Mysterious Mamut
Writing about Langanan waterfalls the last time around made us wanted to tell everyone about another hidden gem also located in Ranau. That place is the abandoned Mamut copper mine!
Before being able to start the trek, we had to drive for about 40 minutes just to get to the front entrance of the mine. It literally took that long because of the potholes we had to maneuver around and some are as huge as a giant's footprint! We heaved out a sigh of relief when we arrived at the entrance. Parked the car, grabbed our essentials and started to trek to the mine. We thought it was only a short one but we were sooo mistaken! It took us about 1 hour just to get to the mine itself, the terrain is uneven, rocky, and there's only about 5-10% of scattered shade provided by trees along the road that'll protect you from direct sunlight. FYI, we started at about 10 am, so the sun was in full force by the time we head back to the car! That 'are we there yet?' feeling is inevitable, but it'll be worth it as soon as you can see the mine and the amazingly picturesque view!
The water is toxic and eerily calm. We even heard from old timers that you can completely submerge numerous mining vehicles in these waters. According to local history, the mine was doing pretty good in 1975. Raking in the big bucks in the process. But a toxic spill at a nearby village caused an agricultural catastrophe that subsequently led to the mine's closure.
We made huge mistakes by wearing sleeveless workout attire & not applying any sunscreen so we definitely paid the full price by the end of the day!😂 We'll surely keep our past mistakes in mind to avoid any unwanted regrets the next time we decide to come here again!
It must be nice to take a dip until I saw you said it was toxic.
It sure is a nice thought! Diving into the cool, deep, refreshing but toxic waters. But the risk of growing an extra limb or two made us think, naahh..😂
Hey, who knows after that you could develop some sort of power... like, mutant power? Hahahaha
Nice photos. Such clear skies.
The whole area must be toxic, seeing the "small" amount of vegetation growing after the many decades?
I watched a video made by someone on YouTube travelling through the Fukushima region near those nuclear reactors. Some of the "unusable" agriculture land was used as solar panels farms. At least can generate electricity until the lands "recover".
There's vegetation growing so perhaps the 'toxic' level is already decreasing as time goes by. The place sure has that eerie aura that keeps you want to know more about the area.😃
Beautiful
Yes it is.. 😉
Is copper there?
I think so, no one has been mining here for ages..😅
Hahaha
Stunning view!
It sure is! Absolutely breathtaking!
Wow, this is beautiful!! @annekins Do we need to hire a guide to trek to the mine or it's possible to be done on our own (for first timers in Mamut)?
Yes it sure is beautiful! We hiked to the mine ourselves without any guide the last time so it's possible. The hike is pretty grueling for first time hikers though. We also heard from local sources that you can actually drive straight towards the mine for a fee of RM20, that'll shorten the length of your journey drastically.😃
I see.. Have you hiked Mount Kinabalu before? If so, how is the comparison like?
Comparison? In terms of difficulty?🤔😅
Yes, if you may. Hahaha
Going up the mountain would be a bit harder.😁
Stunning and beautiful ... Thanks for sharing
You're welcome Simon! 😉