Mount Sindoro - Sumbing, Java, Indonesia

5JAVA PRIVATE TOUR 5:00 PM Jul 19, 2019

Impressions and messages about Sindoro Sumbing Mountain in Central Java
One of the mountains in Central Java that is fun for climbing is Sindoro .So it's no wonder that at the weekend Sindoro always crowded. Sindoro it self has several hiking trails.But the most popular is through Kledung.If you are interested in climbing Mount Sindoro via Kledung, maybe my story can be useful. Like most mountains in Central Java, the best time to climb Mount Sindoro, via all routes, is the dry season. During the dry season, Mount Sindoro tracks via Kledung are friendlier than during the rainy season. In addition, the scenery that you will see before the peak will also be more interesting, because the possibility of closing the fog is smaller. Climbing Mount Sindoro via Kledung is usually divided into two stages. The first stage is from the base camp to Pos 3 or Sunrise Camp, while the second stage is from Pos 3 or Sunrise Camp to the top. Take it easy, you can reach Pos 3 within 4 hours from the base camp. From Pos 3 or Sunrise Camp to the summit you have to climb again for about 3 hours. Unfortunately there are no water sources along the track. (In the rainy season, water will usually pool in the crater, but the dry season of the crater will dry out.) So you have to bring water from below to suit your needs. If you are lucky, you might be able to buy water at Pos 3, because sometimes - if it's crowded - there are residents around you who deliberately climb to sell water. The climbing base of Mount Sindoro via Kledung is at the Kledung Village's "Social Harmony" Meeting Hall. Don't worry, you won't find it difficult to find a base camp because it's on the roadside. From the direction of Magelang the base camp will be on the right, while from Wonosobo of course the village hall will be on the left. Just tell the bus driver if you want to ride Sindoro via Kledung, they will understand. The good news is that you can take an ojek from the base camp to between Pos 1 and Pos 2. The fare is usually around Rp. 20,000. If you want to save time, there's nothing wrong with riding a motorcycle taxi. But if you want to enjoy the time, walking from the base camp will also be exciting. In addition, you can also warm up before entering the actual climbing track. Because Kledung is located in Temanggung which is known as one of the best tobacco producers in Indonesia, on the way from base camp to Pos 1 you will pass the makadam road which is flanked by extensive tobacco gardens. If you climb when the tobacco leaves are large, the scenery will be really cool, especially early in the morning when the sunlight is still tilted and golden. For sure every time you stop making photographs. Because much can be seen at the foot of Mount Sindoro, it is clear that going up in the afternoon is more exciting than night. Besides going up in the afternoon will also prevent you from choking a cold night, which could make your trip last longer. You also definitely don't want to go up the mountain just get tired and cold? It used to be the favorite place for climbers to spend the night before the peak is Post 3. But since a few years ago there have been more posts which were opened several tens of meters above Pos 3, namely Sunrise Camp. The problem is there is no longer a good location for making tents after Post 3 and Sunrise Camp. You can actually make tents in Pos 4, savanna, or around the peak. But the place is very open and guaranteed you will shiver in the cold wind. Because from the last camp you still have to walk for about 3 hours, if you want to see the sunrise at the peak you should start climbing around 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning. It doesn't matter too, actually starting the road when it's already clear. But because after Post 3 and the lamtoro forest the vegetation is more tenuous, the heat will stretch . One of the coolest spots on the Mount Sindoro hiking trail via Kledung is around the savanna. Why? The problem is that you will be free to see Sindoro's twin, namely Sumbing Mountain. Besides Sindoro, you will also be able to peek at Merapi, Andong, Merbabu, even Lawu in the eastern end of Central Java. Early in the morning, there will usually be a sloping light column that breaks through high clouds. It's really cool. A few moments before the peak you will smell sulfur. Naturally, because since the volcanic activity in 2011 Sindoro crater released sulfur-smelling smoke (solfatara). Before that the scenery around the summit and caldera of Sindoro Mountain was very different. Around the peak is still green by the teeth and edelweiss. The inside of the crater is also overgrown with edelweiss clumps. If the rainy season of the Sindoro crater will look like a mysterious twin lake because it is constantly covered in thin mist.

