Journey report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles
MOST teams on our itinerary camp on the first volcano ridge day 1. Our information supplied us the prospect to descend 3 hours to camp on the lake, as a substitute. Tremendous powerful 1st day — however we had been all glad we did it.
We had been up for the daybreak. I added milk powder to my brutal black immediate espresso.
Banana pancakes wonderful, as at all times.
Driving as much as the beginning at 600m we stopped for a blessing. An necessary custom with the native Sasak individuals in addition to Hindus.
Nonetheless clear and eager initially.
They’ve had quite a lot of deaths on this mountain, the latest June 2025.
One other died Could 2025. Each from falls.
We every needed to register with picture ID. The Gunung Rinjani Nationwide Park, established 1997, is making an attempt to make this journey safer — however they’ve a protracted approach to go. It’s harmful.
Our objective was the first crater rim — solely 6.9km. Sounds simple till you calculate you want achieve 2km in elevation over that brief distance!
We began on the far proper of this map.
The beginning via jungle was comparatively simple. THEN it bought steep and difficult.
Wherever hikers would possibly cease to eat, long-tailed macaques will likely be ready.
These wild cousins are extra worrisome than the ‘tame’, well-fed ones within the Monkey Forest, Ubud.
Breakfast !
We hiked into and out of clouds.
Crater rim beckons.
This — actually — is the very best vista on the hike. Crater lake Sagara Anak is big, the color unforgettable. The volcano’s eruption in 1257 is taken into account probably the most highly effective international volcanic occasions of the final 2,000 years.
We had been scheduled to arrange our camp on the ridge right here at 2,600m.
However we opted, as a substitute, to hike all the way down to the lake at 2000m, saving us 3-4 hours on day 2.
All of us agreed to go for it.
OUCH …
That first rate is terrible and harmful. I took no images. We had to focus on each technical step.
It was a aid to lastly get to the lake. This one in every of my hardest mountaineering days of all time.
We arrived simply earlier than nightfall.
Alpenglow time.
Every group has their very own rest room tent.
The choice at main camps are these good wanting public bogs. This one was filthy! However some are fairly new. Pretty clear.
Main camps have emergency shelters. I don’t doubt they’re used continuously. The trek is dangerous.
Our information despatched us to the hotsprings with one of many porters. Incredible. A spotlight of your entire journey.
Tim (tim_de_bruijn on Instagram) was a full-time social media supervisor for a serious Dutch soccer staff. He confirmed us implausible images recommendations on his iPhone, together with these two. It was pitch darkish on the hotsprings!
Pitch darkish at camp, as effectively.
Most wonderful of all was his seize of the evening stars. Only a few of those had been seen to the human eye. This from an iPhone 16 Professional Max.
