Semeru Mountain Hiking August 2014

Hola my friends, what a great chances for me to share my traveling with you thru what my photography would says. This time I would like to say that is no easy way to get beautiful scenes rather than using your foot to get there....hahaha. Especially this one.

It took 3 days and 2 night in wilderness and surviving the cold and the hot weather, also the rain, and with the track that easily injured you, this is the hiking of Semeru mountain.

Start the hiking from Ranu Pane villages, cross several up and down deep forest, in the night and in the rain, with temperature below 15 deg Celcius. Even when we made at camp, that is the lake of volcano called Ranu Kumbolo  about 2 AM in the morning, the temperature about less then 10 deg celcius...I guess, because I cannot feel my fingers again and need to stay warm near the bonfire.

My tent is wet and filled with water so I cannot use it. I find myself a shelter in the terrace of porter building, and set myself with double jacket plus sleeping bag. But gosh, it still cold. I cannot sleep all night, all I did was looking my watch and hope the morning sun shows up. Thanks God I am still alive, I am sure I am close to hypothermia in that moment. Never ever I did such thing anymore, I believe I am not as strong as my youth life at Papua... hahaha




Well, from Ranu Kumbolo  only 2 of us (that is me and my friend) thats decide to try get to the top of the Semeru mountain. We have to climb the Tanjakan Cinta (i.e. Love Climb), it was straight climb path that about 60 degree slope... Crazy!!! Hahaha. After that Love Climb, we pass a beautiful savanna just like in Africa (but without lions or other predator...hahaha).

In time we thought is enough, actually we still need to get pass another high climbing about circling a  mountain before meet the big mama Semeru mountain. This is nuts! And later we arrived exhausted at Kali Mati area right in the foot of Semeru mountain. We have to set a tent and rest for the climbing will be start at 01:00 AM in the morning and perhaps we could reach in 6-7 hours to the top and then return before 09:00 AM when the sulfur smokes goes up dangerously.

And guess what? Hahahahaha....we sleep all night. But to be gentlement I tell you the reasons:
1. We are very tired because long hiking at night with the rain all the way.
2. That night, the rain came again until 03:00 AM in the morning and my friend forgot his raincoat.
So we decide, to be safe, we stay sleeping...hahahahaha

Okay, now lets the photos talking, please enjoy the view, I wish to go back there, not yet get the top mountain view, but perhaps not so soon..hahaha

From Soekarno Hatta Airport of Jakarta to Abdul Rachman Saleh Airport of Malang

Below my favorite tree in this airport.

The tree just perfect in landscape.

Next, going to Ranupane village, the starting point of the hiking trail, with yellow Jeep..hahaha

The unique transportation here is the jeep. Can you count how many they are? Hahaha

Late night still on the trail..hahaha

Below, the view of Ranu Kumbolo

Tanjakan Cinta

Get ready to the top...hahaha forgot raincoat!

Oro-oro Ombo, the savanna of Semeru.

Still long way to Semeru...hahaha

At last...hahaha

At last...the foot of Semeru.

Nice colorful silhouette.

He is from Belgium, not too cold for him..hahaha

Thats the top of Semeru, only 10 seconds view before the fog close it again. Whole way up is sands, very tired-full climb up, not for them who is not ready, not for us in that cold raining night...hahaha

Our porter carry our expensive backpack...hahaha

Take the same way back, we meet again with Oro-oro Ombo and then Ranukumbulo lake.

Of course, Tanjakan Cinta..hahaha

Thats all guys, thank you for reading, hope you can "feel" the beauty. God bless.