Indonesia Trekking

Mount Kerinci Trekking

2008-06-13T02:32:00.000-07:00

MOUNT KERINCI MOUNTAIN TREK - PADANG WEST SUMATRA
Explore the Sumatra's largest national parks the Kerinci Seblat National Park, the home to rhinos, tigers, elephants, bears and orangutan. We will trekking up the highest peak in western Indonesia and the highest volcano in South East Asia Mt. Kerinci (3,805 m above sea level), while enjoying the magnificent scenery. The Lake Kerinci, the highest altitude volcanic lake in Indonesia, is perfect place to watch the bird life: hornbills, banded-broadbills and drongos, and many more …

Bukit Tinggi Highland is centre of the colourful cultures of the Minangkabau, the indigenous people of West Sumatr, nestled in the highlands north of the provincial capital of Padang at about 930 m above sea level.

WEST SUMATRA
Also known as the Land of Minang, or Minagkabau, is an intensely green natural tapestry of rolling hills and tall forest clad volcanoes, dotted by lakes, rice field and villages nestled peacefully against the foothills. The province’s virgin natural beauty and the serenity of its landscape seldom fail to impress visitors and their penchant for travelling and settling elsewhere. The mountains, lakes, islands, beaches, flora and fauna all are just waiting to be explored.

It is the traditional home land of the Minangkabau, who are known far and wide through the archipelago for they're shrewd business sense, their fiery-hot dishes and ancient matriarchal customs. The women own property and the men leave home to seek their fame and fortune.

Travelling is considered a mark of success and West Sumatrans and their Minang or Padang restaurants are found in all major towns across the nation. The people are hospitable and eloquent, with a poetic style of speech. West Sumatran days are filled with colourful ceremonies and festivals. Legend has it the Minagkabau are descendants of the youngest son of Alexander the Great, King Maharjo Dirajo. West Sumatra's centre of culture and tourism is Bukittinggi, nestled in the highlands north of the provincial capital of Padang. Surrounded by high mountains, picturesque valley and lakes, Bukittinggi is considered by many tourists to be the most hospitable city in all of Sumatra.

KERINCI SEBLAT NATIONAL PARK
Located in the 4 provinces of Sumatra island: West Sumatra, Jambi, Bengkulu and South Sumatra province, the park consist of 1,484, 650 hectares. Started as a game reserve for the protection of the Sumatran endemic mammals such as Sumateran tigers (Panthera tigris sumatrensis), Sumateran Rhinos (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) etc. and was upgraded to a National Park in 1982. It is the only protected area in South East Asia, which is located in the high land. The park also functioned as an important hidro-orologis for the area surroundings with large rookeries that provide breeding grounds for a wide population of mammals.

THE SUMMIT OF Mt. KERINCI (3,805 m asl): The highest active volcano in South East Asia, reachable by 12 hours trekking up the mountain from Kersik Tuo (Day 1 starting in the early morning to the last camp (3,100 m asl) in 8 hours; Day 2 continue hike up for 4 hours to the summit -- total 12 hours).

MT. KERINCI VOLCANO TREKKING
05 DAYS / 04 NIGHTS

DAY 01: PADANG – KERSIK TUO VILLAGE
Upon arrival at Padang airport, our guide met you then transfer by bus/minivan for about 6-7 hours drive to Kersik Tuo village at 1.425 m above sea level. En route sightseeing and stop for refreshment and lunch at local restaurant. Dinner and overnight in Kersik Tuo home stay, local guest house with very simple facilities. Packing up and last preparation. Go to bed earlier for an early start tomorrow!

(L, D).

DAY 02: KRESIK TUO VILLAGE – BASE CAMP MOUNT KERINCI (3.100 m)
Early morning after breakfast, walk about 2 hours or by local transportation (ox-cart) to the Kerinci Seblat National Park Entrance Gate. Continue by 4-5 hours trekking to base camp (shelter) at 3.100 M asl. Dinner will be prepared by our cooks and overnight in tent (B, L, D).

DAY 03: SUMMIT of MOUNT KERINCI – KERSIK TUO VILLAGE – PADANG
Early morning wake up! A cup of hot coffee or tea then we start to climb the summit of Mount Kerinci (3,805 M). Reach the summit while sun is rising, taking photograph and some rest then descend down base camp for breakfast. Return to Kresik Tuo Village. After lunch, by bus/minivan we are heading Padang, overnight at Natur Muara, a 3 star centrally located hotel (B, L)

DAY 04: BUKITTINGGI
Full day tours of the Minangkabau Highland, the hill town of Bukittinggi features the visits of: Pandai Sikat Village, where the traditional hand weaving and wood carving process can be seen, Sianok Canyon, Fort de Kock, Museum Putri Bungsu for the Minangkabau historical and cultural exhibits and the colorful traditional market of Bukittinggi that is crammed with stalls of fruit and vegetable, clothing and crafts. Return to Padang for overnight at hotel (B, L).

DAY 05: PADANG OUT
Morning after breakfast, time is free. At the appropriate time, we transfer you to the airport for your flight to your next destination (B).

PRICE : Rp. 3.600.000/PERSON MIN 02 PERSON

INCLUDED:
* Airport transfers
* Private land transportation (Air-conditioned Car/Bus)
* Accommodations as per the itinerary
* Camping gear (Sharing Dome Tent & Kitchen Equipment) for Mt. Kerinci Trekking
* Meals as per the itinerary (B: Breakfast, L: Lunch, D: Dinner)
* Tours & Services as per the itinerary
* Permits and Donations
* English speaking guide

EXCLUDED:
Flights, Travel insurance, Extra meals, Alcoholic beverages and mini bar at Hotel, Laundry and other personal expenses, Optional Tours, Tips and Any expenses due to flight delay or cancellation.

WHAT TO BRING:
Good and comfortable trekking shoes, Comfortable suits and T - Shirt, Sandals/slippers, Warm cloth, Rain coats, Day pack, Flash light, Binocular, Camera, Personal medicine and first aid kit and other personal things.

Important: Before you travel please check your Tour Voucher and Arrival Information for the latest joining instructions. This will be sent to you upon receipt of final payment. All itineraries are subject to change without prior notice.

Mount Krakatau Trekking Tours

2008-06-13T02:31:00.000-07:00

Krakatoa or Krakatau or Krakatao is a volcanic island in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra in Indonesia. The name is used for the island group, the main island (also called Rakata), and the volcano as a whole. It has erupted repeatedly, massively, and with disastrous consequences throughout recorded history. The best known eruption culminated in a series of massive explosions on August 26-27 1883.

The 1883 eruption ejected more than 25 cubic kilometres of rock, ash, and pumice, and generated the loudest sound historically reported: the cataclysmic explosion was distinctly heard as far away as Perth in Australia approx. 1,930 miles (3,110 km), and the island of Rodrigues near Mauritius approx. 3,000 miles (5,000 km). Near Krakatoa, according to official records, 165 villages and towns were destroyed and 132 seriously damaged, at least 36,417 (official toll) people died, and many thousands were injured by the eruption, mostly from the tsunamis which followed the explosion.

The eruption destroyed two thirds of the island of Krakatoa. Eruptions at the volcano since 1927 have built a new island in the same location, called Anak Krakatau (child of Krakatoa).

Origin and spelling of the name
The earliest mention of the island in the Western world was on a map by Lucas Janszoon Waghenaer, who labelled the island "Pulo Carcata". ("Pulo" is a form of pulau, the Indonesian word for "island".) There are two generally accepted spellings, Krakatoa and Krakatau. While Krakatoa is more common in the English-speaking world, Krakatau (or Krakatao in an older Portuguese based spelling) tends to be favored by Indonesians and geologists. The origin of the spelling Krakatoa is unclear, but may have been the result of a typographical error made in a British source reporting on the massive eruption of 1883.

Theories as to the origin of the Indonesian name Krakatoa include:
* Onomatopoeia, imitating the noise made by cockatoos which used to inhabit the island.
* From Sanskrit karka or karkata or karkataka, meaning "lobster" or "crab".
* From Malay kelakatu, meaning "white-winged ant".

There is a popular story that Krakatau was the result of a linguistic error. According to legend, "Krakatau" was adopted when a visiting ship's captain asked a local inhabitant the island's name, and the latter replied "Kaga tau" — a Jakartan/Betawinese slang phrase meaning "I don't know". This story is largely discounted; it closely resembles famous linguistic myths about the origin of the word kangaroo and the name of the Yucatán Peninsula.
The name is spelled Karata on a map drawn before 1708.

Pre 1883 history
Before the 1883 eruption, Krakatoa consisted of three main islands: Lang ('Long', now called Rakata Kecil or Panjang) and Verlaten ('Forsaken' or 'Deserted', now Sertung), which were edge remnants of a previous very large caldera-forming eruption; and Krakatoa itself, an island 9 km long by 5 km wide. Also there was a tree-covered islet near Lang named Poolsche Hoed ('Polish Hat', apparently because it looked like one from the sea), and several small rocks or banks between Krakatoa and Verlaten. There were three volcanic cones on Krakatoa: running South to North they were: Rakata (823 m), Danan (445 m), and Perboewatan (also spelled Perbuatan) (122 m). (Danan may have been a twin volcano). Krakatoa is directly above the subduction zone of the Eurasian Plate and Indo-Australian Plate, where the plate boundaries undertake a sharp change of direction, possibly resulting in an unusually weak crust in the region.

416 AD event
There is no geological evidence of a Krakatoa eruption of this size around that time; it may describe loss of land which previously joined Java to Sumatra across what is now the narrow east end of the Sunda Strait; or it may be a mistaken date, referring to an eruption in 535 AD, also referred to in the Javanese Book of Kings, and for which there is geological and some corroborating historical evidence.

535 AD event
David Keys and others have postulated that the violent eruption of Krakatoa in 535 may have been responsible for the global climate changes of 535-536. Keys explores what he believes to be the radical and far ranging global effects of just such a putative 6th century eruption in his book Catastrophe: An Investigation into the Origins of the Modern World. Additionally, in recent times, it has been argued that it was this eruption which created the islands of Verlaten and Lang (remnants of the original) and the beginnings of Rakata — all indicators of early Krakatoa's caldera's size. However, there seems to be little, if any, datable charcoal from that eruption, even if there is plenty of circumstantial evidence.

