Mount Murud (Gunung Murud)

2,424 m (7,953 ft)

There are two routes up to the summit of Mount Murud. The first route starts in the village of Bario and the second starts in the village of Ba’kelalan. Regardless of the starting point, the trek will take 3 days to complete.

Another option is to start at one starting point, hike up to the summit and descend via the second starting point. This trek will take 4 days.

This article focuses on the trek starting from Ba’kelalan and descending the same way.

The trail up Mount Murud is rough. The terrain consists of steep sections with wooden ‘notch ladders’ (logs with notches etched into them), obstructions in the trail like trees and boulders, and muddy tracks.

Day 1:

The trail starts off on an old logging road with no tree cover. This section can either be hiked or traversed by a 4-wheel-drive vehicle. Driving will take about an hour, and trekking will take several hours.

At the end of the old logging road, is Lepo Bunga. Here the trail narrows and the real hiking begins. The trail enters the montane forest and is shaded by the canopy of trees above. From here to the camp (named Church Camp or Reked Meligan) is about 5 km (3 mi). The path gets steeper and steeper. On this stretch, you will encounter the wooden notch ladders, slippery boulders and logs in the muddy path.

After about 1.5 hours you should reach Joy Bridge (Jambatan Sukacita). After Joy Bridge, you’ll come to the start of a dilapidated rotten old wooden walkway that leads to Church Camp. Some parts of this walkway have been replaced by a steel grating. The parts that have not been replaced are dangerous, so watch your footing. There are blue and white signs showing you the correct way to go.

Church Camp is found at 2,100 m (6,890 ft) above sea level. Trekkers spend the night here in wooden cabins.

Day 2:

Day 2 starts off on a muddy trail through the jungle. You’ll encounter more obstructions in the trail and some mossy boulders and trees, as well as some pitcher plants. 

At about 2,150 m (7,054 ft) above sea level, you’ll come across a waterfall, after which the trail follows the dry riverbed. Another 200 m (656 ft) in elevation and you’ll reach the Rock Garden (Kebun Batu), which is an open area with massive boulders of different shapes. 

Soon the trail enters the jungle again but now the trees as well as everything around you are completely covered in moss. 

About half an hour after the Rock Garden you’ll reach the summit. The summit is open, with no tree coverage. If it’s a clear day you’ll get a great view of the surroundings; Bario Valley far off, and even Mount Bukit Batu Lawi the neighbouring mountain, or Kinabalu in the far distance if there is no haze. 

It takes about 4 hours to descend back to Church Camp.

Day 3:

The third day simply consists of descending the remainder of the way back to the starting point.

The weather in this region is generally humid rainy and overcast. The temperature generally ranges between 23°C and 33°C (73°F and 91°F).

Between January and mid-March is a good time to visit for hiking as this period is drier, clearer and cooler than the rest of the year. Late June to the end of August is also a cooler, relatively drier period of the year and is suitable for hiking.

The coolest period of the year is between mid-December and mid-February, though high temperatures still reach 31°C (88°F) in this period. The hottest period is between mid-March and the end of June when the highs reach 33°C (91°F).

The rainiest times of the year are between September and December and between mid-March and mid-June.

You won’t need a tent for this trek as there are cabins along the trail where you will sleep, however, you will need to take warm sleeping bags and clothing as the temperature drops rapidly when the sun sets.

Wear comfortable, quality hiking boots.

There is one camp along the way (Church camp), where you’ll find water and wooden cabins to sleep in. 

There is also water available at a waterfall at about 2,150 m (7,054 ft) above sea level on the second day of the trek. 

There are a few places along the trail that are suitable to take rests. The trail is also equipped with signs and other small additions to make the trek easier. These include wooden ‘notch ladders’ (logs with notches carved into them) to help you ascend steep sections, and metal grates over the rotten wooden walkway that leads to Church Camp.

Guides and porters are necessary to do this trek. Unfortunately, local guides are difficult to arrange in advance. You may need to go to the starting point village (Ba’kelalan) a few days or a week in advance to find one who is available and willing to go with you.

Guides are even harder to find in Bario, the larger village near Mount Murud.

Mount Murud is located on Borneo Island, Sarawak, Malaysia. It can be found in the Kelabit highlands close to the border between Malaysia and Indonesia, on the boundary between Limbang division and Miri division.

To get there is quite difficult. If you fly to Jakarta first, you could go via Kota Kinabalu by plane and then hire a vehicle or arrange some other means of transport to get to Lawas. From Lawas you can catch another flight to Ba’kelalan. These flights are infrequent – sometimes only a few times a week.

To get to the trailhead you’ll need to hire a 4-wheel-drive vehicle.

Mount Murud is not frequented very often. There is an annual pilgrimage up the mountain, however, outside of this, you are unlikely to come across other hikers. 

Beware of altitude sickness. Try not to ascend too quickly. A night at Church Camp will help you acclimatise.