Mount Egon, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia

4Fransiska Tyaswening 5:00 PM Aug 7, 2014

first experience climbing of mountain
Mount Egon Mount Egon is situated in Sikka District of Flores Island, it’s situated about 1 hour from Maumere, the capital of Sikka district. You can rent a car or motorcycle to go to the mountain because there are no public transportation to go to the nearest village. The public transportation only pass to the trans Flores road, not to the nearest village. You can rent motor taxi (ojek) to take you to the nearest village or to the start of the tracking. I climbed it up in last July. This was the first time I ever climb a volcano. Unlike Kelimutu which is more renowned by the tourist and the tracking is more easy, Mount Egon is quite difficult for a new beginner. First of all, there is no entrance fee, and we almost got lost to spot the entrance for the hiking track, because there is no sign of the start of the track to the mountain. Once you’ve spotted it, you will cross the forest with the homogenyous trees. There are no signs for the climber for the track, only stacked rocks which were made by other climbers along the tracks to help climbers, especially in the upper zone. Approaching the summit, the track change from tree forest to mountain shrubs. The track was so steep with narrow track and looses rocks and cliff, we have to zigzag the track to the peak of the mountain with only stacked stones for the signs for the track, because if we choose the wrong track, we could fall off the cliff. In one of the spot, near the volcano peak, we can see, the Flores Sea in the North and Sawu Sea in the South, it was magnifique. Once we approach the peak, we can smell the sulfur and hear the thundering sound from one of the sulfur chimney in the crater, the sound was so loud like the sound an airplane engine. From the volcano peak, you can see the sulfur sediment lake, and two craters, one erupted in 2004 and the other one erupted in 2008. You can go down to the sediment lake and approaching the volcano craters but the track is so stiff and full with losses rocks and pebbles. Actually, there are many of sulfur chimney, but there is only one which is big and makes sound, the other just emits smoke in the crater wall. If you climb the mountain in summer time (June-august), there will be no fogs and cloud during the morning, the view was so clear. The fog starts to come after midday, unlike Kelimutu, where the fog starts to come down around 9 a.m. The way down, is more diffult for me because of the stiff and narrow track, I get the felling of kind affraid of falling because the track so stiff and with the loose rocks and the cliff with the rocks down there. Kind a have the safe feeling after reaching the forest zone. A little bit advice, bring enough water, because there is no water resource at all along the track, and the nearest village is quite far from the tracking zone. For the conclusion, my first experience climbing a mountain in Mount Egon, was so tiring but it was well paid off and makes me want to explore another mountains in Flores.

4KHandKF 5:00 PM Sep 4, 2014

Difficult but rewarding
We climbed Mt Egon on 4 September. We are aged 61 and 68 and fit, but only because of walking/trekking and not by working out at a gym or any other activity. The climb was one of our hardest due to the loose gravel and rock which much of the track is composed of. It is steep and slippery both going up and coming down. We trekked slowly and at our own pace and made the round trip in around 5 1/2 hours with about 1/2 hour at the summit. We started the climb about 7.00 am which was probably the latest one should start. On the way up there was plenty of shade and a pleasant breeze and it is very windy at the top.It was however quite hot descending (although there was still a breeze for part of the way). We admire anyone who did the climb at night, but we would personally not advise it as finding a safe, secure footing was not always easy. We had a local guide (cost 200,000 rupiah) plus a lift to the top of the access road (400,000 rupiah) organised through our accommodation in Maumere. Although we found it tough, it was very worthwhile as the crater has active vents and the views are spectacular. If we can make it at our age, anyone with a reasonable level of fitness and a degree of determination can make it. Some advice: take more water than you think you will need: take sunscreen; cut your toenails! Your toes take a hammering on the descent - I am probably going lose two toenails!