1600s
At least three Dutch travelers reported that Danan and Perboewatan were seen erupting in May 1680 and February 1681.

The 1883 eruption
In the years before the 1883 eruption, seismic activity around the volcano was intense, with some earthquakes felt as far distant as Australia. Beginning 20 May 1883, three months before the final explosion, steam venting began to occur regularly from Perboewatan, the northernmost of the island's three cones. Eruptions of ash reached an altitude of 6 km (20,000 ft) and explosions could be heard in Batavia (Jakarta) 160 km (100 miles) away. Activity died down by the end of May. Also, to help the eruption along, water seeped into the magma chamber and created vast amounts of super-pressured steam. It had been thought Krakatoa was 3 different volcanoes, but it was actually just one with a huge magma chamber.

The volcano began erupting again around 20 July. The seat of the eruption is believed to have been a new vent or vents which formed between Perboewatan and Danan, more or less where the current volcanic cone of Anak Krakatau is. The violence of the eruption caused tides in the vicinity to be unusually high, and ships at anchor had to be moored with chains as a result. On 11 August larger eruptions began, with ashy plumes being emitted from at least eleven vents. On 24 August, eruptions further intensified. At about 1pm (local time) on 26 August, the volcano went into its paroxysmal phase, and by 2pm observers could see a black cloud of ash 27 km (17 miles) high. At this point, the eruption was virtually continuous and explosions could be heard every ten minutes or so. Ships within 20 km (11 nautical miles) of the volcano reported heavy ash fall, with pieces of hot pumice up to 10 cm in diameter landing on their decks. A small tsunami hit the shores of Java and Sumatra some 40 km (28 miles) away between 6pm and 7pm.

Cataclysmic stage
On August 27, the volcano entered the final cataclysmic stage of its eruption. Four enormous explosions took place at 5:30 a.m., 6:42 a.m., 8:20 a.m., and 10:02 a.m., the last of which was worst and loudest. Each was accompanied by very large tsunamis believed to have been over 30 meters (100 ft) high in places. A large area of the Sunda Strait and a number of places on the Sumatran coast were affected by pyroclastic flows from the volcano. The explosions were so violent that they were heard 2,200 miles (3,500 km) away in Australia and the island of Rodrigues near Mauritius, 4,800 km away; the sound of Krakatoa's destruction is believed to be the loudest sound in recorded history, reaching levels of 180 dBSPL 100 miles (160 km) away.[4] Ash was propelled to a height of 50 miles (80 km). The eruptions diminished rapidly after that point, and by the morning of August 28 Krakatoa was quiet.

"The Burning Ashes of Ketimbang"
Around noon on August 27, a rain of hot ash fell around Ketimbang in Sumatra. Around a thousand people were killed, the only large number of victims killed by Krakatoa itself, and not the waves or after-effects.[5] Verbeek and later writers believe this unique event was a lateral blast or pyroclastic flow (perhaps traveling over the floating pumice rafts), similar to what happened in 1980 at Mt. St. Helens. The region of the ashfall ended to the northwest of Ketimbang, where the bulk of Sebesi Island offered protection from any horizontal surges.

After eruptions
Small eruptions continued through October, and continued to be reported through February 1884 (although any after mid October were discounted by Verbeek). In the aftermath of the eruption, it was found that the island of Krakatoa had almost entirely disappeared, except for the southern half of Rakata cone cut off along a vertical cliff, leaving behind a 250-meter-deep caldera.

Effects
The combined effects of pyroclastic flows, volcanic ashes and tsunamis had disastrous results in the region. There were no survivors from 3,000 people located at the island of Sebesi, about 13 km from Krakatoa. Pyroclastic flows killed around 1,000 people at Ketimbang on the coast of Sumatra some 40 km north from Krakatoa. The official death toll recorded by the Dutch authorities was 36,417 and many settlements were destroyed, including Teluk Betung and Ketimbang in Sumatra, and Sirik and Semarang in Java. The areas of Banten on Java and the Lampung on Sumatra were devastated. There are numerous documented reports of groups of human skeletons floating across the Indian Ocean on rafts of volcanic pumice and washing up on the east coast of Africa, up to a year after the eruption. Some land on Java was never repopulated; it reverted to jungle and is now the Ujung Kulon National Park.

Tsunamis
Ships as far away as South Africa rocked as tsunamis hit them, and the bodies of victims were found floating in the ocean for weeks after the event. The tsunamis which accompanied the eruption are believed to have been caused by gigantic pyroclastic flows entering the sea; each of the five great explosions was accompanied by a massive pyroclastic flow resulting from the gravitational collapse of the eruption column. This caused several cubic kilometers of material to enter the sea, displacing an equally huge volume of seawater. In the town of Merak, a Tsunami 46 metres high destroyed the little town. Some of the pyroclastic flows reached the Sumatran coast as much as 25 miles (40 km) away, having apparently moved across the water on a "cushion" of superheated steam. There are also indications of submarine pyroclastic flows reaching 10 miles (15 km) from the volcano.

On a recent film and documentary, a research team at Kiel University of Germany conducted tests of pyroclastic flows moving over water. The tests revealed that hot ash traveled over the water on a cloud of superheated steam with the heavy matter precipitating out of the flow, shortly after initial contact with the water, to create a tsunami due to the precipitate mass.

Geographic effects
As a result of the huge amount of material deposited by the volcano, the surrounding ocean floor was drastically altered. It is estimated that as much as 18-21 km³ of ignimbrite was deposited over an area of 1.1 million km², largely filling the 30-40 m deep basin around Krakatoa. The land masses of Verlaten and Lang were increased, and volcanic ash continues to be a significant part of the geological composition of these islands. Poolsche Hoed ("Polish Hat") disappeared. A new rock islet called Bootsmansrots ('Bosun's Rock', a fragment of Danan) was left.

Two nearby sandbanks (called Steers and Calmeyer after the two naval officers who investigated them) were built up into islands by ashfall, but the sea later washed them away. Seawater on hot volcanic deposits on Steers and Calmeyer caused steam which some people mistook for continued eruption.

The fate of Krakatoa itself has been the subject of some dispute among geologists. It was originally proposed that the island had been blown apart by the force of the eruption. However, most of the material deposited by the volcano is clearly magmatic in origin and the caldera formed by the eruption is not extensively filled with deposits from the 1883 eruption. This indicates that the island subsided into an empty magma chamber at the end of the eruption
sequence, rather than having been destroyed during the eruptions.

Global climate
In the year following the eruption, average global temperatures fell by as much as 1.2 degrees Celsius. Weather patterns continued to be chaotic for years, and temperatures did not return to normal until 1888. The eruption injected an unusually large amount of sulfur dioxide (SO2) gas high into the stratosphere which was subsequently transported by high-level winds all over the planet. This led to a global increase in sulfurous acid (H2SO3) concentration in high-level cirrus clouds. The resulting increase in cloud reflectivity (or albedo) would reflect more incoming light from the sun than usual, and cool the entire planet until the suspended sulfur fell to the ground as acid precipitation

Legacy of the 1883 eruption
The 1883 eruption of Krakatoa is among the most violent volcanic events in modern times (a VEI of 6, equivalent to 200 megatonnes of TNT — about 13,000 times the yield of the Little Boy bomb which devastated Hiroshima, Japan). Concussive air waves from the explosions travelled seven times around the world.[8] The sky was darkened for days afterwards. Sea waves caused by the eruption were recorded as far away as the English Channel.[9] The explosion is considered to be the loudest noise ever recorded to be heard by humans

MOUNT CRACATOA - VOLCANO TREKKING
Duration: 03 DAYS / 02 NIGHTS
Start / Finish: JAKARTA
Grade: Easy - Moderate

DAY 01: JAKARTA - CARITA BEACH
Upon arrival at Jakarta Airport, you will have drive to Carita beach on the western overcoast Jakarta.This land journey will takes 6- 7hours drive in normaly traffic road condition. Stay Overnight at simple hotel in Carita beach. (D)

DAY 02: CARITA BEACH - SERTUNG ISLAND "CAMPSITE"
Transfer to Sertung island by speedboat from Carita beach. You will enjoy cross the sunda strait for about 3 - 4 hours through the Cracatoa island. You will have stay overnight in tents at Sertung island as our campsite. (B, L, D)

DAY 03: SUMMIT MOUNT CRACATOA - CARITA BEACH - JAKARTA
On this morning, you will leave campsite by speadboat across to the opposite island of the Sertung island which "Sun of Cracatoa" situated, for trek to summit. Return to Carita beach and transfer to Jakarta. Stop at local restaurant in Carita enroute to Jakarta. (B,L)

Mount Papandayan Trekking

2008-06-13T02:30:00.000-07:00

MOUNT PAPANDAYAN

A visit to Mt. Papandayan is one of the most spectacular outings to an active volcano you can make. Golden sulphur crystals, hissing steam, boiling mud and water, blue and black creeks, all set in a large crater with a commanding view over the Garut Plain make this outing an unforget- table experience.

You can easily combine a visit to Mt. Papandayan with a weekend in or near Garut. Also, you can make it a one-day outing from Bandung, in which case you need a good seven to eight hours for the round trip. From Cipanas, expect a round trip to the Mt. Papandayan crater to take three to four hours.

MOUNT PAPANDAYAN NATIONAL PARK : Mount Papandayan is a complex stratovolcano, located in West Java, Indonesia. At the summit, there are four large craters, and it contains active fumarole fields. The 1772 eruption has truncated the volcano into a broad shape with two peaks and a flat 1.1 km wide of Alun-Alun crater in the middle. It looks like a twin volcano. One of the peaks is called Papandayan and the other is Mount Puntang.

This interesting place lies in the border of the Bandung and Garut regencies, about seventy kilometers south of Bandung and about 19,25 km from Garut. It is one if the most spectacular volcanoes in this province and the top of the mountain are easily reaches, because there are special road leading to the crater. Mount Papandayans crater is probably one of the most spectacular mountain scenes on Java Island. There is a Cangkuang temple situated by Cangkuang Lake, which was a major discovery of archaeological value as it was the first of its kind found in West Java, dating back to the 8th century. This volcano is situated 17 km from Garut or 50 km from Bandung.

