So
the legend has it. Java used to be a floating piece of land on the sea. The
almighty decided to nail it to the earth with a mountain brought from Indian
sub continent. To make the story short, the mountain was put in east Java and
its peak became the highest ground on the island.
Many people sacred its peak and said that it was home for holy ancient spirits. That’s why it was named Mahameru, a Sanskrit for Great Mountain. As for the mountain as a whole, it was named Sumeru, also a Sanskrit, the central world mountain in Hindu mythology. Today, the mountain is well known as Semeru.
After going through a yearlong planning, the day to hike that mountain finally came. And just like the previous year trip to Rinjani, I went with Gilang, a friend from college, and would spend three days and two night trekking in that huge volcanic highland that nailed Java to the earth.
Thank you for coming.
Many people sacred its peak and said that it was home for holy ancient spirits. That’s why it was named Mahameru, a Sanskrit for Great Mountain. As for the mountain as a whole, it was named Sumeru, also a Sanskrit, the central world mountain in Hindu mythology. Today, the mountain is well known as Semeru.
After going through a yearlong planning, the day to hike that mountain finally came. And just like the previous year trip to Rinjani, I went with Gilang, a friend from college, and would spend three days and two night trekking in that huge volcanic highland that nailed Java to the earth.
Thank you for coming.
After taking a nearly fifteen hour trip by train from Jakarta, we arrived in Malang station of Kotabaru, 444 meters above the sea level at around nine in the morning. Andi, a driver from the trekking organizer had waited for us in front of the station and was ready to pick us up to Ranu Pane, where we were going to start our - first day trekking in Semeru.
It took about three hours to reach Ranu Pane from Malang – we only stopped twice; at a gas station to take a bath at its public toilet and at the way down to Mount Bromo to capture its vast savanna from above.
We met Purwanto, a guy from the trekking organizer at the parking area of Ranu Pane. For the next two days, he would be our guide and would cook our meals. He is a local resident who had hiked Semeru for thousands of times.
Writing down our names, addresses, and contact numbers – in case of emergency – on a paper was the first thing we did when entering the information centre at Ranu Pane. We also had to show a doctor’s certificate, declaring that we were health and eligible for this hiking activity.
While Gilang was declaring all the things we brought to the mountain to the officers, I stepped out to the back of the information centre to capture the lake of Ranu Pane. Forgive me for this not so amazing picture. I’m not so fond of landscape photography.
At around 12.30, we began the trekking after having a quick lunch at a local food stall. The weather was cloudy and I could sense that the rain would fall anytime soon. After walking three kilometers on a relatively flat ground, we entered what to me looked like a forest called Landengan Dowo, 2300 meters above the sea level.
What made this forest looked different than the one I had seen in Rinjani was the paved way that guided us. So, no need to be afraid of getting lost as long as we walk on the track.
Unfortunately, I
couldn’t take any more pictures as the rain started to fall. One rooky mistake
that I made in this trip was not bringing a proper rain coat. I thought a
disposal rain coat would help. Turned out it didn’t. The rain had completely
wet my backpack and my camera bag. Our shoes were covered with mud. Walking in
the rain inside the forest made me feel like being an American soldier invading
mountainous jungle of Vietnam.
At 16:32 the rain turned to drizzling, allowing me to capture the lake of Ranu Kumbolo from above. We were going to set up our tent at its side. Before that, we had to walk along the hill side before walking down to the lake.
At 16:32 the rain turned to drizzling, allowing me to capture the lake of Ranu Kumbolo from above. We were going to set up our tent at its side. Before that, we had to walk along the hill side before walking down to the lake.
Considering that it was a long weekend, many people came to hike the mountain. The camping ground on the lake side had been transformed into a fair. It was not easy for us to sleep in such a noisy condition. Thanks to the flu pill I brought from home that put me to sleep that night.
Day
Two
The next morning I woke up a little bit late and soon realize how crowded the camping ground was. We were not in the right side of the lake to capture the sunrise. So Gilang and I just walked along the lake side, capturing anything we saw with our cameras. We returned to the tent for breakfast.
The next morning I woke up a little bit late and soon realize how crowded the camping ground was. We were not in the right side of the lake to capture the sunrise. So Gilang and I just walked along the lake side, capturing anything we saw with our cameras. We returned to the tent for breakfast.
