Mount Mulu ( ms, Gunung Mulu) is a

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicat ...

and

shale Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock formed from mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4) and tiny fragments (silt-sized particles) of other minerals, especiall ...

mountain. At 2376 m, it is the second highest mountain in the state of

Sarawak Sarawak (; ) is a state of Malaysia. The largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak is located in northwest Borneo Island, and is bordered by the Malaysian state of Sabah to the northeast, ...

, after Mount Murud. It is located within the boundaries of

Gunung Mulu National Park The Gunung Mulu National Park is a national park in Miri Division, Sarawak, Malaysia. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that encompasses caves and karst formations in a mountainous equatorial rainforest setting. The park is famous for its ca ...

, which is named after it.

History

In the 19th century, Spenser St. John and Charles Hose, attempted to conquer Mount Mulu. However, their attempts failed. It was only in the 1920s, when a Berawan rhino hunter named ''Tama Nilong'' discovered the south-west ridge near the mountain which eventually led to the summit. In 1932, ''Tama Nilong'' led Lord Shackleton and an Oxford University Expedition to the summit of Mount Mulu.

Climbing route

There is only one trek leading to the summit of Mount Mulu. The summit is located at 24 km away from the park headquarters. The trek starts from the national park headquarters to reach Camp 3. It is a 12 km hike through the primary forests with an elevation of 1,200 metres. The mossy forest starts from Camp 3. It will be a few hours to climb to reach Camp 4. After Camp 4, there are a few vertical climbs which requires knotted ropes which eventually leads to the summit. Camp 1 is located along the descending trek from the summit of Mount Mulu. There is another 3-hour hike to reach the park headquarters from Camp 1.

Biodiversity

Mulu's limestone karst and isolated mountain peaks are home to many unique and endangered plants and animal

The mountain has biological systems range from lowland dipterocarp forest to montane vegetations. The mountain is notable for its pitcher plant diversity. Five species have been recorded from Mount Mulu: ''

Nepenthes hurrelliana ''Nepenthes hurrelliana'' is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Borneo, where it has been recorded from northern Sarawak, southwestern Sabah, and Brunei. It is of putative hybrid origin; its two original parent species are thought to be '' N. ...

'', ''

Nepenthes lowii ''Nepenthes lowii'' , or Low's pitcher-plant,Phillipps, A. & A. Lamb 1996. '' Pitcher-Plants of Borneo''. Natural History Publications (Borneo), Kota Kinabalu. is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Borneo. It is named after Hugh Low, who discove ...

'', ''

Nepenthes muluensis ''Nepenthes muluensis'' , or the Mulu pitcher-plant,Phillipps, A. & A. Lamb 1996. ''Pitcher-Plants of Borneo''. Natural History Publications (Borneo), Kota Kinabalu. is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Borneo. It grows in highland habitats at ...

'', ''

Nepenthes tentaculata ''Nepenthes tentaculata'' , or the fringed pitcher-plant,Phillipps, A. & A. Lamb 1996. '' Pitcher-Plants of Borneo''. Natural History Publications (Borneo), Kota Kinabalu. is a tropical pitcher plant with a wide distribution across Borneo and Su ...

'', and ''

Nepenthes vogelii ''Nepenthes vogelii'' is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Borneo. It is thought to be most closely related to '' N. fusca''. Botanical history The first known collection of ''N. vogelii'' was made in 1961 on Mount Api in Gunung Mul ...

''.Bourke, G. 2011. The ''Nepenthes'' of Mulu National Park. '' Carniflora Australis'' 8(1): 20–31.

References

{{Geography of Sarawak Mulu