Access to the mountain is easy with any vehicle. Public buses take you only to within 9 km of the crater, so you either have to walk the rest of the way or take an ojek (private motorbike with driver).

Though you can drive directly to the rim of the crater, keep in mind that your safety is not guaranteed—hot steam and boiling water and mud can scald you badly, and many of the sharp-edged rocks are rather loose. Do be careful.

There are two routes to Mt. Papandayan: one from the Garut area in the east and the other from the west via Pengalengan. Note that the two routes do not connect—not even a jeep can drive the 1 km across the crater.

From the east
The eastern approach from Garut is by far the easiest. Good roads take you right to the lower edge of the crater. Between Cipanas and Garut is the Tarogong roundabout, 42 km from the Cileunyi toll road exit. When you come from the north (Bandung or Cipanas), head toward Garut and Papandayan at the Tarogong roundabout. Half a kilometer past the roundabout, turn off to the right to bypass Garut and follow the Papandayan road sign. Continue on past the turnoffs to Kamojang (7km) and Darajat (9 km). Some 15 km from Tarogong the road connects with the main Garut-Cikajang road. After another 7 km, in Cisurupan, where the main road takes a sharp turn to the left, you go straight up the hill. From here it's 9 km to the crater.

The road winds up the mountain, at times steeply, but is reasonably well surfaced and should not pose a prob- lem for any car. At the car park, park- ing and admission fees are required.

Approaching Mt. Papandayan across the Garut Plain, you can see the horseshoe-shaped crater with a gap- ing hole to the northeast. This open side resulted when, on 11 August 1772, a terrible eruption shook the mountain and the whole Garut area. What had once been a solid mountain flank exploded sideways across the Garut Plain.

Geologists estimate that several cubic kilometers, or several thousand million tons, of rock mass were blown out that night. If trucks were loaded with that mass and lined up bumper-to-bumper, they would encircle the earth three dozen times! Small wonder that more than 3,000 people lost their lives during that eruption.

From the car park it's a 20-minute walk to the middle of the crater, and now you see why it is sometimes called the "Golden Crater's—its cen- tral part is a dome of yellow sulphur. Sulphur vapor hisses out of many small fissures in the dome to form columns visible from far away.

Shining yellow crystals of crystallized steam are everywhere, and in one place have collected to form a statue-like figure more than 2-meters high. In earlier times local people channeled the steam through pipes to control this crystallization process to be used for commercial purposes. Be extremely careful not to step on one of these old brittle pipes, for it is likely to break and release scalding steam.

You may wish to take a few sam- ples of sulphur with you as souvenirs, but it would be best to wrap them first—sulphuric acid may form and burn holes in fabrics. Apart from sulphur deposits, boiling springs and streams flow in dark blue and gray colors. Be sure to avoid the soft patch- es of ground.

Through the open northwestern side of the crater a fantastic view stretches before you across the whole Garut Plain and as far as Mt. Ciremai near Cirebon, 80 km away The Mt. Papandayan crater is truly a visual feast. To the Mt.

From the west
The western route takes you to the upper crater rim through some mem- orable scenery. Be forewarned, how- ever, that long sections of the road are often in poor repair and only passable with a jeep. Public transportation is unreliable. You can drive up either the Cisangkuy Valley or the Citarum Valley to the village of Santosa and then on to Mt. Papandayan (see the relevant sections in "South of Ban- dung"). From Bandung you may need about four hours to reach the crater on this

MOUNT PAPANDAYAN - VOLCANO TREKKING
Duration: 04 DAYS / 03 NIGHTS
Start / Finish: JAKARTA
Grade: Easy - Moderate

DAY 01: JAKARTA - GARUT
Upon arrival at Jakarta Airport, you will have drive to Garut at the southern of Badung.This land journey will takes 7 - 8 hours drive in normaly traffic road condition. Stay Overnight at hotel in Garut. (D)

DAY 02: GARUT - QUEEN CRATER - TREKKING TO PONDOK SALADA CAMP
Transfer to Papandayan entry gate, then you will have to start trekking up the Mt. Papandayan pass through the active rim Crater, and Hot spring to reach Pondok Salada. It will takes 4 - 5 hours trek from the parking area. You will have stay overnight in tents at Pondok Salada base camp for aclimatization. (B, L, D).

DAY 03: SUMMIT MT. GEDE PAPANDAYAN - BANDUNG
Early morning proceed to the summit of Mount Papandayan (2,640 M) for about 2 - 3 hours walk. After you take picture then you will have descend down to base camp for have breakfast. At the approtiate time, you will transfered to Bandung for another sightseeing on the Paris Van Java. Traditional performance of sundanesse people will be present during stay in Bandung.(B, L, D)

DAY 04: BANDUNG - JAKARTA
On today , you will have drive back to Jakarta. Enroute stop at Indonesia Safari Park, a free range zoo on the mountain slopes. Overnight at a hotel in Jakarta Or transfer to the airport for flight to your next destination. (B, L)

Mount Merapi Trekking

2008-06-13T02:29:00.000-07:00

Mount Merapi or Gunung Merapi in Indonesian language (bahasa), is a conical volcano in Central Java, Indonesia. It is the most active volcano in Indonesia and has erupted regularly since 1548. Its name means Mountain of Fire. It is very close to the city of Yogyakarta, and thousands of people live on the flanks of the volcano, with villages as high as 1700 m above sea level.

Several of its eruptions have caused fatalities. It was erupting from 1992 to 2002, and a particularly large explosion killed 43 people in 1994. It began erupting again in 2006, and scientists believe a large eruption is imminent. In light of the hazards it poses to populated areas, it has been designated a Decade Volcano.

Merapi is the youngest in a group of volcanoes in southern Java. It is situated at a subduction zone, where the Indo-Australian Plate is sliding beneath the Eurasian Plate. It is one of at least 129 active volcanoes in Indonesia, part of the Pacific Ring of Fire - a section of fault lines stretching from the Western Hemisphere through Japan and South East Asia.

Stratigraphic analysis reveals that eruptions in the Merapi area began about 400,000 years ago, and from then until about 10,000 years ago, eruptions were typically effusive, and the outflowing lava emitted was basaltic. Since then, eruptions have become more explosive, with viscous andesitic lavas often generating lava domes. Dome collapse has often generated pyroclastic flows, and larger explosions, which have resulted in eruption columns, have also generated pyroclastic flows through column collapse.

Typically, small eruptions occur every two to three years, and larger ones every 10-15 years or so. Notable eruptions, often causing many deaths, have occurred in 1006, 1786, 1822, 1872 (the most violent eruption in recent history), and 1930—when thirteen villages were destroyed and 1400 people killed by pyroclastic flows.
A very large eruption in 1006 is claimed to have covered all of central Java with ash. The volcanic devastation is claimed to have led to the collapse of the Hindu Kingdom of Mataram, however there is insufficient evidence from that era for this to be substantiated.

Merapi continues hold particular significance for the Javanese: it is one of four places where officials from the royal palaces of Yogyakarta and Solo make annual offerings to placate the ancient Javanese spirits.

More like hers brother, Mount Merbabu is a favorite mountain for local and foreign mountaineers. The average temperature in its top is around 15 grade Celsius during the day, of course in the night, it’s biting cold. The magnificent Merbabu is in the middle of Central Java Province, comes from the word "Meru" means mountain and "Babu" means female or lady. For years it has been known as a sleeping mountain, but in fact it has 5 calderas, namely: Condrodimuko, Kombang, Kendang, Rebab & Sambernyowo. Mt. Merbabu last eruption was in 1968 which caused a lot of erosion. Usually it gives a tranquile atmosphere to its green beautiful environment.

MOUNT MERAPI & MERBABU- VOLCANO TREKKING
Duration: 05 DAYS / 04 NIGHTS
Start / Finish : Yogyakarta / Semarang airport
Grade: Moderate

DAY 01: ARRIVAL YOGYAKARTA - SELO
Upon your arrival in Yogyakarta. You will start your journey by charter the private vehicle to Selo village enroute to the Magelang regency. Normally it will takes for about 7 hours from Yogyakarta. Arrive in Selo village then you may have rest at Merapi Pass Restaurant as they have simple accommodation (NON STAR).

DAY 02: SELO - MOUNT MERAPI - SELO
Early morning, you have obligatory to check permit. Start trek to Shelter III through pass the village, vegetation field, tropical rain forest. Climb Mount Merapi will takes 8 - 9 hours from Selo then we suggest you to take return journey due to climb. Return to Selo village for rest of the day at local house with very basic facilities. (B,L,D)

DAY 03: SELO - BASECAMP MT.MERBABU
This morning, you have obligatory to check permit from Base Camp Selo village. Start trek to campsite through pass the village, vegetation field, tropical rain forest. Rest of the day at your own dome tent. (Cooking are preferable at campsite). (B,L,D)

DAY 04: MOUNT MERBABU - SELO - BOROBUDUR TEMPLE
Early morning wake up (at 05.AM) for summit attack to see the beautiful sunrise at Mt.Merbabu peak. After obligatory take picture of magnificent scenery, descend to campsite for have breakfast and continue trek to Selo village for return drive to Borobudur temple. Stay at Manohara Hotel. (B,L,D)

DAY 05: BOROBUDUR TEMPLE - YOGYAKARTA / SEMARANG.
Early morning wake up (at 04.AM) for see the beautiful sunrise at Borobudur temple. After obligatory take picture of magnificent scenery, descend to Hotel for have breakfast then proceed to Yogyakarta or Semarang. Transfer to airport for catch your flight. (B,L)

PRICE: 7.800.000/Person min 02 person

Mount Bromo & Semeru Trekking

2008-06-13T02:28:00.000-07:00

Mt Bromo is a popular tourist destination in East Java.
The volcano is noted for its spectacular sunrises, and majestic views across to Semeru volcano in the south.
Two people were killled during an eruption of Bromo on 8th June 2004.
Bromo is the only active crater in a caldera which contains seven eruptive centres.
In 1838 the crater was filled with a lake.