4FarahMahardika 5:00 PM Feb 2, 2017

Mount Sindoro & Mount Sumbing, twinny from Central Java
Sindoro is adjacent to Sumbing. Typically, hikers prefer to climb Sindoro and Sumbing at one time. From Jakarta, take a bus to Wonosobo, then get off at Terminal Mendolo. From outside of the terminal, catch a medium-sized bus (similar in size to metromini/kopaja in Jakarta) called "bus tuyul" heading to Temanggung or Magelang. Just ask if the bus will pass Garung (Mount Sumbing basecamp) or Kledung (Mount Sindoro basecamp). Actually, there are few more alternative tracks beside Garung and Kledung in each mountain, but the two is the closest compared to others, so if you wanna go for both Sindoro & Sumbing, it will save some time. From Wonosobo, we are going to reach Garung before Kledung. Garung is the name of a district in the foothills of Mount Sumbing. We can visit the local market named "Pasar Desa Reco" near the basecamp to buy some hiking supplies. The distance between the market and the basecamp is within walking reach. In Garung basecamp, the shelter building is large enough to accommodate hikers who wish to rest or stay a night. There are sufficient toilets and food stalls. There are also motorcycle-taxi (ojek) drivers here, ready to take to Shelter 1 where the hiking begins. Track from basecamp to Shelter 1 is an uphill road past the community garden and is quite steep and tiring. If you want to save time and energy, go for the ojek service. The ideal place to settle a camp is at Pestan, where the stout peak of Mount Sumbing is already clearly visible. The next morning, we can prepare for summit attack. The soil we step on begin to change into steep rocky trail and definitely gets more exhausting. Upon arrival at Tanah Putih, if we follow the path to the right, we'll arrive at Puncak Kawah (Crater Peak), and if we just go straight up, will meet Puncak Sumbing (Sumbing Peak) or Puncak Buntu (Dead-end Peak). From top of Mount Sumbing, we can see the vast and beautiful crater below us, the remains of eruption many many years ago overgrown by greens. Once feeling satisfied, we can go back to the camp, and coming back down to the basecamp. Trekking down from Shelter 1 to basecamp is okay without using ojek. Before going down to the basecamp, don't forget to taste the warm and delicious fried snacks (gorengan) served with green chili paste, ground to perfection. That night we could have a rest in Garung basecamp. --- The next day, we're heading to Sindoro. Make time to buy logistics at the Reco Village Market, then take the same bus as yesterday, ask the driver to drop you off at Balai Desa Kledung (Kledung Village Hall), where basecamp Sindoro via Kledung is located. From Kledung basecamp we can also use a motorcycle-taxi service to get to Shelter 1, but the road isn't too steep like Sumbing does, so trekking wouldn't waste too much energy. Shelter 3 is an usual camp area, where there is a small hut inhabited by Mbah Kuat, an elder of Mount Sindoro. He guard climbers' tents and sell drinking water and stayed in the mountain for days without going down. The next morning, we got up early for summit attack. After Shelter 4, the track is going to be more challenging. The closer to the summit, there will be dead tree shrubs and fumes from the crater is visible. And finally, at the peak of Mount Sindoro there is a crater that isn't too large, but kept on producing heavy sulfur fumes. The crater is only safe to be approached from 7 AM until before 12 PM. Getting close to 12 PM, the sulfur smell gets stronger so it's not advised to stay too long at the summit, as there are already dead casualties. While going back down from Shelter 1 to basecamp, an ojek service isn't really necessary. Happy exploring Sindoro & Sumbing! Have fun and stay safe. Regards, @farahmhr