Climbing Semeru Mount, Malang, East JAva, Indonesia

Climbing Semeru Mount, Malang, East JAva, Indonesia

Mount Semeru is the highest volcano on Java Island, It has 3676 MASL. Located in Lumajang Regency, East Java, The Semeru Mount also as National Mount Park in Indonesia. The visitor of Semeru Mount not only from Indonesian local people but also from foreign country also come to Semeru to climb this mount. They usually spent their holiday or make a volcano research.

To climb Semeru Mount you have to book the On Line registration. You can also visit this link http://www.mountlover.com/2020/01/cara-booking-on-line-pendaftaran-dan.html. Semeru mount usually open on May - The end of December. To get the top we need 2 days and 1 night.

Climbing Semeru Mount start from Tumpang Market in Malang. There, the climber can rent the Jeep from Bromo, Tengger and Semeru Jeep Community. For return trips they have to pay about Rp 1.300.000,.. About to hours they get the Ranupane Base Camp of Semeru Mount. During on board on the jeep, they can enjoy the sensation of the extreme road to Ranupane. Narrow road and there are a lot of ravine along the road to base camp. Usually the driver will stop in the middle of the trip. The driver give a time the climber to take a picture on beautiful place near Bromo Mount.

The Jeep car

Ranupane is the starting point to climb Semeru Mount. After making check in, the climber can start their journey. It located is on 2000 MASL. We will be welcome by the gate of Semeru mount and it place to one photos spot. It is about 3 km and 1.5 hour to get the first post Landengan Jowo. It is flat and wide route. So the climber still easy to walk. In the first post, it prepared small store that they sell the climber needed during the trip like water, snack, fruits or noodle. The climber also can take a rest for a moment before continue their trip.

Continue to the second post Watu Rejeng with the altitude 2350 MASL, this road still the same with the route before. It also 3 km and 1,5 hour to get the second post. The same in the first post, there is also small shop that we can stay for moment and buying something. Not far from the second post there is a Red Bridge. It is about 20 M length. It make the climber easy to move to another place.

Ranukumbolo is to be the next destination after the second post Watu Rejeng. It is about 4.5 km and two hours to get there. It started with moving up of the hill. Although not to far, but it is need an extra energy to take this path. The road become down approaching Ranukumbolo area. We will be welcoming the large sabana around the Ranukumbolo lake. Ranukumbola is large lake where the location is in the middle of the middle trip in Semeru. Usually this place for making a tent to take a rest in the first day. The lake with the fresh water for the climber cook and drink. It is not allow to take a bath on the lake. It locate is very beautiful, in the night we can see the star or the moon brightly. In the morning we can see the sun rise who come up from the crevices of the hills around the lake. Some time there is fog on the surface of the lake. It make amazing moment to see. We can see the lake from other side of the hills around the lake, so we can see ''How beautiful of Ranukumbolo is! Ranukumbolo is on 2500 MASL as the third post.

Ranukumbolo Lake

The next post is Oro-Oro Ombo, it begins with Tanjakan Cinta from Ranukumbolo. Go up to another hill by Tanjakan Cinta is another sensation climb this mount. It has the background of Ranukumbolo lake who has beautiful scenery. Oro-Oro Ombo only 1km and 20 minutes from the lake. We will wall on large sabana there where we can see the bautiful original flower from Semeru. Its call Verbena Brasiliensis, for local people says Lavender Flower. Because it has the same color with the lavender. It has not good smell, but it has unique and so many growing lush in the sabana with 50-100 cm tall. The purple color make the place to be best destination to take some photos.

Verbena Brasiliensis Flower

Not too far Oro-Oro Ombo we will arrive in the next post. Cemoro Kandang with the altitude 2600 MASL. Still on the flat route it make our step walking faster. Only half hours we take a walk to get there. There we can take a rest for a moment on the big tree who has fallen down some years ago. Some time there are also some vendors who sell their goods for the climber. The we can continue our trip to the next post Jambangan. In 1,5 km and half hour we will arrive there and we take a walk in the middle of the large forest. It is cool weather, fresh air very shady in the day. From Jambangan we can see the peak of Semeru who make us get a spirit to get the peak soon. hehehehehe.....

From Jambangan we will continue to the last camp site in Kalimati on the altitude 2500 MASL. Only 1 km and 30 minutes to get the place. Here we can built a tent on the second day before summit attack in the middle night to the peak of Semeru. It has large area to make a tent and rest under the shady trees. If we lack of water for cooking we also can take the water in water source that we call Sumber Mani not too far from the place. The view also good, the shady pine forest and beautiful edelweiss flower grows here. Usually we get there on the mid day and use the part of the time to take a rest and prepare going to summit attack.

Kalimati Area

Edelweis in Kalimati

Summit attack usually start on 23:00, prepare our equipments and food to bring. Especially the torch or light to be one of the important thing we need. Beverages, food and honey to make our energy during summit attacks. on 00:00 the summit begin, first we go up to Arco Podo on the 2900 MASL. The first summit in the middle of forest. We need 2.5 hours to get Arco Podo, along the street we can see the deep valley, so we have to be careful to take a walk there. Some of lands are slope and very dangerous. In Arco Pode we can take a break a moment and here being the forest boundary before go to real an adventure in Semeru mount.

From Arco Podo we will go up to Cemoro Tunggal. Cemoro Tunggal was the name of tree that being the sign of the path to get the peak of Semeru mount. But now the tree was lost because of the weather of mount. To get the peak we still need about 3-4 hours. The longest time in the trip. Some time we see the climber who take a sleep on the way. We can imagine how tired we are, 6 hours in the midnight until in the morning times. It need a lot of energy when we walk on the sandy place. Some gravels some time get into our shoes, it makes not comfortable on my foot. So we have to cover our shoes with shoe protector.

The sandy path

This way is to be the most dangerous place during the summit attack. Some people who die or injure because of the rock fall down. The cold temperature also make the climber feel cool, and we have to wear the thick jacket to cover our body. We will get the peak at early morning on 05:00 with the cold temperature 1-3 degree. Very cool for local country I think.

The Sulfatra Smoke

The peak is very large, here we can see the Bromo Mount in the east combine with the beautiful sun rise. In every quarter minutes the smoke gases coming out from the crater of Semeru. The smell of sulfur, and the big sulfatara smoke be a big moment to record or take the picture. The peak of Semeru Mount we call Jonggring Saloko with the altitude 3676 MASL.