Mountainous areas of Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park was stated firstly as a national park based on a letter of Statement of The Agrarian Minister Number : 736 / Mentan / X / 1982 on the date of October 14 th 1982 on area of 58,000 ha.
After having applied a limitation order of the budgetary year of 1983 / 1984 until the budgetary year of 1995 / 1996 on the area, there issued the letter of designation for it as Taman National Bromo Tengger Semeru ( Bromo Tengger Semeru Park ) based on a letter of decision of the Agrarian Minister Number : 278 / KptsVI / 1997 on May 23 rd 1997 that included an area of 50,276.20 ha.

Potentials of is ecosystem or natural resources that ground

The designation of the area as a national park area :

1. Natural phenomena caused uniquely by or as volcanic activities of Mt.Tengger
have become 5 (five) mountains :
Mt. Bromo ( 2,392 m high asl.(above sea level ),
Mt. Batok (2,400 m asl. )
Mt. Widodaren ( 2,614 m asl. )
Mt. Watangan ( 2,601 m asl. ) and
Mt. Kursi ( 2,581 m asl ),
and a wide Laut Pasir ( Sand Sea ) caused by its eruption.
Besides Mount Semeru is the highest mountain in Java Island and it is now still an active volcano.

2. A scarce endemic flora of family Orchidaceeae has 40 scarceorchid types, 15 of which are endemic in East Java, and 3 of them are typical South Semeru, those are Malaxis purprreonervosa, Meleola wetteana, and Liparis rhodocila. Besides there are also Corybas fornicatus ( red pearl orchid ) and Mavodes petola which are protected by Laws.

3. Hydrological Potential as water resouce area for several important river bank areas ( DAS )
in East Java for example DAS Brantas.
This hydrological potential is very famous as life support system.

Eruptions of Mount Bromo Volcano
2004, 2000, 1995, 1984, 1983?, 1983, 1980, 1972, 1956, 1955, 1950, 1948, 1040, 1939, 1935, 1930,
1929, 1928, 1928, 1922, 1921, 1915-16, 1910, 1909, 1907-08, 1907, 1906-07, 1896, 1893, 1890,
1888?, 1886-87, 1886, 1885-86, 1885, 1877, 1867-68, 1866, 1865, 1865, 1860, 1859, 1858, 1858, 1857,
1856, 1844, 1843, 1843, 1835, 1830, 1830, 1829, 1825, 1822-23, 1820, 1815, 1804, 1775?, 1767?

Bromo Tours From Bali

2 Days 1 Night Mount Bromo Tours
Daily Tour, Minimum 2 person
Price: Rp. 2.900.000 per person Min 02 Person

Day one:
Upon arrival at Surabaya airport, meeting service, and driving to Probolinggo/Pasuruan for overnight stay. (lunch and dinner).

Day two:
Depart to Pananjakan, for seeing the spectacular sun rise, and than continue to look closer the rim of Bromo crater by crossing the sea of sand, back to hotel for breakfast, than drive back to Surabaya for your next destination. (breakfast and lunch).

You can take advantage of:
Air coach transport
Local transport to Bromo
1 night accommodation for Single/Double occupancy
Meals as indicated on the itinerary
Donation and Entrance fees
English/Dutch/Indonesian speaking guide
Horse riding
Refreshment

Bromo Tours From Surabaya

Day O1: Arrive At Surabaya - Mount Bromo (L, D)
Arrive at Juanda Airport, our guide will fetch you, then we invite to Bromo area, check in Raya Bromo Hotel and free time. We would present lunch and dinner in local restaurant.

Day 02: Bromo Exursion - Surabaya Tour (B, L, D)
Morning call in 03 Pm then enjoy coffee or hot tea which have been prepared in lobby hotel, henceforth go towards Mount Penanjakan by local transport. After enjoy the beautiful of sunrise (if the weather is good), we will invite the participant going down to sand ocean to visit Mount BROMO . After enjoy the beauty of nature panorama surround from top of Bromo, back to the Hotel to take breakfast. Free time until its time to check out and continue the visitation to Surabaya and we invite to visit: WIND BANK (village of bag and suitcase crafting made of hide), MIROTA (souvenir centre), TUNJUNGAN PLAZA, etc. After satisfying, towards to hotel to check in. Hereinafter it’s free time.

Day 03: Surabaya - Transfer Out (B)
After the breakfast, it is free time until arriving it’s time for us to accompany you to the Juanda Airport, then go to the other purpose. The Tour Event has completed.

Price: Rp. 1.900.000/Person Min 02 Person

* The price above can change at any times

INCLUSIVE : Air conditioner, transportation, hotel based the choice, 2 nights / twin sharing, eat based the program, tourism object ticket, and guide.

EXCLUSIVE : Optional Tour, eat and drink out of the menu that we have presented, person expenditure.

MT. SEMERU & SEMERU VOLCANO TREKKING

Duration: 06 DAYS / 05 NIGHTS

Start/Finish: SURABAYA AIRPORT

DAY 01: SURABAYA – MALANG

Upon arrival at Surabaya Airport, our guide meets you. Transfer by AC coach to Malang . Check in at Splendid Inn, a simple but comfortable accommodation. Free and Easy in Malang. ( D )

DAY 02: MALANG – TUMPANG – RANUPANI – RANU KUMBOLO

Morning drive to Tumpang Village in half an hour where we change our ride to 4 wheel-drive jeep to reach Ranu Pani Village, the starting point to climb Mt. Semeru. Upon arrival, we start our trekking through the tropical rain forest of Mt. Semeru to Ranu Kumbolo in 3 hours. Set up our tent for overnight. Meals provided by our guide (B,L,D).

DAY 03: RANU KUMBOLO – KALIMATI

We proceed our way to reach the summit camp of Mt. Semeru, Kali Mati campsite in 3 hours trekking. On arrival, our guide team will prepare your lunch while you relax and enjoy the surrounding’s view. Overnight in tent (B, L, D).

DAY 04: SUMMIT of MT. SEMERU – RANU KUMBOLO

Early morning wake up! We climb to the summit of Mount Semeru (3,676 M). Reach the crater’s rim in 2,5 hours walking, watch sunrise if arrive early. Taking Photograph and some rest then descend down base camp for breakfast. Trekking back to Ranupani We proceed to Ranukumbolo for another overnight, here you’ll appreciate the beauty of surrounding’s nature (B, L, D).

DAY 05: RANU KUMBOLO – RANU PANI – CEMORO LAWANG

Morning after breakfast we return to Ranu Pani Village. By 4 Wheel-drive Jeep, we drive you on to Cemoro Lawang Village crossing the Bromo’s Sea of Sand area for your overnight stay at the closest situated hotel to the Caldera, Bromo Permai Hotel (B, L,D).

DAY 06: MT. PANANJAKAN & MT. BROMO – SURABAYA AIRPORT – DEPARTURE

Another early morning wake up! By 4 wheel-drive Jeep we drive you up to Mt. Pananjakan (2,770 M asl) for a spectacular view of sun rise over Mt. Bromo and it’s sea of sand. Trekking up to the rim of Mt. Bromo’s for close up view of it’s smoking crater. Return to hotel for breakfast. By Air-conditioned car we drive you in 3 hours journey to Surabaya Airport for your flight to your next destination (B)

PRICE PER PERSON : Rp. 3.900.000 Min 02 Person Participant.

INCLUDED:

* Airport transfers

* Private land transportation by air-conditioned car/bus

* 4 Wheel-drive Jeep

* Accommodations as per the itinerary

* Camping gear (Sharing Dome Tent & Kitchen Equipment) for Mt. Semeru Trekking

* Meals as per the itinerary (B: Breakfast, L: Lunch, D: Dinner)

* Tours & Services as per the itinerary

* Permits and Donations

* English speaking guide

EXCLUDED:

Flights, Travel insurance, extra meals, Alcoholic beverages and mini bar at Hotel, Laundry and other personal expenses, Optional Tours, Tips and Any expenses due to flight delay or cancellation.

WHAT TO BRING:

Good and comfortable trekking shoes, Comfortable suits and T - Shirt, Sandals/slippers, Warm cloth, Rain coats, Day pack, Flash light, Binocular, Camera, Personal medicine and first aid kit and other personal things.

Mount Ijen Trekking

2008-06-13T02:26:00.000-07:00

The Ijen Plateau lies in the centre of the ijen - Merapi - Malang Reserve, which extends over much of the mountainous region to the west of Banyuwangi, bordering or, the Baluran National Park. A luminous blue/green crater lake lies at the far eastern end of the plateau and is without doubt one of the most impressive of East Java's natural wonders.

The lake can be reached from either the east or the west. The latter is the more popular approach, since it takes just an hour and a half to hike up the mountainside from the road's end. From the Banyuwangi side, however, the trek takes six to seven hours from the village of Licin.

Kawah IJen is 2,300 metres above sea-level. The enormous lake, which is 200 metres deep, contains approximately 36,000,000 cubic metres of steaming, acid water. A walk around the crater takes a full day.
Sulphur is mined at the lake's edge and the average yield is nine to twelve tons per day. Experienced sulphur collectors, who are paid by weight, are able to transport loads of up to 70 kg to the top of the crater and then 17 km down the mountainside to Banyuwangi, mostly on foot. After arrival at the factory, the sulphur is treated for use in the production of medicines as well as for processing sugar.

Kawah Ijen Tours from bali

02 Days 01 Nights Trekking

DAY 01. BALI - BANYUWANGI
Pick up from your hotel in Bali, at about 7 Am, Then Drive to Gilimanuk Harbour, The sea gate way to Reach Java. Crossing about 45 Minutes by Very Boat to Ketapang - East java. Lunch will be served at The nearby restorant.Afterward, Drive forward to the Hotel. Dinner and Overnight stay.

DAY O2. BANYUWANGI - IJEN - BALI
Early Morning after Breakfast, Leave the Hotel by Fourwhell drive Vehicle to the slope of Mount ijen , Passing through the Village. Pause at the park ranger's Post before continueing Hiking to the top of it's slope. About 1 hour is needed to ascend the Rim of the Crater along a shady track with a Wonderfill View. Enjoy the Morning air with it's beautyfull Panoramic. The Sulfuric lake reflectseery colour over the surrounding wals to give an apocalypse like impression. The view is stunning , the local people seeking sulfur descend in to to the crater and Climb back along the dangerous rim with loads of up to 70 kilo on their shoulder.After felt enough, we then leave the crater, Drive back down to the banyuwangi.Lunch will be provided at the restorant. After Lunch, cross back to bali. Will arrive at hotel in the evening.

