Heading to Mount Rinjani? Yeah, it’s pretty much every adventurer’s dream checklist item. And let me spill the beans – deciding to trek up Rinjani was the coolest decision I’ve ever made. No looking back, no regrets.
Day 1: The Lombok Chronicles
Lombok never runs out of stories, man. Between its raw natural vibes and layers of mystery, it’s like the island’s always nudging us to come explore more. That day in Praya was all moody skies but thankfully no rain – just pure, bubbling excitement to hit the road to Sembalun. It’s a bit of a trek from Central Lombok to East Lombok, taking us a solid 2-4 hours.
We got scooped up in this sweet cars – talk about riding in style to Sembalun. The ride was all about diving deep into Lombok’s hidden gems and making pit stops for last-minute climb essentials. Our guide? Oh, he was something else. Young but could easily lug around an 80-liter pack like it’s nothing. Here we were, not exactly seasoned hikers but more like summit dreamers, thinking the peak is all there is. Bringing along a guide for a 4-day, 3-night trek on Indonesia’s third highest mountain seemed wise. It would’ve been foolish to attempt this without proper physical and mental prep.
Cruising to Sembalun was nothing short of a feast for the eyes. The landscape here’s a whole different ball game compared to Java’s mountains – steep cliffs greeting you left and right. I couldn’t resist rolling down the windows for a better look, snagging photos through the lens. It’d be criminal not to capture such stunning scenery for a trip down memory lane later.
We hit Rinjani Basecamp by 2 PM, and man, sorting out our registration took a hot minute. Especially figuring out what might end up as trash and, oh snap, realizing we forgot our health checks, which are like, entry-level requirements here. But our squad was on it, solving problems left and right, and soon we were off to Pos Kandang Sapi – the real adventure kickoff point.
Kandang Sapi: Not Just Cow Talk
True to its name, “Cow Shed”, this place had its share of wandering cows, setting a laid-back vibe for what’s ahead. The view of Rinjani from here? Absolutely majestic. By the time it was 3 PM, we figured starting a trek now would be late-game madness, so we hopped on motorbikes. These bikes were our cheat code, zooming past Post 1 and getting us to Post 2 in a breezy 30 minutes.
Just think about it – a trek that’s supposed to eat up 2-4 hours done in a quick half-hour thanks to a bit of modern magic. And hey, let’s not get it twisted; this was my first serious mountain adventure. No pro hiker badge here, but everyone’s gotta start somewhere, right? Rinjani was that epic start for me – the kick-off to some real-deal adventuring!
Leaving base camp 2, we trekked for about 3 hours to get to base camp 3.
This stretch was nice and easy, with wide-open grasslands all around us. The setting sun painted everything in golden hues, hinting at yet another amazing day of hiking that lay ahead.
The trail started getting rocky, with a mix of uphill and downhill sections, alongside some sharp drops and challenging rocky areas. It was clear we were just getting into the meat of our adventure. By 5 PM, we were setting up our tents in a valley ringed by large rocks, feeling the wear of the journey from Surabaya to Praya to Sembalun but buzzing with excitement for what tomorrow would bring.
And then, we lit a campfire with our stoves and started cooking! It was the perfect way to wrap up the day. Gathered around the warmth, the spirit of adventure was tangible in the air. We were all eager to tackle higher climbs the next day. Under the starry sky, with the fire crackling, we felt prepared for the adventures that awaited us. This journey was shaping up to be one for the books, with that night’s fire igniting our enthusiasm for the days to come.
