Mount Semeru Volcano, Java, Indonesia

5MindStorm 5:00 PM Jun 19, 2022

Excellent view if the weather cooperates
We arrived at 4:30AM for a Blue Hour series of photographs, along with sunrise. I also did a time lapse, which was phenomenal with the constant steaming of the active volcano. Requires an early rise, but worth the view if the weather cooperates (as it did for us that morning). All the more so if you are a serious photographer.

4FootyboyMalaysia 5:00 PM Sep 21, 2014

So Beautiful....but not for long: Something needs to be done
My son and I booked on an all inclusive 3 day/night trek of Mt Semeru. It was a last minute decision put together in two days. We have absolutely no idea how it was going to be like. Here goes. We stayed the night in Tumpang village at Rani Homestay and had our 'check-up' at a local clinic in Tumpang (included in our excursion). We were told it would be more comfortable staying in Tumpang. The next morning, it was a 1 1/2 hour jeep ride to Ranu Pane, the village where we met our porters and deposited our bags which we didn't need for the climb at the porter's house. Very handy. The two of us had a guide and three porters, so we need only carry our day-packs. We walked about a kilometre from the porter's house to the Registration office and all formalities were attended to by our guide. Shortly thereafter, we were on our way. For those unfamiliar and need some sort of guide, the following are the distances along the trail: Ranu Pane - Ranu Kumbolo (the lake): 9km (there are four posts/huts along the way) - 3-4 hours Ranu Kumbolo - Ranu Kumbolo - Kalimati: 7km (about 1.5 - 2 hours) Kalimati - Arcopodo: 1.2 km (roughly 1 - 1.5 hours) Arcopodo - Summit : 1.5km (took me 3 hours!)(Coming down was only just over an hour!) The trek was fabulous, the scenery was fabulous. The support staff and the guide was fabulous. The trail was good with the exception of the slog up the last kilometre of scree and rocks. Rocks do get dislodged and roll down and if you hear warning calls, do look up immediately. I have seen one or two close calls. We camped at Kalimati on the first night and it was an early night as we had to get up at 12 midnight for some light snacks and a 1am start for the summit. In hindsight, if would have been better if we had stayed higher up at Arcopodo so that we could reduce the night walk by 1 - 1.5 hours. However, we were told that not very many people camp up at Arcopodo. I think it may not be allowed but what a pity. I won't go into how difficult it was walking up the scree slope. It is difficult. For comparison, Mt Rinjani has a more difficult first day's walk but the scree slope in Rinjani was certainly a lot easier than Mt Semeru. Semeru is a good challenge. After summiting, we came back down to Kalimati campsite for breakfast, rested a littile and then walked down to Ranu Kumbolo where we camped for the second night. On the third day, we walked back down to Ranu Pane, retracing our steps. In the entire trek, we could not help but notice rubbish all over. We were told that there was local film about some friends with climbing Mt Semeru being part of the plot and since then there was a massive spike in local interest in the mountain - which is good to see. We were the only foreigners on the summit that morning. However, the rubbish and waste situation was one of the worst I have seen on the four or five other mountains in Indonesia that we have climbed. There was no designated area for doing one's business and rubbish and human waste, used tissues, etc can be found everywhere at the campsites. It's a mine field! We were told that some huts which the porters use are also infested with rats! When we were at Ranu Kumbolo campsite for the second night, the wind was very strong and fine dust was all over our gear and in the tent. If you are allegic to dust, make sure you bring along anti histamines. After a day, you would still find dust in your nostrils! Tips: 1. Gaiters and trekking poles is a must; A Mask that can prevent fine volcanic dust is also a must. We had a buff over our faces at most times but it wasn't good enough. 2. There were vendors selling fruits and bottled water all the way up to point after Ranu Kumbolo lake. 3. We were told that they are there during times when there are a lot of climbers. 4. If you are fit enough, a two day one night climb is definitely doable, especially if you do not want to stay another night at the lake. We stayed another night at the lake because we were told that the sunrise at the lake was stunning. It was indeed so but in hindsight, the dust and waste at the lake side would have made us change our minds. This trek is such a beautiful and enjoyable trek. The sights are simply stunning, especially on the peak, with the volcano 'going off' every so often. But please, don't leave any carbon footprints behind. It was nice to see so many people enjoying this place but something urgent needs to be done to ensure that the paradise that it is remains.