Tour Included :
Return AC Car ( Bali – Java – Bali ), Fery Crossing, 4wd Jeep or Horse, Lunch, Dinner, Breakfast, Bottled water, Coffe/Tea, Accomodation on share bases, Trekking Guide,Entrance Fee

Tour Excluded :
All Personal Items,travel Insurance,Soft Drinks ,alcohol, ETC that we does not copy to this Page.

Tour Rate:

Rp. 2.000.000/Minimum 02 Participants.

Mount Agung & Batur Trekking

2008-06-13T02:25:00.000-07:00

Mount Agung or Gunung Agung is a mountain in Bali. This stratovolcano is the highest point on the island. It dominates the surrounding area influencing the climate. The clouds come from the west and Agung takes their water so that the west is lush and green and the east dry and barren.

Gunung Agung last erupted in 1963-64 and is still active, with a large and very deep crater which occasionally belches smoke and ash. From a distance, the mountain appears to be perfectly conical, despite the existence of the large crater.

From the peak of the mountain, it is possible to see the peak of Gunung Rinjani on the island of Lombok, although both mountains are frequently covered in cloud.

The 1963-64 Eruption
The lava flows missed, sometimes by mere yards, the Mother Temple of Besakih. The saving of the temple is regarded by the Balinese people as miraculous and a signal from the gods that they wished to demonstrate their power but not destroy the monument the Balinese faithful had erected. However, over 1,000 people were killed and a number of villages were destroyed in this eruption.

Climbing the Mountain
There are two routes up the mountain, one from Besakih which proceeds to a higher peak and starts at approximately 1100metres and another which commences higher from Pura Pasar Agung, on the southern slope of the mountain, near Selat and which is reputed to take 4 hours. There is no path between the two routes at the top. Cecilie Scott provides an account of the ascent from Pura Pasar Agung. The mountain can be seen from various directions in video, there is a well produced video of the climb from Pura Pasar Agung and a short video from the top above Besakih. Greg Slayden describes a climb from Besakih claimed to have taken a remarkable four and a half hours to the peak and Ken Taylor describes a climb that took much longer and which included getting lost.

Guides are available in Besakih and the mountain can also be climbed without a guide. The climb from Besakih is quite tough. It is sometimes tackled as a single climb generally starting about 10.00pm for a dawn arrival at the peak and sometimes with an overnight camp about three quarters of the way up. It is far harder than the more popular Balinese climb up Gunung Batur. It is not a mountain that needs ropes and not quite high enough for altitude sickness but adverse weather conditions develop quickly and warm waterproof clothing is required and should be carried. There is no water available along the route.

Proceed through the temple complex then continue on a path that travels continuously upwards on a steep narrow spur through open forest and jungle most of the way. There is little potential to get lost until the route opens up towards the top where the correct route doubles backwards. Many climbers miss this turn and continue up a small valley which can be climbed out of with some difficulty.

Mount Agung and Mount Batur Trekking Package

Day-1 » BALI - KINTAMANI ( D )
Meeting service at hotel for a transfer to Kintamani through scenic countryside. Overnight at Toya Bungkah at the foot of Mt. Batur.

Day-2 » MT. BATUR - KLUNGKUNG ( B / L / D )
Very early morning trek to the top of Mt. Batur (2.800 m) to see a beautiful sunrise (weather permitting). Enjoy captivating views of Kinta-mani and lake Batur. Proceed down to curious funeral ground of Trunyan village across lake Batur. Back to hotel and overnight.

Day-3 » MT. AGUNG - BALI ( B / L )
Very early morning transfer to Pasar Agung temple for a small ceremony and trek to the summit of Mt. Agung (3.142 m) known as the holiest mountain for Balinese culture. Enjoy spectacular sunrise from the top (weather permitting) over Bali island. Back to the temple for further drive to hotel. Next transfer to a hotel in Kuta/Sanur/Nusa Dua/Ubud.

End of Services

Price Per Person in Indonesia Rupiah:

Rp. 2.600.000 Min 02 Person

Included in Trekking package:

Hotel
Transfer Pick Up in out Service
Mountain Porter
Licensed experienced
Mountain Guide
National Park Ticket entrance
Equipment, Tent, Sleeping Bag, Cook Gear, Mattress, Emergency Lamp
Food And Beverages ( three time A day during the program )
Inbound Travel Insurance for costumer

Not Including in Trekking Packages:

Tipping guide and porter
Flight ticket International and domestic
Lunch and dinner before program
Helicopter for accident
Other personal expenses
Other optional tours
Personal Pack
Sun block lotion, hat / cap. Sun glasses
Camera, Handy cam, extra roll film for manual camera of fully charged battery for digital.
Small towel
2/3 pcs of T-shirt.
Long trek pants/wind proof Jacket and rain coat
2 pcs of short
Trek stick
Torch

To be packed them in small backpack no more than 5 kg. All above items carried by participant

Mount Rinjani Trekking

2008-06-13T02:24:00.000-07:00

The park covers an area of 41,330 ha on the northern part of Lombok. Named after Indonesia’s second highest volcanic peak outside of West Papua, the peak of Gunung Rinjani (3,726m) dominates the landscape. Within the crater is the spectacular Segara Anak lake and the still-active volcano Gunung Baru (2,363m).

It is surrounded by a further 66,000 ha of Protection Forest and covers the three administrative district of West, East and Central Lombok. The park ecosystem is in the transitional zone between Asia and Australia (Walaceae zone). Average rainfall is about 3,000 mm annually.

Gunung Rinjani is rich in a variety of flora, fauna and vegetation types. On the south western side of the mountain is the most eastern extent of primary rainforest in Nusa Tenggara. This gives way to monsoon forest and drier climate in the east, and savannah in the north east. Notable flora includes the everlasting edelweiss flower (Anaphalis viscida), tiger orchid (Vanda sp.), alang-alang grass (Imperata cylindrica), cemara trees (Casuarina trifolia and Casuarina ocidentale).

Mt. Rinjani, one of the over 40 National Parks throughout Indonesia, was established in 1997. It is valued and protected for its spiritual as well as natural values, and is worshipped by thousands of Balinese as well as Sasak pilgrims. Hot springs near the crater lake are sought after for their healing powers.

Over 20 villages surround Rinjani and there are many routes up the mountain, but the main access is from Senaru in the north and Sembalun Lawang to the east. The challenging three-day Rinjani Trek route from Senaru to the crater rim (Plawangan), down to the stunning crater lake then on to Sembalun Lawang, is considered one of the best treks in South East Asia. Those heading for the summit usually prefer to start in Sembalun Lawang.

The village of Senaru is the main gateway to Gunung Rinjani National Park, the most popular start point for the three day Rinjani Trek up Indonesia’s second highest volcanic peak (3,726m). For the people of Lombok, Sasak and Balinese alike, the volcano is revered as a sacred place and the abode of gods. Within the spectacular crater, the Segara Anak Lake is the destination of many pilgrims who place offerings in the water and bathe away disease in the nearby hot springs.

A model for ecotourism in Indonesia, the community-based activities are focussed on the Rinjani Trek Centre in Senaru, the most popular starting point for the tough trek. Developed with New Zealand Government assistance since 1999, the Rinjani Trek Centre embodies under one roof (satu atap) the unique partnership of the National Park, tourism industry and local communities that has been forged to manage and protect the Rinjani mountain environment.

Mount Tambora Trekking

2008-06-13T02:22:00.000-07:00

Mount Tambora Adventure Trekking

A big Volcano that erupted in the 19th century

The paroxysmal eruption of Mt. Tambora on the island of Sumbawa in April 1815 – despite having triggered a world wide historic event – is astonishingly neglected in studies of volcanic activity. The world wide event referred to was the so-called "Year without a Summer" - the exceptionally cold months of 1816. In addition to this, Mt. Tambora's eruption far-eclipsed in violence and ejecta the more famous eruption of Krakatau (Krakatoa) in 1883, which also had an impact on the world's weather.
Though disappointing, the reason for part of this neglect is not hard to find. There exist few contemporary records of the eruption and what there is has seen little reprinting in modern works. Nonetheless, enough data is now available that a more definitive study can and should be undertaken. The intent of this posting is to synthesize and integrate what is available and hopefully inspire further investigation.

Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, later founder of Singapore, was at the time of the eruption serving as Lt. Governor of Java, based at his capital in Batavia. He had occupied this post since September 1911, a month after the British had wrested Batavia from control of Napoleon's France. Having heard of the great human distress and disastrous phenomena accompanying the outbreak, he gave orders that British residents gather information and report if possible to him on the effects of the eruption On April 18, Lt. Owen Phillips was dispatched with a shipload of rice for relief to the disaster zone. It is from Phillips' findings, and Raffles subsequent submission of his report to the Natural Historical Society of Batavia in September 1815 that we learn after-the-fact of the details of the eruption. It is important to note that no native accounts save one are known to survive, and the character and form of the eruption must be reconstructed "retroactively" working backwards from the Raffles report and the physical aftermath on the islands. With this challenge in mind, we proceed.

The eruption
Even allowing for the scant documention, the characteristic about the eruption that immediately jumps out at the researcher is its terrifying speed and brevity. When this is contrasted with its stupendous scale and effects, the event becomes a singularly sobering and daunting one. Perhaps only the Mt. Tarawera eruption of 1886 in New Zealand compares in modern times for sheer suddenness and destructive force of eruption. A word of explanation is in order here. Though such celebrated eruptions as Krakatau, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Pelee, and more recently El Chichon and Pinatubo, capture the public eye and respect, all of those powerful eruptions had fairly lengthy eruptive sequences. In short, for those with mind to do so, there was ample time if not always means to vacate the danger zone. With Tarawera it was different---in 1886 in the space of one night a triple peak mountain range near Lake Rotomahana suddenly split open and erupted. Literally some 4,000 people who had gone to their beds that evening would never again wake up. Such a disastrous and only slightly less deadly suddenness accompanied the Tambora eruption.

