The Rinjani Summit Expedition

Gunung Runjani 3726 m-Lombok Island, Indonesia

Photo by Daniel Hookins

I was walking about 20 meters away behind from my group. I found myself in the middle of a misty mountain. My eyes tried to look through. There were only some trees and edelweiss looked obvious to me. And I realized that this place is still far away from the summit but I knew I would make to the top.

I used to wondering a lot why people suffer themselves by climbing a mountain, why they walk through the woods on a narrow dangerous path and why they think it is a worth experience. This curiosity has forced me to find the answer.  On July 16 2013, a black shiny AVP picked me up at 5 0’clock in the morning. I was standing in front of my house with my Mom when the car arrived. I hugged my Mom before I left. “Sudah siap mbak Zi” said a Javanese man while opening the car door for me. I gave him only a smile. I was still sleepy. 

The car headed to the south and stop in front of a huge gate. A white man came out. He was punctual exactly as written in some cross-cultural understanding books. He got in the car, put his luggage behind and sat quietly next to me. After two hours sitting and jolting in the car, we reached Sembalun—one of a village entrances to enter Rinjani National Park.  We had my breakfast at Rinjani front veranda of Rinjani Trekking Club center and met two porters that I would go with. Some leftover was still on the plate when I left. The car took us for registration first then brought us to the gate of Rinjani. The journey started here.

“Keep walking and head down” that’s what Michelle said to me when she was handing me her head torch 2 days before I went to Rinjani. And I tried. I chatted with my Guide and Daniel to distract myself from thinking how far it was. An hour, two hour, three hour passed. Everyone was silent, tried to keep their energy meanwhile the two porters were walking very fast with the fully heavy staff burdened on their shoulders. I couldn’t even see their back. 

As the further I walked the steeper path I had to pass. Every time I looked forward, I kept convincing myself that I was lucky to witness these beautiful things. When I got the second post, I saw my porters and the other porters were preparing lunch. “it‘s must be very hard being a porter”.  The cloud was rolling in as I finished my lunch. My guide suggested to walking on as soon as possible before the rain started. But It was unlucky day, as we walked, rain poured. I grabbed my jacket. Then walked through the rain and had a break in the third post.  The third post is located between two hills. It lies near the lava stream mold. The hill that we were going to pass is named “Bukit Penyesalan”. Bukit means hill and penyesalan means regret. Some stories said that most people felt sorry when they arrived on this hill because they have no choice, If they comeback is too far and if they keep going it is the same. Bukit Penyesalan consists of 7 steep hills.  The weather was still not friendly. All I could see only white mist. I arrived at base camp at 6 p.m. My tent was set up by the porters. I unzipped it and wrapped my self with the sleeping bag. It was the coldest night that I have had experience.

About 2 a.m. the guide woke me up. “The weather is nice; I think we can go to the summit”. He said while looking at the stars above. I dragged myself and get all gear I need.  From my tent I could see a line light of people’s head torch. It seemed they were in the same line with the stars. I get my head down and started my second day. The road was too challenging. The sandy road was the nightmare for the climber. Perhaps if I had gone there in the afternoon and could see the road clearly I would have not been in the summit. It was about 6 a.m. when I reached the second summit. My body was getting weaker, my balance was tested but I kept going. As I walked up, people walked down. I reached the top at 9 a.m. I saw the whole island under the translucent cloud. The small volcano—Mt. Baru Jari.—looked very small in the middle of the Segara Anak lake.  I was crying. I am proud of myself. Since the cloud that contains sulfur is harmful, I had to walk down soon. At 2 p.m. I successfully came back to the camping site. 

The cloud and the wind kept rolling in. Rain poured badly again. We had to sleep over for two nights at the same place. In the third day, we walked down and spent a night at the first post, in the middle of savanna. At night the weather seemed getting crazier. Heavy rain soaked some tents. I couldn’t sleep, I was quiet afraid. Thunder and lighting were roaring in turn. The rain lasted for hours. When light came, I unzipped my door. Everything was wet. The porters were busy preparing my breakfast. Morning was my favorite part of my days in Rinjani, no mist and no rain. Rinjani seemed very close to the place where I stood. Shortly after having my omelet, everyone packed.

Four days has gone in a glance. I comeback home with a bunch of understanding that process of anything we do in our life is worth. Achievement is not that worth when you get it without hard work.