Mount Rinjani is likely one of the hottest and difficult treks in Indonesia. It is positioned on the island of Lombok and stands at 3,726 meters tall. The Mount Rinjani trek is thought for its gorgeous views of the crater lake, scorching springs, and delightful waterfalls. However, it isn’t a straightforward trek and requires a superb degree of health and preparation.
Ultimate Mount Rinjani Trekking Guide
In this information, I’ll share with you all the things you could learn about trekking Mount Rinjani (Gunung Rinjani)
Where is Mount Rinjani?
Mount Rinjani (Gunung Rinjani) is positioned on the Indonesian island of Lombok. It is the second-highest volcano in Indonesia. The mountain is positioned inside the Rinjani National Park, which is residence to a various vary of wildlife. The trek to the summit takes you thru lush forests, previous lovely waterfalls, and to the sting of a surprising crater lake. I’ve pinned the precise location of Mount Rinjani on the map beneath.
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Why must you do a Mount Rinjani Trek?
Embarking on a Mount Rinjani trek is an unforgettable expertise that must be on each adventurer’s bucket record. The trek is difficult, however the rewards are value it. The views from the summit are breathtaking, and the encircling surroundings is solely gorgeous. The trek takes you thru lush forests, previous lovely waterfalls, and to the sting of a surprising crater lake. Along the best way, you’ll encounter pleasant locals, be taught concerning the native tradition, and make new buddies.
The sense of accomplishment that comes with reaching the summit is unparalleled, and the recollections will stick with you for a lifetime. Additionally, the trek lets you disconnect from the hustle and bustle of contemporary life and reconnect with nature. It is a real escape and an opportunity to problem your self bodily and mentally whereas experiencing the fantastic thing about one in every of Indonesia’s most iconic pure wonders.
TOP 3 PLACES TO STAY ON LOMBOK
Is trekking Mount Rinjani onerous?
Trekking Mount Rinjani is taken into account to be a difficult and strenuous trek, owing to its steep inclines, lengthy distances, and ranging altitudes. The hottest route for the trek begins from Sembalun Lawang village, and the ascent to the summit takes round two days. The first day includes a steep climb as much as the Plawangan Sembalun crater rim, which is about 2,639 meters above sea degree. The ascent on today could be demanding, with a continuing incline and a distance of round 11 kilometers.
On the second day, the trek continues towards the summit, which is one other 3.7 kilometers from the crater rim. The closing ascent to the summit is a difficult climb that includes navigating via unfastened rocks and scree slopes. The period of the trek can range relying on the health degree of the trekker, however it normally takes round three to 4 days to finish the whole trek.
How many days do you could trek Mount Rinjani?
If you’re planning to trek Mount Rinjani, there are a number of choices to select from relying in your health degree and time constraints.
- Two nights: The hottest and beneficial choice is the 3-day, 2-night trek, which lets you summit the height, go to the crater lake, and loosen up within the scorching springs.
- Three nights: For these with a extra leisurely tempo, the 4-day, 3-night trek affords the identical places with extra free time to benefit from the mountain.
- One evening: The 2-day, 1-night tour from Sembalun is essentially the most difficult choice, which incorporates the choice to summit at dawn. However, it’s beneficial to provide your self extra time on the mountain if you happen to’re not in glorious form. The 2-day, 1-night trek from Senaru is the best choice (however nonetheless very, very steep), offering unbelievable views of the crater however not reaching the summit or lake. This trek is ideal for many who wish to expertise Rinjani however can’t deal with longer treks of multiple evening.
Booking your Mount Rinjani Trek upfront
It’s greatest to ebook upfront on your trek up Mount Rinjani in an effort to benefit from the free pick-up and drop-off from the airport or ferry. I additionally discovered that reserving with GetYourGuide provides you the choice of free cancellation however nonetheless makes use of a totally native firm.
They supply one-night, two-night, and three-night treks up Mount Rinjani. I did the three-night trek and advocate that one as you get to hike across the crater rim quite than simply up and down from the summit. Their porters carry the tenting and cooking gear and put together your meals whereas up on the mountain.
Book your tour now: Mount Rinjani 3-Day Trek
Best time for trekking Mount Rinjani
Mount Rinjani trekking opens from April till January. After January the wet season kicks in and Mount Rinjani trekking can get fairly harmful. April and May are the quietest months of the 12 months for trekking and really, have a few of the greatest views because the panorama is extremely inexperienced. The greatest time to climb Mount Rinjani could be in May to get pleasure from the very best views and quieter crowds.