The Setting
Almost nothing is reliably known about the form and history of Mt. Tambora prior to the 1815 eruption. (Some indication of the lack of exploration of the region is gained by noting that the famous Komodo Dragons on the adjacent island of Komodos were only discovered in 1911!). However, mountains being what they are, the remnants tell a great deal to the expert eye. Although the top of the mountain collapsed in 1815, what still stands is unusual and provocative in its features. According to the best available evidence, before the eruption Mt. Tambora was a volcanic cone 4,000 meters high and 60 kilometers in diameter at sea level; densely blanketed in forest. It is reported to have originally had two summits, and there were several parasitic cones on the east and northeast slopes. What is unusual is that studies indicate that in its first phase of activity Tambora was a shield volcano, not unlike those of Iceland or Hawaii. Later, a bedded cone was built up on top of this, possibly the result of a change in the composition of the magma. The mountain, which may well have begun life as an island separate from Sumbawa, in time rose to dominate a peninsula joining it to Sumbawa on the southwest flank. By the time the Europeans came to occupy Sumbawa in the 18th century Mt. Tambora had lapsed into a deep dormancy. This state of affairs continued for a decade more into the 19th century. Then the volcanic energies once again burst forth.

At the time of the Tambora eruption, some 140,000 natives were reported to be living on Sumbawa. Sumbawa is long vaguely rectangular island running nearly from west to east. About a third the way from the eastern end, on the north side, a large peninsula projects northwestward like the trigger of a gun. But this trigger belonged to a cannon capable of force like no general of the age could ever have imagined. For it is on this penninsula, the Sanggar Peninsula, that Mt. Tambora stands. Scattered around in 1815 some 12, 000 people lived in a handful of villages and towns clustered on the peninsula of Tambora. Forty miles to the eastward, a small British contingent headed by a Resident resided at the village port of Bima, the capital of the European colonists. Bima was located beside Bima Bay, a deep indentation in the northern side of the east end of Sumbawa, and about 40 miles east of Tambora's peninsula.

Though some mild spewings of ash were alleged to have occurred at the summit in the spring of 1814, the first real and almost only warnings were a rolling succession of deep shocks through the Dutch East Indies on the evening of April 5. In Dutch Macassar the warship Benares of the East India Company lay at anchor, the officers and crew perturbed by what seemed to be a naval battle taking place just over the horizon to the south. As dusk neared, the barrage seemed closer, with heavy artillery seemingly sprinkled with intermitent rifle volleys; just then a detachment of troops arrived aboard, and the Benares was ordered to put to sea to investigate. But they found nothing nor the source of the "cannonade", although they remained at sea for three days. In the words of a modern author, "that was just as well. For if they had, there was nothing they, nor all the troops and ships in the world, could have done about it." Indeed, for their quarry was no pirate over the horizon: but more than 200 miles south, and what was fast becoming the most explosive eruption of recorded history.

With sunrise on April 6 light ashes began falling on Batavia. The sun became obscured in the skies over Java, "having the appearance of being enveloped in a fog. The weather was sultry and the atmosphere close, and still the sun seemed shorn of its rays, and the general stillness and pressure of the atmosphere seemed to forebode an earthquake. This lasted several days." Oddly enough, the rumblings and explosions – though they continued – now seemed to come less frequently and with less noise. The Europeans were perplexed and concerned, but some of the Java natives, however, were delighted: priests declared with confidence and satisfaction that the thunder and dark was the sign that the gods of the mountains were coming forth to free the island from foreign rule. However as the ash fall grew and persisted, while the rumblings and explosions continued, all those in-the-know now realized it must be a volcanic outbreak, and the speculation was that Merapi, Kelut, or Bromo was the likely culprit. With the cause if not the source of the disturbance identified, the Europeans at least became less concerned and ceased to pay much attention to it, for this volcanic outbreak was not yet "considered of greater importance than those which have occasionally burst forth in Java".

This educated complacency abruptly shattered on April 10. As if rebuking their hubris, as the afternoon came, suddenly the roar and detonations like blasting gravel and cannon renwed, even stronger than before, and this time a truly menacing and darkened cloud of ash billowed over from the east. This time it was even greater than before, so that the sun was almost blotted out. In the eastern part of Java, the situation was even more severe. At Solo and Rembang some reported small and continuous earthquakes, and the explosions were tremendous, booming frequently through the 11th with such violence as to shake the houses noticeably. And still the might of the detonations only increased, and the . Once again the priests sang with joy that liberation was at hand, and even some of the Europeans now felt fear and concern. What was happening? None of the suspected volcanoes were known to be in eruption, and yet almost 2,500 miles of island chain was being rocked by cataclysmic quakes. Not a few must have contemplated the fate of Pompeii and Herculaneum---buried by Vesuvius in AD. 79 – but there was little anyone could do but wait. These were the conditions on Java and neighboring islands as dusk approached on April 10. But for those living on the peninsula upon which Tambora stood, matters would grow much worse this night. For in the late afternoon of the 10th Mt. Tambora in fact entered paroxysmal eruption and would inflict a devastation that would leave precious few survivors to tell the tale.

Fortunately, despite the primitive conditions prevailing on the island, via Lt. Phillips, we do indeed possess one eyewitness account from the Rajah of Sangir. Sangir was on the north shore of Sumbawa, just to the east of Tambora's peninsula, less than twenty-five miles from the summit. The Rajah was in his village at the time of the eruption, he told Phillips, and in fact witnessed its climatic acceleration and effect. As such, his report is incredibly valuable. Moreover, allowing for the inexperience and comprehension of the witness, the Rajah of Sangir's words show – to the volcanologist – a remarkable and likely trustworthy immediacy and clarity. He stated that "about 7pm on the 10th of April, three distinct columns of flame burst forth near the top of Tomboro mountain (all of them apparently within the verge of the crater), and after ascending to a very great height, their tops united in the air in a troubled and confused manner." The words "troubled and confused manner" are a singularly vivid and accurate description of the volcanic ash clouds that boil upward from paroxysmal eruptions. He next says "In a short time, the whole mountain next to Sangir appeared like a body of liquid fire, extending itself in every direction. The fire and columns of flame continued to rage with unabated fury, until the darkness caused by the quantity of falling matter obscured it at about 8pm." Hence, within an hour of the primary outbreak, the falling ash has obscured the summit from view. This too is consistent with such eruptions, and vouches for its reliability. The "liquid fire" is almost certainly pyroclastic surges rather than true lava flows, but this point cannot be proven.

As the Rajah and his people watched in consternation, "stones" (volcanic bombs and lapilli) began to fall on Sangir, "some of them as large as two fists, but generally not larger than walnuts". Between 9 and 10pm ashes began to fall, and "and soon after a violent whirlwind ensued which blew down nearly every house in the village of Sangir, carrying the ataps, or roofs, and light parts away with it. In the part of Sangir adjoining [facing] Tomboro its effects were much more violent, tearing up the roots of the largest trees and carrying them into the air, together with men, horses, cattle, and whatever else came within its influence. The sea rose nearly twelve feet higher than it had ever been known to do before, and completely spoiled the the only small spots of rice land at Sangir, sweeping away houses and everything within its reach. The whirlwind lasted about an hour. No explosions were heard till the whirlwind had ceased, at about 11pm."

Whatever atmospheric phenomena caused the absence of explosion sounds during the whirlwind, it ended with it. Starting about an hour before midnight, stupendously loud explosions were heard, "from midnight to the evening of the 11th, they continued without intermission"! Given the conditions prevailing in Sangir, the plight of the villages actually on Tambora's flanks and the peninsula could only be imagined. In fact, they were scenes out of the end of the world, with "great tracts of land being covered by lava, several streams of which", issuing from the summit of the disintegrating mountain "reached the sea." In several places, whole portions of land suddenly subsided, and were swallowed by the inrushing sea.
The blanket of ashes was so heavy that they collapsed the roofs of the Resident's and many other dwellings in Bima and rendered them uninhabitable. The Dompu Palace at Dora Bata was also buried with ash. At Bima the thickness of ash was later found to be one and a half feet deep, but at Sangir much nearer to the volcano it was three feet deep. "Although the wind at Bima was queerly still during the whole time, the sea rolled in upon the shore, and filled the lower parts of the houses with water a foot deep. Every boat was forced from the anchorage and driven on shore." All around Sumbawa the neighboring islands reported similar odd pheonmena, as "the sea rose suddenly to the height of from two to twelve feet, a great wave rushing upon the estuaries, and then suddenly subsiding." On the adjacent island of Bali, the ash lay a foot deep as well.
Throughout the night of the 10th and through the day of the 11th the mountain raged with an incredible fury and violence. As if sending a warning to the growing confidence and pride of western man, Mt. Tambora roared with an unbridled and unmatched defiance that rocked the entire East Indies. An eruption column of ash and dust boiled an incredible 28 miles into the sky, as lightning danced with the fury of dervishes amidst it.

The enigmatic detonations began again on the afternoon of April 11, and this time houses and buildings in Macassar began to actually shake. The warship Benares put to sea, heading southward to investigate. However, by noon on the 12th the sky had become almost opaque and almost filled with fine ash. Daylight was scarcely visible, as a stygian darkness descended. Native village shamans proudly and confidently declared that the old gods had burst forth and were about to drive the Europeans from Indonesia. As it happened, nothing of the sort occurred, and after three days the skies gradually brightened again. The thundering ceased abruptly.
Finally the eruption's fury began to wane late on the 11th, the sharp and loud detonations moderating and "heard only at intervals". But on the 12th far to the west of Sumbawa, floating pumice still formed a mass two feet thick and miles in extent! So thick was it that ships had difficulty breaking through the drifting mass.
In Java, the "haziness and heat of the atmosphere, and occasional fall of volcanic ashes, continued until the 14th, and in some parts of the island until the 17th of April". However, the Javanese were lucky: heavy and timely falls of rain ensued, helping to wash away the ash and clear the sky so that severe injury to crops and outbreaks of epidemic were avoided. Alas for the Sumbawans, there would be no such reprieve.. At last, on July 15, 1815, the last explosions ceased. The skies cleared, and revealed was a Dantesque panorama of destruction and ruin.
On Mt. Tambora, the once irregular and lofty summit had been lopped off, as if with a knife, forming a flat-topped massif capped by a stupendous caldera. Given the low-order of eruptions since 1815, modern figures are probably very close to those of 1815, with little change to the mountain since: The eruption had formed a caldera 6 kilometers in diameter and 1,110 meters deep. The highest point was (and is now) 2,850 meters above sea level.

