The people in and around Kinabalu are mainly the kadazandusun, Sabah's largest ethnic community. Traditionally rice farmers, their 'kampungs' or villages are scattered all over the hills and mountain slopes. it is not unusual to see them scampering up and down the mountain seemingly without exhaustion! and that's exactly why most of them work 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 as to do so would have disturbed these spirits and incurred their wrath. In 1851 when Sir Hugh Low led the expedition up the mountain, a compromise was reached with the locals to offer scrifice to appease the spirits.
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