What are my favourite items of mountain climbing gear?
There are 4 items of substances that I merely always remember after I go on a hike. These are 4 gadgets that I utilizing proper now and this record will get up to date yearly! Here are my mountain climbing necessities.
- Arcteryx BETA AR Rain Jacket: This is my go-to rain jacket. It’s tremendous mild, folds down right into a tiny ball, and protects brilliantly in a storm. This one by no means leaves my backpack.
- Salomon X Ultra 3 Mid GTX Hiking Boots: For the very best ankle assist, waterproofing, and sturdy exterior I’m a fan of powerful however mild mountain climbing boots like these Salomons for my adventures.
- Black Diamond Head Torch: I can’t let you know what number of occasions, I’ve arrived again from a hike unexpectedly late. I all the time maintain this light-weight however sturdy headtorch in my bag for the surprising.
- Darn Tough Socks: These are essentially the most comfy mountain climbing socks I’ve ever worn and final for years. They even have a lifetime guarantee and also you simply ship them in with a gap they usually substitute it no questions requested.
How to get to Lombok
Senaru is within the North of Lombok. This is a small city most trekkers base themselves in earlier than and after their trekking adventures. I arrived in Lombok through ferry and headed straight north with three different buddies. There are additionally flights on to Lombok from Bali. Once you arrive to the airport or ferry port, you will have a personal switch or moped to achieve the northern villages of Senaru or Sembalun to start your Mount Rinjani Trek.
My Mount Rinjani Trekking Experience
Day 1:
We started our Mount Rinjani trekking expertise crammed at the back of a truck with all of the gear bouncing round. We wound via the mountainous roads of Senaru, crammed tightly by our heavy load till we arrived on the check-in counter. Here we signed our names and discovered that there have been 150 different folks trekking that very same day.
The trek started via some quiet farm fields as we felt the total pressure of the Indonesian solar. There was no shade and we had been on the full mercy of the piercing warmth. The actuality of the trek started to hit us after an hour, figuring out that we had 6 left in the present day alone.
Lunch-time on day 1 was at a random shed with a bunch of different vacationers round. Our information laid out an orange tarp and we sprawled out, trying like we had been on our approach down after three days quite than recent on day one. Lunch was rice, rooster, and greens with some native tea.
For every meal, our guides cooked rice or a noodle dish that was truly actually tasty, particularly contemplating they had been carrying all the cooking utensils, spices, sauces, and components.
For the subsequent 4-5 hours, we made our approach alongside the path up some mildly steep hills. This part was comparatively lengthy however extra enduring quite than acutely troublesome. The most shocking a part of the hike on day one was the varied surroundings.
At occasions we felt as if we had been inside a mysterious forest and at others, we had been in a canyon, rocks on the ground and monkeys trying down on us. I undoubtedly didn’t anticipate the within of a volcanic crater to look something apart from a couple of bushes and a few rocks however I couldn’t have been extra incorrect.
We arrived an hour earlier than sundown at our tenting spot. On the sting of an epic cliff, we pitched our tent, clouds nicely beneath us. The campsites are usually not clear, that’s the very first thing we seen. Trash lays throughout, and bathroom paper and human feces are scattered all through the campsite and the encircling areas.
It isn’t the information’s fault or the trekkers actually. For such a large-scale tourism operation the native authorities must take accountability and pay porters to hold out the trash and it could be my advice to have a devoted drop bathroom quite than having folks dig holes all over the place and subsequently go away their trash wherever they please.
Trash apart, our tenting spot was magnificent. We sat on the cliff edge watching the solar go down over the sulfur lake within the heart of the volcano. We felt fairly good about ourselves after the primary day however knew that we might be waking up at 2 am to start the pilgrimage to the Mount Rinjani summit.
Day 2:
At 2 am we rolled out of our tents and loved a pancake and low ready by our porters and information. After a couple of deep breaths of preparation and we went on the anticipated 3-hour pilgrimage to the Mount Rinjani Summit.
This was essentially the most intense interval of the three-day Mount Rinjani trekking expertise. With our head torches on, we battled to search out our footing on the advantageous volcanic sand that paved the best way. It was a case of two steps ahead and one step again, which may get not solely bodily draining however mentally exhausting.
As we climbed greater and better, the temperature started to drop. Our skimpy gloves and jacket our homestay proprietor had given us now not stored us heat. The freezing wind was unforgiving and whipped throughout our faces. Our solely heat was hiding behind rocks or to maintain shifting onwards and upwards.