The loss of life and destruction was appalling. Of the thriving village-towns in the province of Tomboro near the mountain, comprising some 12,000 inhabitants, only small Tempo and its forty inhabitants remained. All the others had been obliterated by whirlwinds or engulfed as frightening subsidences of land occurred. No trace remained of the villages of Tomboro and Pekate, and "no vestige of a house" was left. During the eruption, the town of Tomboro on the west side of Sumbawa had been "overflowed by the sea, which encroached upon the shore so that water remained permanently 18 feet deep in places where there was land before." Only five or six from both towns were known to have even survived. Of the others only twenty-six badly burned people of a party out from Pekate managed to paddle their canoes away from the peninsula and survive. The devastation was concentrated on the north and west sides of the peninsula of the mountain, the "trees and herbage of every description, along the whole of the north and west sides…" had been "completely destroyed, with the exception of a high point of land near the spot where the village of Tomboro once stood." Out at sea, there was huge mass of floating trees littering the surface of the water for miles around the peninsula.

Nor were conditions much better in the eastern part of the island around Bima. Famine of extraordinary and severe intensity broke out, taking the lives of thousands. Having arrived on Sumbawa and writing from Bima about August 3, Lt. Phillips reported: "The extreme misery to which the inhabitants have been reduced is shocking to behold. There were still on the road side the remains of several corpses, and the marks of where many others had been interred; the villages almost entirely deserted and the houses fallen down, the surviving inhabitants having dispersed in search of food." The famine was so severe in Sangir, Phillips reported, that even one of the Rajah of Sangir's [the learned eyewitness who described the eruption above] own daughters had died from hunger. Phillips gave the man three coyangs of rice, for which he was most thankful, but such help paled before the disaster engulfing the Dutch East Indies.

The nature of the eruption
From the foregoing it is immediately seen that the Tambora eruption is exceptional for its ferocity and rapid acceleration to full climax. Despite the over-use of the example by popular literature, in this case it is indeed useful to compare it to the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 A.D. The outbreaks share notable similarities: [1] a fairly short-term series of pre-monitory quakes, [ 2] a heavily wooded and long dormant volcano that like Vesuvius, seems to have a hybrid basaltic and andesitic charcter---possibly having like Vesuvius risen originally from under shallow waters and joined to the island by peninsula. [3] a paroxysmal "clearing of the vent" eruption cloud that sent a large cauliflower skyward, [4] a rapid descent of darkness from a falling ash cloud, [5] the appearance of localized, possibly identical "base surges" fanning out from the disintegrating cone, [6] and an accleration through paroxysmal eruption and climax in the space of less than 72 hours, followed by a rapid tapering off of activity.

It is just possible that Tambora triggered a partial collapse of itself early in the eruption, unleashing an eruption plume of sudden and horrific force, not unlike Mt. St. Helens in 1980. The reason for suggesting this is in the sheer power and velocity of the eruption column, as well as its fairly short duration. It appears to point to a fairly sudden, preciptous rather than a steadily mounting release. But this is merely informed speculation, and though interesting, is impossible to verify at present.
No later than April 5, but possibly earlier, Tambora was shaken by a "throat-clearing" eruption that punched a new vent in the summit and cast forth a volley of ash over the Flores Sea. Though the eyewitness accounts describe only the climatic phase of the eruption and not the preliminaries, it seems impossible to assume that the Sumbawans were unaware that Tambora was now active. Possibly being experienced with neighboring Bali andLombok's eruptions, they did not think it too serious at first. Or possibly evacuating was not a particularly practical option for most. In any case, most inhabitants of Tambora's peninsula remained where they were as the eruption grumbled on into April 6. By sunset of the next day, the activity apparently faded, nearly to a halt, though the rumblings continued. Perhaps this lulled any doubts the people may have had. The eruption appeared to be waning, and few sought to flee the mountain's fertile environs. Whatever circumstances prompted this choice, it sealed the fate of 90% of the inhabitants.

Mount Kelimutu Trekking

2008-06-13T02:20:00.001-07:00

Kelimutu Color Lakes Package Tours

04 Days /03 Nights

DAY 01 : BALI/LOMBOK - MAUMERE
Transfer to Ngurah Rai Airport to catch MZ 6558 at 12.25 for a two-hour flight to Maumere in Flores Island. On arrival at Waioti Airport of Maumere at 14.30 directly drive to Moni and overnight at FLORES SARE HOTEL. (L,D)

DAY 02 : MAUMERE - KELIMUTU - MAUMERE
After an early morning breakfast at 3.30 AM drive up to Kelimutu volcano to see the three colored lakes. Upon arrival walk for 1,5 km and then ascend 127 steps to top to view Kelimutu's green, blue and black lakes. A Dutch Geologist discovered Kelimutu in 1914; at the time the lakes were red, blue and white. Descend to Moni village to view beautiful hand woven clothes and to visit Kowanara village famous for its traditional Lionese houses. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant in Wolowaru. After lunch, continue to Wolosoko - a village perched on a hill overlooking the main road. Proceed to Maumere with several stops made according to local happenings.Transfer to SAO WISATA RESORT in Waeara beach (B,L,D)

DAY 03 : MAUMERE
Breakfast at hotel. Visit Wuring village to see the houses built on stilts over the sea. Next, drive up to Ledalero - a major Catholic Seminary - to visit the museum with its various collection of local royal families' old portraits, antique hand woven clothes, stagedeon fossils, etc. Proceed to Sikka village - a center of "Ikat" weaving to see the traditional weaving process and an old church built in the 16th Century. Return to hotel. (B,L,D)

DAY 04 : MAUMERE - OUT
Breakfast at hotel. Transfer to the Airport to depart for your next destination. (B)

End of Services

Price per person in USD 420 Minimum 02 Person

Carstenz Peak Trekking

2008-06-13T02:17:00.001-07:00

CARSTENSZ PYRAMID –

As one of the world's seven summit become unreasonable to climb
4,884 metres / 16,023 feet

Location : West Papua Province, Indonesia
Range : Sudirman Mountains
Coordinates : 4°5′S 137°11′ECoordinates: 4°5′S 137°11′E

GENERAL INFORMATION:
Carstensz Pyramid is the highest mountain on island of the New Guinea, on the greater Australian continent and in Oceania. It's the highest point between the Himalayas and the Andes.

The peak is located in what is variously called the Sudirman Range or the Dugunduguoo, in the western central highlands of Papua - Indonesian. While Puncak Jaya’s peak is free of glaciers, there are several on its slopes, including the Carstensz Glacier, the Meren Glacier, and Northwall Firn. Being equatorial, there is little variation in the mean temperature during the year (around 0.5°C) and the glaciers fluctuate on seasonal basis only slightly.

Evidence from satellite imagery demonstrates that most of the glaciers atop the mountain are retreating rapidly and some have disappeared altogether the last 20 years

Puncak Jaya, sometimes called Mount Carstensz or the Carstensz Pyramid, is the highest mountain on the island of New Guinea, on the Australia-New Guinea continent and in Oceania. It is the highest point between the Himalaya and the Andes and the highest island peak in the world. The peak is located in what is variously called the Sudirman Range or the Dugunduguoo, in the western central highlands of Papua, the Indonesian western half of the island, and is the highest peak in the country.

HISTORY
Puncak Jaya was originally called 'Carstensz Pyramid', after Dutch explorer Jan Carstensz who first sighted the glaciers on the peak of the mountain on a rare clear day in 1623 (Carstensz was ridiculed in Europe when he said he had seen snow near the equator) This name is still used among mountaineers Although the snowfield of Puncak Jaya was reached as early as 1909 by a Dutch explorer, Hendrik A. Lorentz, the peak was not climbed until 1962, by an expedition led by the Austrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer (of Seven Years in Tibet fame) with three friends, Temple, Kippax and Huizenga.

PERMIT AND ACCESS
As you visit Irian Jaya, you will be requested a police permit or in bahasa "Surat Jalan". To Climb Carstensz Pyramid we have to have a security clearence from Indonesian Army (BAIS TNI). Please provide 2 photographs, 4 x 6 size, with red background and a copy of passport when you register the expedition.

“These documents needed at least 60 DAYS before your expedition start“.

The Carstensz Pyramid Expedition have two option expeditions programme: Classic Route trekking from Ilaga Village and Private Helicopter directly go to Base Camp Danau – Danau Valley.

All these expeditions programme supported by our expert mountain guide climbers to lead you to Carstensz Pyramid. As our climbers guide have good track record to handle the local TV (filming trip) to Carstensz Pyramid and Puncak Jaya. They have qualified of mountaineering and climbing escorted experiences.

EXPEDITION ITINERARY:
Private Charter Helicopter

DAY 01 : ARRIVAL JAKARTA
DAY 02 : DEPARTURE BIAK
DAY 03 : ARRIVAL BIAK – NABIRE
DAY 04 : ARRIVAL NABIRE
DAY 05 – 09 : NABIRE – BASECAMP
by Helicopter Transfer and ACLIMATIZATION AT BASE CAMP
DAY 10 – 11 : SUMMIT DAYS
Ascending to Carstensz Pyramid and Victory Peak – Ngga Pulu Peak
DAY 12 – 13 :Carstensz Base Camp–Nabire, stay at Hotel for rest of the day–Biak
DAY 14 : BIAK - JAKARTA
DAY 15 : DEPARTURE

Included on the expedition cost:
• All required permits in Jakarta and West Papua (Security Clearance & Traveling Permit)
• Domestic Flights (Jakarta – Biak – Nabire )
• Airport Transfers in Jakarta, Biak & Nabire
• Chartered Helicopter to Carstensz Pyramid BC and return
• Accomodation based on twin share in Jakarta, Biak and Nabire
• Meals as per the itinerary (B: Breakfast, L: Lunch, D: Dinner)
• Accommodation at Hotel/Guesthouse indicated on the itinerary based Twin Share/Double.
• Camping gear (Sharing Dome Tent & Kitchen Equipment)
• Experienced mountain guide & Cook
• Fixed rope on carstensz pyramid wall
• Camping, dining, and cooking equipment

Excluded:
• Insurances
• Airport tax
• Overweight on all flights
• Personal climbing and camping equipments
• Extra food and beverages
• Personal expenses (laundry, phone call, hotel’s minibar)
• Evacuation or rescue
• Any expenses due to the flight delay or cancel

Departure Date of Expedition 2007

Date of Expedition	Route Expedition
April 07 - 21th, 2007	Helicopter Transfer - Nabire
May 07- 21th, 2007	Helicopter Transfer - Nabire
August 01-Sept 05th, 2007	Classic Trek - Ilaga village
Sept 26-October 31, 2007	Classic Trek - Ilaga village
Nov 19-Dec 3rd, 2007	Helicopter Transfer - Nabire
* Prices are subject to change based on departure date. * Copy Passport are required to apply permit documents, please attached on your email inquiry while join to our Carstensz Pyramid expedition. * The Cost Expedition will send as confidence email.