Since everything
was all wet from the rain on the other day, the sun light in that morning was
such a huge blessing. We put all of our stuffs on the grass, hopping to dry
them out. Before nine o’ clock, we packed our stuffs and then left the camping
ground for Kalimati. It was going to be our next camping ground, located 7.5
kilometers away from the lake of Ranu Kumbolo. We had to walk around the lake
before reaching another camping ground on the other side of the lake.
But soon after we completed the hiking that steep slope, we were rewarded with a spectacular view of a beautiful landscape. It was Oro Oro Ombo, a vast savanna covered with vegetations that to me looked like lavenders. Well, of course those were not lavenders since I didn’t smell any fragrance there.
Instead of walking
down the steep hill to reach the savanna, Purwanto preferred taking the less
popular and less steep path by walking on the hill side above the savanna. This
option gave us the possibility to enjoy the view of savanna and the hill side
at the same time.
The first thing I did when we reached the savanna was taking pictures of the purple flowers which I thought were lavenders, then walking toward the pine forest.
The first thing I did when we reached the savanna was taking pictures of the purple flowers which I thought were lavenders, then walking toward the pine forest.
At 11:20 after walking for three kilometers, we reached Jambangan, 2600 meters about the sea level. At that point, Mahameru seemed to be very close and we were going to climb it at night. After walking through an open grass land, we walked through another pine forest before finally reached Kalimati, 2700 meters above the sea level at 11:45.
Purwanto had set up the tent not far from the pine forest. We decided to take a break in the tent whilst watching the Mahameru which that time, was covered with clouds. To obtain clean water for drink, Purwanto and I walked few meters to the woods where there was a water spring of Sumber Mani. Walking ups and downs with five big bottles in my hand had completely made me exhausted. Soon after having lunch, I fell asleep in the tent.
Waking up at four,
I found the sky was a bit a clearer than before. I guessed it was the right
time to capture Mahameru. From this place, the peak looked intimidating with
its steep slope (I guessed it was nearly 45 degree) and also the volcanic sands
and stones that covered it.
We had a quick light dinner at dusk and then tried to put ourselves to sleep. We had to wake up at 23:30 to start the summit attack. That’s right; we were going to reach the summit, the highest altitude in Java, 3676 meters above the sea level.
We had a quick light dinner at dusk and then tried to put ourselves to sleep. We had to wake up at 23:30 to start the summit attack. That’s right; we were going to reach the summit, the highest altitude in Java, 3676 meters above the sea level.
Day
Three
Having an extremely late supper was not something I would do at home. But in such special case like that time, I would do anything to fuel my body with calories. We had rice and noodle soup at 23:45.
At around twelve, we all were ready to start the attack. Coming out of the tent, the first thing we did was of course to pray. With headlamps on our head, we started walking through the camping ground of Kalimati, heading to the forest. This time, I brought along my trekking pole.
Gilang and I managed to keep walking as we would really like to see the sunrise from the summit. Beside our breath and energy, we also had to save the water we brought. Walking through the forest of Arcopodo, 2900 meters above the sea level, I saw some people camped in the forest.
Walking out of the forest, it was time for us to climb the – fourty five degree – steep slope covered with volcanic sand and stones. There came the real challenge. It was not the mountain that we actually conquered, it was our mind. It was really about determination to reach our goal, no matter the obstacles we got.
Having an extremely late supper was not something I would do at home. But in such special case like that time, I would do anything to fuel my body with calories. We had rice and noodle soup at 23:45.
At around twelve, we all were ready to start the attack. Coming out of the tent, the first thing we did was of course to pray. With headlamps on our head, we started walking through the camping ground of Kalimati, heading to the forest. This time, I brought along my trekking pole.
Gilang and I managed to keep walking as we would really like to see the sunrise from the summit. Beside our breath and energy, we also had to save the water we brought. Walking through the forest of Arcopodo, 2900 meters above the sea level, I saw some people camped in the forest.
Walking out of the forest, it was time for us to climb the – fourty five degree – steep slope covered with volcanic sand and stones. There came the real challenge. It was not the mountain that we actually conquered, it was our mind. It was really about determination to reach our goal, no matter the obstacles we got.