Along the best way, we handed a pair who had been crying and scared with out their information because the wind threw them about on the ridge. We handed others huddled behind rocks, taking a respite from the wild winds. Others marched on previous us at an amiable tempo. But the fantastic thing about the pilgrimage is that whether or not you arrived first or final we had been all destined for a similar vacation spot, and what a view it could be.
My sister and I arrived on the prime, relieved the trek was over however astounded by the view. For the previous 4 hours, we had been so centered on clambering up the mountain we had solely stopped for transient moments to have a look at the view, which had been coated in clouds. Now on the prime of Mount Rinjani, we may solely look out in silence, in awe of the dimensions of the panorama and the dimensions of our achievement all through the final 24 hours.
The climb down was a lot simpler though with every step blisters and a little bit of quadricep burn started to make the battle a bit harder. Plenty of slips later and a few good views contained in the crater we made our approach again to camp in slightly below a few hours. However, it was no time to relaxation!
After a fast breakfast, we packed up our gear and commenced clambering down the ridge in direction of the sulfur lake and the recent springs. As we had walked up within the chilly hours earlier we had been dreaming of scorching springs. However, now the recent solar was making the recent springs rather less fascinating.
Nevertheless, we scrambled down the rocky path towards the lake. Looking out throughout the lake in direction of the energetic volcano inside a volcano was mind-blowing! What wonderland was I in?
A brief stroll from the lake we discovered the pure scorching springs. Temperatures of 40+ levels meant we had been steaming within the water and beneath the recent solar. It was an oven however the water felt so nice on our toes and pores and skin after the chilly situations earlier that morning.
We didn’t wish to go away the recent springs. However, we had a 3-hour hike forward of us to climb again to the highest of the rim on the opposite facet of the lake to camp. This was a painful a part of the day. The legs had been heavy we had been mountain climbing greater than not within the final 24 hours and it was beginning to take its toll however our spirits remained excessive.
We arrived on the prime of the rim and plenty of others had already arrange camp. We had run out of water on account of a little bit of communication error and dangerous planning by our guides, which meant we needed to maintain going decrease for an additional hour to a pure water supply. Our group was a bit ticked about this because it meant extra strolling and no sundown on the rim. Shit occurs and we laughed about it later though our information wasn’t the very best at delivering that information!
We ended up tenting at a random spot surrounded by forest however we had been all fairly drained so we ate and fell asleep right away.
Day 3:
Our closing day was only a straight trek down the hill. The burn within the quads was intense however we had been within the shade of the forest cover for a lot of the day. As we exited the hike after greater than three hours we made one final cease on the espresso plantation, with an awesome view from above of Tiu Kelep.
Jorden created this vlog from our journey as much as the summit of Mount Rinjani!
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It was an epic three days and one thing I undoubtedly advocate if you’re up for a problem!
WHERE TO STAY IN NORTHERN LOMBOK
If you might be visiting points of interest within the north reminiscent of Tiu Kelep or Mount Rinjani it’s best to select one of many three lodging within the ‘Northern‘ part beneath.
- Jeeva Santai Villas – Luxury Villa: Great location on the gorgeous Mangsit Beach but in addition inside driving distance of Tiu Kelep and Mount Rinjani. It is a location that gives the very best of each worlds.
- Hakiki Inn Bungalows – Value: Set on the sting of rice fields with the jungle really feel however the consolation of a personal bungalow.
- Blue Mountain Cottage – Budget (but in addition worth): This is the place I stayed. The room was very fundamental however it was comfy sufficient with a fundamental personal toilet.
WHERE TO STAY IN THE SOUTHERN REGION OF LOMBOK
If you might be staying within the south to benefit from the seashores and surf in Kuta, Lombok it’s best to select one of many three lodging within the ‘Southern‘ part beneath.
- Harmony Villas – Luxury: The lovely white theme all through the property contrasts towards the emerald inexperienced pool and crops. The villas are laid out impeccably and the very best half about this 4-star villa is that it truly isn’t as costly because it appears to be like.
- Martas Windows – Value/Luxury: This place is extremely lovely. Bungalow-style villas encompass the fashionable pool at this wonderful property. For lower than $80 an evening, you will get your self what would value a whole lot of {dollars} in most different international locations at Martas Windows.
- Boogie Hostel Kuta Lombok – Budget: The Boogie Hostel is all the things you ask for in a hostel. It’s tremendous fashionable and clear and has numerous chill areas in addition to lockers on your gear and blinds for privateness at your dorm.
READ MORE OF MY LOMBOK GUIDES