23. 8.–14.9.2007 – trekking climbing Carstensz expedition ...OPEN
20.10.– 4.11.2007 – helicopters climbing Carstensz expedition .. OPEN
20.11.– 12.12.2007 – trekking climbing Carstensz expedition ....OPEN
29. 2.–22.3.2008 – trekking climbing Carstensz expedition ..OPEN

Classic Route Trek from Ilaga village

DAY 01 : ARRIVAL JAKARTA
DAY 02 : DEPARTURE TO BIAK ISLAND
DAY 03 : ARRIVAL BIAK ISLAND
Stay at Non Star Hotel
DAY 04 : DEPARTURE BIAK TO NABIRE
Stay at Hotel
DAY 05 : NABIRE TO ILAGA VILLAGE
Charter Flight, Twin Otter Air Craft
DAY 06 – 15: EXPEDITION ROUTE by classic trek
Ilaga Village to Base Camp, Danau – Danau Valley
DAY 16 – 19 : CARSTENSZ BASE CAMP Acclimatization at Danau – Danau Valley
DAY 20 – 22: SUMMIT DAYS Ascending to Carstensz Pyramid and Victory Peak – Ngga Pulu Peak
DAY 23 – 29 : DESCEND TREK TO ILAGA VILLAGE
DAY 30 – 31 : RETURN FLY TO NABIRE by Charter Flight
DAY 32 – 34 : RETURN FLY TO BIAK ISLAND – JAKARTA

EXPEDITION COST : $ 10,000 USD /person
To join our International Carstensz Pyramid Expedition which required min 6 People (excluded all ticket fares, charter flight and emergency evacuation rescue by helicopter).

Included on the expedition cost:
• All required permits in Jakarta and West Papua (Security Clearance & Traveling Permit)
• Domestic Flights (Jakarta – Biak – Nabire )
• Airport Transfers in Jakarta, Biak & Nabire
• Chartered Helicopter to Carstensz Pyramid BC and return
• Accomodation based on twin share in Jakarta, Biak and Nabire
• Meals as per the itinerary (B: Breakfast, L: Lunch, D: Dinner)
• Accommodation at Hotel/Guesthouse indicated on the itinerary based Twin Share/Double.
• Accommodation at Home Stay with Basic Facilities
• Camping gear (Sharing Dome Tent & Kitchen Equipment)
• Experienced mountain guide & Cook
• Porters during trekking (villagers)
• Fixed rope on carstensz pyramid wall
• Camping, dining, and cooking equipment

EXPEDITION COST
Due to high cost on helicopter, our International Carstensz Pyramid Expedition requires minimum 6 persons in every departure. Please contact us for the expedition cost

Included on the expedition cost:
• All required permits in Jakarta and West Papua (Security Clearance & Traveling Permit)
• Domestic Flights (Jakarta – Biak – Nabire)
• Airport Transfers in Jakarta, Biak & Nabire
• Chartered Helicopter to Carstensz Pyramid BC and return
• Accomodation based on twin share in Jakarta, Biak and Nabire
• Meals as per the itinerary (B: Breakfast, L: Lunch, D: Dinner)
• Accommodation at Hotel/Guesthouse indicated on the itinerary based Twin Share/Double.
• Camping gear (Sharing Dome Tent & Kitchen Equipment)
• Experienced mountain guide & Cook
• Fixed rope on carstensz pyramid wall

HOW TO JOIN THE EXPEDITION
To book the expedition with us, please send your request to us info@lombokmarine.com

Payment
To confirm your booking, we require a deposit payment of USD 2,500 / Person in order in order to secure permits for the expedition and deposit on charter helicopter. Due to long procedures of permit application, we required deposit payment to be paid lately 60 days prior to the expedition departure. Once permits are gained, there are no refund on your deposit which has been paid to us.

While the remaining balance of the expedition cost, (including airfares – if booked through us) due on 14 days before expedition departure.

Refunds
Refunds are not made for unused services, except those which can be recovered from airlines for unused flights and these may be claimed though us (if the flight bookings made through us) or to the travel agencies who arranged your flight bookings.

Cancellation
If you cancel your booking there is no refund on each deposit and balance payment.

Changes to the Itinerary
Carstensz Pyramid Expeditions are organized many months in advance and it may become necessary to make alteration on your plan. Where practical, we will advise you of such changes before you depart to Indonesia, although occasionally we may be forced to make changes en route due to the causes beyond our control. You should keep in touch with us.

Travel Insurances
All of our tours are not covered by travel insurance. We recommend that you purchase travel insurance which covers loss of deposits, cancellation charges, luggage claims, medical expenses and others. The travel insurance should be arranged at the travel agencies in your country before you depart to Indonesia.

WHAT TO BRING
Headwear
1 sun hat (it must shade the eyes and nose). 1 balaclava (wool, polypropylene). 1 wool or fleece hat. 1 pair glacier glasses with side protection (and a spare). 1 neck gaiter.

Handwear
2 pairs liner gloves (poly thin). 1 pair medium weight fleece gloves. 1 pair goretex wind shells for mittens. 1 pair wool or fleece mittens. 1 pair overmitts.

Upper-Lower Body
1 expedition down parka with hood (-20 F). 1 windproof outer jacket with hood (Gore-tex)
1 poly/fleece jacket. 1 expedition weight polypropylene shirt. 2 lightweight, long sleeve polypropylene shirts. 2 heavy polypropylene long underwear (tops and bottoms). 2 t-shirts for lower elevations. 1 pair wind/rain pants (with side zips). 1 pair fleece pants (side zipper). 1 long cotton pant for trekking (legs zip off to become shorts). 1 nylon shorts

Footwear
1 pair of trekking boots (Gore-tex) and 1 quality sport shoes . 1 pair of sandals
1 pair insulated super-gaiters. 2-3 pair of wool socks and polypropylene socks. 3 pairs polypropylene, wool or similar socks.
Sleeping Gear: 1 down or synthetic sleeping bag (-20C).

Pack
High quality back pack approx. 70-80 liters. Day pack for approach hike and summit day. 1 Large duffel bag (7000+cu.in) with lock to be carried to Base Camp.

Climbing Equipment
Sit Harness, 1 pair Jumar, Descenduer figur of eight, 2 Carabineer Screw Gate & 5 Snap gate, 5 Webbing 1,5 meter, 2 prusik, Climbing Helmet, Head Lamp with 3 alkaline battery sets

Others
Sun screen and lip protection (UV rating of 20 SPF or more). Metal thermos bottle, 1000ml. Toiletry kit. Water bottle. Camera and film. Pocket knife (mid size). Book and walkman to spend time in tent. Simple first aid kit. Pee bottle - 1 qt. capacity, wide mouth. Insect repellant coating for hike in clothes. Passport. Cash. Copies of relevant documents (maps, directions, itinerary, etc... all in plastic bags). Journal with pens. Casual clothes for walking around, going to dinner. Small Indonesia dictionary with travel phrases.

CARSTENSZ ROAD
It is still most difficult to get a climbing permit for the Carstensz Pyramid. The other obstacle is the difficulty in getting to the mountain and Base Camp. There are only two options. Either you have to undertake several days long trekking to Carstensz Pyramid (5–7 days) from the most usual starting place – Ilaga, or you can use very expensive helicopter to get to the Zebra Whal Camp. Base Camp lies in the Lake Valley, but some climbers decide to camp directly under the wall in the Yellow Valley. We describe this in greater detail on the How to go page.

Currently there are three climbing routes leading to the top of the Carstensz Pyramid. If you use modern technical equipment one of the routes can be marked as “normal”, and the other two as significantly more difficult. Most climbers who have tried to reach the top of the Carstensz Pyramid take the “normal” route. There is a rich history to climbing Carstensz.

The Normal Route (Harrer’s Route)
The ascent and the descent take roughly 12 – 15 hours. The difficulty is 3 – 4 UIIA. The most difficult section is just below the summit. The wall, which so far sloped under a moderate 10 – 15 degrees, now changes into approximately 80 meters (260 ft) long vertical degree of difficulty 5 – 5+ UIIA. The rock is good, and rarely loose. This wall does not usually pose any problem. This is followed by a progress to the summit on a jagged edge. The climber is faced here with other problems contributing to its difficulty, an approximately ten meters high, smooth overhang wall (difficulty 6 – 7+ UIIA). It can be bypassed, or one can fix a rope to its wall. Less experienced climbers can surmount the wall using jumars, and other difficult sections towards the summit can be also quite well secured. You need long ropes for the way down. A large part of the Carstensz Pyramid must be roped down.

East Ridge
This route offers lies in difficulty in between the Normal Route and the American Direct. You can expect a long ascent. It is mostly scrambling. However, there are some narrower parts, which are more difficult. You have to also beware of loose rocks.

The American Direct
This route leads straight up to the summit. It is a very exposed route. It offers great climbing experience, but it is the most difficult one. The bad news is that the difficulty increases as you get closer to the summit – the worst part is the steep

If you are lucky with the weather, sometimes from the summit of the Carstensz Pyramid, one can even see the sea. Unfortunately we haven’t been so lucky yet to see the sea from the summit. We’ve only looked into the golden mine, into the Grasberg crater, at the Nga Pulu iceberg, and the neighboring summits and rain forest. On the top of the Carstensz Pyramid, we have experienced sun, rain, and snow. No wonder, it is only 4 degrees from the equator. Although some 15 to 30 centimeters of fresh snow in the height lower than 5000 meters (16400 ft) only several degrees far from the equator is not exactly a usual thing.