I somehow thanked
God that it was completely dark that night. I didn’t get to see the summit so I
didn’t have to know how far I still had to climb and crawl to get there. All I
had to do was doing what I was supposed to do to reach it. At my weakest point
where all I wanted to do was giving up, I recalled what Purwanto had advised me
on the day before. He told us to remember the God, and never stopped calling
His name.
At 5:10 I looked up and saw a guy standing with the headlamp on. I guessed this was it. I was pretty close to step my feet on the highest summit in Java. Three minutes after that, I reached the summit and decided to walk around to channel my emotion. It was absolutely an emotional circumstance, and it was hard for me to describe it with words.
At 5:10 I looked up and saw a guy standing with the headlamp on. I guessed this was it. I was pretty close to step my feet on the highest summit in Java. Three minutes after that, I reached the summit and decided to walk around to channel my emotion. It was absolutely an emotional circumstance, and it was hard for me to describe it with words.
All the exhaustion
of climbing up the steep slope was suddenly gone. Everybody reaching the summit
showed their gratitude in different ways. Some of them bowed down on the
ground, while others screamed “Mahameru!”
I could see the sun rose. It was not really bright at first, it was cloudy. Nobody wanted to miss this moment. The sacred summit suddenly turned into a tourism place where people took pictures with cameras. And I was one of them.
I could see the sun rose. It was not really bright at first, it was cloudy. Nobody wanted to miss this moment. The sacred summit suddenly turned into a tourism place where people took pictures with cameras. And I was one of them.
Standing on the highest summit in Java had
allowed me to see many mountains in the region. It was magnificent and I became
aware that Java was a truly volcanic island. Another magnificent thing that I
saw on the summit was the volcanic cloud spewed by the mountain which happened
in every ten minutes.
We packed our stuffs and left the camping ground at Kalimati at 10:45. We walk through the same track like on the other day, between Kalimati and the lake of Ranu Kumbolo. First, it was Jambangan, then the thick forest of Cemoro Kandang, before walking on the hill side above the beautiful savanna of Oro Oro Ombo. It was drizzling that time and I could smell the wet grass as much as I wanted.
For the second time
we had to deal with the steep slope of Tanjakan Cinta. It was 12:25, and this
time we had to climb it down to reach the lake of Ranu Kumbolo.
In this picture below, a trekker was going down to the lake with a plastic bag of garbage. That bag would be brought along until Ranu Pani where all garbage would be collected.
In this picture below, a trekker was going down to the lake with a plastic bag of garbage. That bag would be brought along until Ranu Pani where all garbage would be collected.
We took a so-called
lunch break at the lake side and also sheltered from the rain that suddenly
fell. I had two slices of bread with jam. I thought it would be enough for the
rest of the trek. Turned out I was wrong. It really took lots of carbohydrate
to generate energy.
The following track that we took after leaving the lake of Ranu Kumbolo was different than the one we had taken on our first day trekking. That time we walked through Ayek-Ayek. This route was not really popular among the trekkers since it was actually opened for the locals.
I thought at first this route was going to be much easier and I believed that. We first walked through a vast savanna surrounded by green hills. The track was flat. But I started sensing that something was not right when Purwanto led us to hike one of the hills. The route might have been not too steep, but it was a very long winding slope to hike. Along this track, we only passed by with two trekkers.
The following track that we took after leaving the lake of Ranu Kumbolo was different than the one we had taken on our first day trekking. That time we walked through Ayek-Ayek. This route was not really popular among the trekkers since it was actually opened for the locals.
I thought at first this route was going to be much easier and I believed that. We first walked through a vast savanna surrounded by green hills. The track was flat. But I started sensing that something was not right when Purwanto led us to hike one of the hills. The route might have been not too steep, but it was a very long winding slope to hike. Along this track, we only passed by with two trekkers.
It was disappointing however that we couldn’t complete this trip perfectly. But it was a consolation to me to know that not many people could complete the trek in Semeru in three days and two nights. Most of them do it in at least four days and three nights, or even a week.
At around five we arrived at the parking ground at Ranu Pane where Andri, the driver, had waited for us with his jeep. After signing off at the information centre, we left Ranu Pane for the motel reserved for us in Mount Bromo. We were going to watch the sunrise in the following morning.
In the jeep, on the way to the motel, I told myself to go back to the great mountain of Semeru and trek in there by foot with no help of motorcycle, even if I have to take more days to complete it.
- Saturday, August 31, 2013
- 34 Comments
