Three days on the Rinjani volcano

My brother came to visit me during my stay in Malaysia. But while exploring together, why not climb Indonesia's second highest volcano!

More than a year after having left my brother Sacha by bike in Istanbul, it is on the Indonesian island of Lombok, neighbor of Bali, that he join me. Halfway around the world for him, but only a three hour flight for me, who was then based in Kuala Lumpur.

Indonesia is moreover only islands. More than 13, of which 000 are inhabited. On these thousands of islands, it is estimated to more than 150 the number of active volcanoes, a third of all active volcanoes in the world. It is to make a change from exploring by bike that we have chosen to climb the rinjani, which rises to 3726 meters above sea level. A small three-day expedition.

But as Sacha is with me for almost two weeks, we have time to explore the island a bit, starting by warming up on the trail that takes us to Tiu Kelep Falls.

Sacha in front of Tiu Kelep Falls on Lombok Island.

A night on the crater

The Rinjani is a "typical volcano". Conical in shape with a crater in the center. We join a varied group on site and start our first day by climbing to the rim of the crater. After a long day for me, and easier for my athletic brother, we camped on the rim of the crater. The landscape gives me strength and I take some pictures while Sacha goes to snore even before our supper.

View of the crater on the first evening.

I contemplate the last light as my brother is already snoring.

Several tourist climbers settle down every day along the crater.

The top

Up in the middle of the night, Sacha and I start our second day heading for the summit. Another thousand meters higher.

Climbing requires energy, especially when the soft ground begins to give way so much that it forces us to climb on all fours. With every two steps, the rocks take us down with them with one step. It's even more difficult than my climb of mount fuji in Japan, a few weeks earlier.

The rapidly rising altitude robs us of the oxygen we need. The many climbers who follow each other in single file in the dark, along the narrow road leading to the summit remind me of prospectors of gold along the Chilkoot pass visit us at the Yukon. The very one that can be seen at the beginning of the old movie Croc-Blanc.

I finally reach the freezing summit, just seconds before sunrise. My brother is already there, and has just finished setting up my tripod to help me. A true unparalleled assistant!

“He's the best. », At the top at an altitude of 3726 meters.

The descent (and the ascent)

We descend the summit by the same path, but about ten times faster. Then after having picked up our camp, we descend into the crater ... to go up on the other side. And again we go back down this time on the other side of the mountain!

Sacha is still in great shape and is now racing with our guide and a young Slovenian in our small group. This trio then waits for us to leave better as soon as they see us. The day, which started at 2am, ends around 20pm!

This time we camp in the forest, in the company of the monkeys. The last day will be the easiest, ending in just a few hours of descent on our tired legs, with a return to the starting point.

The (almost) tireless bearers, in sandals.

Smoking and waste

The trails here are tough, but it's far from out of reach. Different packages are offered by many companies on site, to meet different levels of fitness and desired comfort. Depending on what you pay, the group will be around two to ten people. In all cases, one or more guides accompany us, as well as porters / cooks to transport the luxury chosen in terms of accommodation and food. Some couples seemed to eat almost better alongside the craters than in a Parisian restaurant!

Accompanied by these impressive carriers, it is also quite difficult to think of yourself as good while climbing. The latter and the guides pass us in sandals, slipping cigarettes one after the other. And they are not the exception in the country. Sixty-three percent men smoke in Indonesia! One of the highest rates in the world. It just goes to show that tobacco companies are always finding new markets to continue doing business.

The mountain is also relatively popular. Several dozen tourists, and even more guides ride it every day. Leaving behind plastic water bottles, wrappers of energy bars, garlands of toilet paper, leftover food ... and many cigarette butts. Along the paths, the gaze falls sadly on this nature ransacked by lack of respect. Only one or two agencies, of which Green Rinjani (which I did not take, having only seen it while climbing), charge more from their customers. In return, they promise that the additional guides will take time to burn their trash on site, along with other trash they find along the way.

Finally, the experience was very pleasant. And above all to be able to share it with my dear brother whom I no longer see enough.

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