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