The fertile slopes of Kinabalu are home to the Kadazandusun, Sabah's largest ethnic community. Traditionally rice farmers, their 'kampungs' or villages are scattered all over the hill slopes as some still practise shifting cultivation. It's not unusual to see them scampering up and down the mountain without exhaustion! And that's exactly why you'll find most of them working as mountain guides and porters.

The Kadazandusun people consider themselves the guardian of Mt. Kinabalu. They believe this is sacred ground, a resting place for the spirits of their ancestors. Earlier attempts to climb the mountain had been forbidden, as to do so would have disturbed these spirits and incurred their wrath. That was why, by the standards of other worldclass mountains, Mt. Kinabalu was 'discovered' rather late.

It was only in 1851 that Sir Hugh Low led an expedition up the mountain. A compromise with the locals was reached and a sacrifice to appease the spirits was made at the halfway point.

This spot was named Panar Laban, a Dustin word meaning 'Place of Sacrifice'. The local guide sacrificed a white cockerel and seven eggs to appease the mountain spirits. This ritual is performed annually to this day.

The name 'Kinabalu' is derived from the Kadazandusun words 'Aki Nabalu' where 'Aki' literally means 'ancestor' and 'nabalu' is the word for 'mountain' thus, the sacred resting place of the ancestral spirits. Legends of the Kadazandusun have told of the supreme deities creation of the world and Mt. Kinabalu. There are also folklores of a mythical dragon guarding a treasure trove of pearls. These myths take on a more surreal presence when you are up in the mountain, in the silence and mist of the swirling clouds.

All climbers are advised to always behave respectfully and be on good behavior.