Hikes of the world: Lambir Hills edition.

Almost everywhere we go in the world, we hike. Urban hikes. High desert hike. Hot and sweaty jungle hikes. Gorgeous countryside hikes. Dodgy alongside busy road hikes. Amazing coastal hikes. British pub hikes.

Wait, what?

Rich is very good at finding hikes for us to do. And he’s a fast and strong hiker. The more uphill there is, the happier he is. I’m not fast and frequently get grumpy going uphill.

Lambir Hills, outside of Miri, Borneo.

Hiking in the jungles and rain forests of Borneo is a challenge. Heat and humidity punish you, and the frequent heavy rains punish the trails, making them more like creek beds than trails.

These could be easy day hike distances in a different climate and with different trail conditions.
Hiking with a fan. Every little bit of breeze helps.
Our Lambir Hills hike started off nicely. Uphill on a decent trail. Huge trees.
Unknown to us vegetation. This climbing vine is so perfectly symmetrical. Looks like a tree zipper.
A nice shaded rest stop.

There seemed to be a period in Malaysian Borneo when trails were built and park buildings were constructed. Maybe 20 years ago, maybe 15? But maintenance is tough to keep ahead of. Or it’s not funded. It was sad to see the state of not just the trails, but some the other park infrastructure as well. After we crested the top of our climb the trail started to deteriorate. As it dipped up and down into drainage after drainage, ropes appeared to help you haul yourself up or steady yourself down the very rutted trail.

Up we go.
And down we go.
And up we go. Trail maintenance must be almost impossible on these trails.
We saw one other group of hikers, they were better equipped, with trekking poles and matching hiking shirts. They were just getting to the tough part.
My “we are not amused” look.

So what do I do when I’m not loving the hike I’m on? First, I remind myself why we hike. We hike because we like to see places only reachable on foot, and so we can keep on hiking. During a long bicycle tour two years ago we forgot to stop riding and take rest/hike days so we could work our hiking muscles. We found ourselves in fantastic biking shape and hurting on long walks and hikes.

That’s not Malaysia! With our dear friends Cecily and Christine in Seattle, December 2023.
More dear friends in Wales, Hannah, Erik, and Thea. 2023.

Second on my list of hiking distractions is to remember hikes with people we love.

Christine, Annie, and Erika. Seattle December 2023.
My brother Steve and sister-in-law Claire, Pismo Beach California, 2017.
My brother Steve and my sister Kathy, Colorado 2020.
Rich, Mike, and Milo. California, 2021.
Mike and Kathy, California 2022.

We’ve had some of our best discussions, and come to some of our most life directing decisions while hiking. What have we decided while hiking? Whether or not to have children. Should we sell our place and travel. Do we need to actually own a car. Answers, no, yes, and no.

Above Tetouan, Morocco, 2021.
UK, the Lake District, January 2022.
On the Camino del Norte with Cecily and Christine, Spain, October 2022.
Snowshoeing with Cecily and Christine, Snoqualmie WA, 2023. Oh, that cold weather. Hard to remember what cold is like when you’re in Borneo.

Every hike has its tough elements. The moments when you wonder why you hike. But then nature reveals itself and you remember again why you hike.

Huge tree reaching for the light.
These trees did not let you forget you were in a rainforest.
The canopy is far overhead.
No surprise there is a lot of water.
Including a waterfall at mile 5. From the waterfall it was only a kilometer back to the park office where our Grab car would pick us up.
A very refreshing swim.

The rainforest is stunning, but I was happy the hike was over and our air conditioned hotel beckoned.

Oh you thought this jungle was done with you?
Thankfully Rich did a quick step back and did not tread on this snake. Not a pit viper but we still gave him respectful space.
From the park office to the waterfall is a popular trail, and in better shape than the rest of the park.
A view of Miri from our hotel room.
The hot, sweaty, pink, but happy travelers.

We’re in Kuching now, the city of cats, and heading out for a jungle lodge experience at Batang Ai, at the Nanga Sumpa Lodge, early tomorrow.

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After decades of living and working in wonderful San Francisco we gave it all up to travel the world. Not owning a car allowed us to save money and live hyper-locally. Now we’re living around the globe. Follow along to see where we are and what cats I manage to pet.

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