2d1n Mount Kinabalu Via Ferrata - Walk The Torq
From $1,020 per person
- Length2 days
- Starts fromKota Kinabalu
- Run byBorneo Calling
- LanguageEnglish
- Minimum booking2 travellers
- On the mountain1 night on the mountain, at Pendant Hut
- CancellationNon-refundable
Permit, licensed mountain guide, park entry, insurance and your mountain hut bed are all inside the price — non-refundable, so fix your dates first
The Guinness-certified iron road
Mountain Torq’s via ferrata reaches 3,776 m and is recognised as the world’s highest.
Walk The Torq is the beginner route
Graded PD, about 380 m of route topping out at 3,520 m, and no climbing experience needed.
All the gear is in the fare
Harness, lanyards and helmet, plus the session itself.
You sleep at Pendant Hut
The via ferrata hut, which is where the compulsory briefing happens.
Private, from your Kota Kinabalu hotel
Only your own group, collected at half past six.
The world’s highest via ferrata, and what you clip into
A via ferrata is a route across a rock face made of fixed rungs, rails and steel cable. You wear a harness with two lanyards and stay clipped to the cable the whole way, which means the exposure is real and the risk is not. Mountain Torq built this one on the granite above the huts in 2007, and it is the only via ferrata in Southeast Asia at anything like this altitude.
Walk The Torq is the shorter of its two routes. It runs about 380 m, takes two to three hours, tops out at 3,520 m and is graded PD — easy. There is a monkey bridge of two cable wires and a vertical ladder, and beyond that it asks for nerve rather than technique.
Walk The Torq against the Low's Peak Circuit
| Route | Length | Time | Highest point | Grade | Minimum age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walk The Torq — included here | 380 m | 2–3 hours | 3,520 m | PD, easy | 10 |
| Low's Peak Circuit | 1.1 km | 4–5 hours | 3,776 m | AD, fairly hard | 17 |
Figures published by Mountain Torq, which operates both routes. This listing sets its own age band at 17 to 80, which is stricter than the route’s own minimum.
Summit first, then the cables
- Hotel pickup in Kota Kinabalu, 6:30am
- Transfer to Kinabalu Park
- Meet your guide, collect packed lunch
- Start hiking from Timpohon Gate
- Arrive at Pendant Hut, 3pm
- Mandatory via ferrata safety briefing
- Dinner at the Laban Rata canteen
- 2:30am start for the summit
The via ferrata comes after the summit, on the descent, which is why the second day runs several hours longer than it does on a straight walk-up.
Who this suits
Climbers who want more from the mountain than the walk up and back, and who are comfortable being clipped to a cable with a long drop below them. It suits confident first-timers as readily as experienced walkers — the route asks for nerve, not skill.
Who this is not for, and what to book instead
Anyone who does not want exposure, and anyone who would rather spend the morning coming down slowly. Take the standard two-day climb instead. If the second day sounds like too much on top of a 2:30am start, the three-day climb gives you a night to arrive on.
What the fare covers, and what it does not
Included
- ✓ 1 night's accommodation in the Pendant Hut unisex shared dormitory
- ✓ 5 meals: day 1 packed lunch and dinner, day 2 supper, brunch and late lunch
- ✓ All ground transportation, return, on a sharing basis
- ✓ English-speaking coordinator
- ✓ Park entrance fee
- ✓ Climbing insurance
- ✓ Certificate
- ✓ Mountain guide fees
- ✓ Climbing permit
- ✓ Walk The Torq via ferrata session and all gear
Paid on the mountain
- ✗ Outskirt pickup surcharge of MYR 30 per person from Rasa Ria, Karambunai, Kinarut, Papar or Ranau
- ✗ Porter fees
- ✗ Sabah Parks mountain guide overtime, MYR 15 per group per hour after 4pm
- ✗ Transport overtime if you descend after 7pm, MYR 80 per transfer
- ✗ Optional tipping
The briefing you cannot miss
At about half past three on the afternoon of day one, everybody doing the via ferrata attends a safety briefing at Pendant Hut. It is compulsory, it is not repeated, and missing it means no via ferrata the following morning. That is the single most important line on this listing, and it is the reason the day-one schedule matters more here than on the other climbs.
Know before you go
- Be at Pendant Hut for the briefing. Arrive with the group and do not push on ahead or lag behind on day one.
- It is non-refundable. Settle your dates before you pay.
- Minimum two travellers. Solo climbers pay for the pair.
- Wet granite changes the via ferrata. A June climber found it harder than expected in the rain, so pack gloves that grip.
- Porter fees are MYR 14.00 per kilogram, and guide overtime after 4pm is MYR 15 per group per hour.
- Ages 17 to 80 on this listing, which is stricter than the route itself. Check it before booking a family group.
What climbers say about the iron road
“Walk The Torq was easily the best part of the Mount Kinabalu climb. The views were extraordinary and the gear felt completely secure. Climbing on my own, I was looked after from start to finish.”
Tripadvisor reviewer · Solo climber · July 2026
“Climbed Mount Kinabalu in June and had a great time despite the rain every afternoon. My guide Apson set a pace that got me up and back without trouble. The via ferrata was harder than I expected in the wet.”
Tripadvisor reviewer · Solo climber · June 2026
“The Walk The Torq session was the highlight, mostly because I had the guide entirely to myself. One to one made it far more enjoyable than it would have been in a group.”
Tripadvisor reviewer · Solo climber · June 2026
“Our Mount Kinabalu climb was coordinated well from end to end, from the transport through to the accommodation. It felt smooth and safe throughout.”
Tripadvisor reviewer · Group of friends · May 2026
“The itinerary was well planned, though the schedule was tight in places. The side trip to Kundasang was a real bonus, and Pendant Hut was better than I expected.”
Tripadvisor reviewer · Group of friends · May 2026
“My fifth summit of Mount Kinabalu and my first time on the Low's Peak Circuit. Professionally run, with experienced guides.”
Tripadvisor reviewer · Repeat climber · May 2026
Questions about this climb
Do I need climbing experience for Walk The Torq?
No. It is graded PD, the easier of the two Mountain Torq routes, and you are clipped to a fixed cable the whole way. All the gear is included in the fare.
What happens if I miss the safety briefing?
You do not do the via ferrata. The briefing at Pendant Hut is compulsory and it happens at about half past three in the afternoon. There is no repeat, and no via ferrata the next day if you miss it.
Do I still climb to the summit?
Yes. The via ferrata happens after the summit, on the way down, which is what makes day two several hours longer than a straight walk-up.
Is this the world's highest via ferrata?
The Low's Peak Circuit at 3,776 m holds that certification. Walk The Torq is the shorter route on the same system, topping out at 3,520 m, and it is the one included here.
What if I would rather not do the cables?
Then take the standard two-day climb instead. Same mountain, same summit, a shorter second day and a lower fare.
How long is the second day?
Long. You are up at half past one, on the summit before dawn, then back down to the hut and out onto the via ferrata for another two to three hours before the descent proper starts.
Other ways up the mountain
- 2D1N Mount Kinabalu Climbing — From $920 per person, 2 days
- Mount Kinabalu Climbing 3 Days 2 Nights — From $1,200 per person, 3 days
Or see All Mount Kinabalu Tours and compare every climb side by side.
The summit, then the world’s highest iron road
Walk The Torq, all the gear, the permit, the guide and Pendant Hut — one booking.
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