๐ฎ๐ฉ ๐ Rinjani ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฉ
From | To | Mode | Duration | Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|
๐ฎ๐ฉ Labuan Bajo - Komodo Island (LBJ) | ๐ฎ๐ฉ I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport - Bali (DPS) | Plane | 01:18 | ยฃ55.82 |
๐ฎ๐ฉ I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport - Bali (DPS) | ๐ฎ๐ฉ Gsaskara Homestay | Taxi | 00:53 | ยฃ15.82 |
๐ฎ๐ฉ Gsaskara Homestay | ๐ฎ๐ฉ Sanur Dream Beach | Taxi | 00:27 | ยฃ2.06 |
๐ฎ๐ฉ Sanur Dream Beach | ๐ฎ๐ฉ Lombok Bangsal Pier | Ferry | 04:59 | ยฃ34.67 |
๐ฎ๐ฉ Lombok Bangsal Pier | ๐ฎ๐ฉ Green Rinjani | Taxi | 01:24 | ยฃ0.00 |
Our time in Indonesia ended with an another volcanic adventure: hiking on Rinjani. Itโs an active volcano with a summit at 3762m. We booked a 3 day/2 night trek to conquer it ๐ช.
It was the first multi-day trek on our trip, which was daunting. The tour we booked took as much pressure as possible off us. They handled the logistics, food and shelter for us - all we had to do was summon the energy to keep on hikin'.
The Itinerary
We backtracked to Lombok on the ferry. The ferry dude spent the crossing ensuring that everybody had a safe taxi booked from the port. He said the drivers that hang around the port were dodgy. We were glad our tour company had organised a ride for us ๐.
We had some food and a short briefing at the tour companyโs office. Then retired to their on-site accommodation for some rest and recuperation.
Day | Distance | Hiking Time | Elevation gain | Description |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 10.9km | 7 hours | +1575m | Hike to Sembalun crater rim |
2 | 8.31km | 6 hours | +726m | To the summit! |
2 | 6.21km | 4 hours | -639m | Down to the lake |
2 | 3.96km | 2 hours 30 minutes | +571m | Up to Senaru crater rim |
3 | 9.11km | 5 hours 30 minutes | -2040m | Down to Senaru village |
As you can see, the second day was particularly brutal! It began at 2am so we would reach the summit for sunrise. The trail to the summit was like an ash tray, each step forward greeted by two slides back:
The descent to the lake, and following ascent, was also quite something. An earthquake in 2018 fortunately had no fatalities, aside from the ease of trails.
Natural hot springs at the bottom of the lake descent teased us. Alas, at the time of year we were hiking they were natural meh springs. They were tiny and not very deep, we managed some foot dippage.
The heroes of the show
Any whining from us should be immediately disregarded. Weโre now of the opinion that the porters of Rinjani are only people in life allowed to moan about anything. Ever.
Hereโs a job description Iโve knocked up.
Job role: | Porter on Rinjani |
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Pay: | ยฃ15 per day. Work available only in three day chunks, from April to December. |
Uniform: | None provided. Due to aforementioned pay you can probably only afford flip-flops. |
Responsibilities: |
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Additional requirements: |
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Photograph of ideal candidate:
The porters were incredible. In a fairer world they would be top ultramarathon competitors if they decided to compete. We tipped generously.
Photos
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
The loo sitch
Itโs a volcano. Thereโs no running water. No drainage. Gulp. The setup was extremely rustic:
A hole dug into the ground sheltered by a roofless tent that went up to your torso.
We immediately thought of one of our closest friends. In a superhuman feat he was once able to go without having a โnumber 2โ for over seven days whilst traveling on the Trans-Siberian railway. Seven days. Seven. Days. Itโs mind-blowing stuff, and his secret was to eat only Pringles.
We naively thought that we could mimic him, and avoid any โnumber 2โ use of the toilet tent. Alas, our trekking company and porters were ace at their job, and we were extremely well fed.
It was ridiculous. They gave us noodles, veg, tempeh, tofu and egg for lunch once. Then they brought out a cauldron of rice. Then they brought out 2 oranges, 2 mangoes, 2 bananas and 2 apples. Sliced, so they had to be eaten.
We persevered, believing that we could reach less than half the achievement of our beloved buddy.
Weโre semi proud to say that we were able to reach our goal of toilet tent avoidance. But we felt grim by the end. The negotiations of who was to use the first proper toilet available to us have gone down as solid marriage foundations.
Our WhatsApp conversation that day (redaction is to protect the innocent):
Onwards
Blimey. What an adventure. We adored Indonesia. Itโs gone down as one of our favourite destinations. Weโd love to go back to meet the orangutans on Sumatra some day.
Next up is our exit from South East Asia ๐. We had a couple of short stop-offs on the way out. In Kuala Lumpur we met our new friends Max & Leo fleetingly, and in Tokyo we stayed with our amazing friend Will.