The geographical surface of Malaysia has a fascinating array of limestone outcrop. The mountainous region of the Peninsular Malaysia that stretches 800km long and 200km wide are made of granite boulders and monoliths at the east coast. Those in Sarawak consist of limestone crags and sandstone mountains while in Sabah it is alpine granite.

The bedrock for the south and east coast regions is granite. These granite boulders reside along the coasts, islands and mountaintops. The north of Kuala Lumpur is simply littered with rocks, particularly in states of Perak – near Ipoh, Perlis, Kelantan and Pahang.

Sabah and Sarawak have a combined area bigger than the entire Peninsular Malaysia itself. Sabah features South East Asia’s highest mountain at 4101m while the Sarawak Chamber in Mulu Caves is the world’s largest cave chamber. The granite peaks of Mount Kinabalu are the climbing centrepieces in Sabah.

Routes here are generally conventional although there are a handful of lines with fixed gear. The peaks are nearly 4,000m above sea level so climbing trips here tend to be suitable for any sort of expedition. Most of the routes in Malaysia are bolted sport climbs on limestone crags, with some exceptions on granite walls.

Climbing is possible throughout the year. The usual travelling kit for a tropical destination includes mosquito repellents/coils, sunblock, sunglasses and caps and hats.