Reflecting On Rinjani
Conquering Lombok's Epic Peak
Gunung Rinjani
(PART 1)
My treadmill incline was set to 10 for nearly two months, I clocked hours of foot-to-trail time around our local parks, and I had some experience under my belt, too. Having done a week long hiking trip around Colorado
After about 30 minutes on the trail in Senaru, I realized I probably wasn't as ready as I thought I was.
The heat, the scorching, relentless, sun, and the weight of a slightly over-packed backpack pounded me with every step. Looking over my shoulder, l'd catch my husband's eye and he'd pat my butt lovingly, smiling and asking “All good?” How does this guy never seem to look like he's struggling?!
Our drive to the trailhead was almost as difficult to get through as the hike itself. Winding roads, rolling hills, and gas fumes from the many trucks ahead made for a sweat-inducing, green-faced, get-me-a-barf-bag-right-now ride in. Safe to say, I wasn't off to the greatest start.
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| Here I am...trying really really hard not to vomit ☺ |
PACKING LIST
We'd done some research, devoured the pages of our Bali & Lombok Lonely Planet book, and checked out some blog posts that we could find about the hike. We dropped some serious cash at REI and geared up for what still remains to be the hardest hike we've ever done together—and the hardest hike I've ever done in my life. (Seriously, Dead Woman's Pass on the Inca Trail was a cake walk in comparison to summiting Rinjani.)
The Necessities (in my opinion):
Gear:
- Day Pack (we opted for Osprey packs, and they were great)
- Waterproof Backpack Cover (ours had one built in, if your pack doesn't it's a good idea to get one)
- Headlamp (and a few extra batteries just in case!)
- Trekking poles (I swear by Black Diamond, and you'll find out why later in the part 2 post!)
- Hiking boots
- Solar powered light (this helped when getting dressed & ready for the morning climb at 3AM)
- iPod // iPhone // music playing device (always helps to keep me pumped!)
- Waterproof pants
- Hiking pants
- Rain jacket
- Thick, tall, socks
- Base Layer Leggings (you'll want layers for the morning of summit—it gets cold up there!)
- Moisture-wicking T-shirt
- Base Layer Long Sleeve Shirt
- ½ Zip Fleece
- A light puffer jacket (highly recommend Patagonia Nano Puff—it's super lightweight and compact)
- Sunglasses
Toiletries + Misc.:
- Mosquito repellent wipes
- Body wipes // Baby wipes
- Toilet Paper
- Band-aids
- Muscle Balm
- Sunscreen
- Electrolyte tablets
- Comfort foods (think: granola bars, chocolate, things that will keep your body & belly happy!)
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| Where I went wrong: packing too many items of clothing. You're gonna smell either way, re-wear and keep your pack light! |
PICKING A TREKKING COMPANY
My decision making was based on quite a few factors...but two were paramount:
✔ Easy communication — There are a lot of moving parts when planning—coordinating car transfers, booking hotel rooms, transferring cash, and choosing a trekking schedule—topped off with a 12 hour time difference. So, communication was key for me.
✔ A company that is eco-friendly — During our research of this hike, and Gunung Rinjani in general, we discovered that garbage was a serious problem. Of course the heaps of trash ruined some photo ops, but it was also (and way more importantly!!!) detrimental to the environment, and the preservation of this awesome landscape. A company that promised to leave no trace was of the utmost importance to us.
Enter: Green Rinjani
((How they haven't found their way into the Lonely Planet book yet is beyond me.))
Communication: So. Easy. We communicated though WhatsApp, and responses were always timely (which I found especially impressive given the time difference). We were able to coordinate everything through WhatsApp from car transfers to hotel reservations, and payments (which were made through PayPal).
Sustainability: The name probably gives it away. Green Rinjani prides themselves on having only a positive impact on the environment, and promises to take all the trash that is produced on the hike back down with them. AND, my favorite part, each hiker gets to plant a tree along the trail, too. Bonus: We got to plant our tree on Earth Day, which made it feel all the more special.
Price: From the hike itself to the accommodations and transfers, all of the pricing was incredibly fair.
I highly recommend paying the extra $22USD/day for an extra porter...if you find yourself exhausted and wanting desperately to hurl your pack off the side of the mountain, that extra porter will be a game changer—he'll carry your pack for you. And then you'll profess your love for him. Or maybe that's just me. Anyway... “splurge” for the extra porter. Don't forget to bring tip money, too.
Guide: Our guide was amazing, and spoke impeccable English. He was incredibly friendly, and kept us motivated the whole way through. He never once rushed us, he kept it moving when we wanted to power through, and was happy to sit and rest with us when we needed a break.
Food // Drinks: I still miss the food we had on the trail, and that's saying a lot for this picky eater. I'm a vegan, and gluten-free, and they did an amazing job accommodating my dietary restrictions. Be sure to let them know if you have any dietary restrictions before you leave for the hike so that they can pack/plan accordingly. All of the meals were incredible, but the curry soup was out of this world. I tried to make it myself when I got home...but it just wasn't the same.
They'll also have plenty of water for you to drink along the way, though we still did pack some of our own anyway. At each rest point our guide offered us an array of sugary snacks, too (fruits, chocolates, cookies, etc.).
Tent // On-Trail Accommodations: Our tent was small, but comfortable, perfect for two. We each had a thick sleeping pad and a very warm sleeping bag that our porters carried up. We had torrential downpours on our way up and through the night and we were still perfectly comfortable, and dry. They also set up “bathrooms” along the ridge — basically a tent with no roof and a hole in the ground. All part of the experience!
Our lodging was included in the hiking package that we chose with Green Rinjani (Deluxe/Private). The hotel, Rinjani Lodge, was just a short drive from Green Rinjani office which made for easy transport back and forth.
Our first order of business, before we could settle in at our hotel, was to visit the office and fill out paper work (a.k.a. sign your life away, start getting really nervous). A giant map on the wall shows the various hike loops available, and we stood in awe as we traced our fingers over the trail we were heading out on.
This is the moment where the “HOLY SHIT WE ARE ACTUALLY DOING THIS”-feels really start to kick in.
We hung around and chatted with a few of the guides before heading to the hotel, and ogled over the resident puppy.
We'd be returning back to the Green Rinjani HQ later that night for dinner, to meet with our guide, and to get the full run-down of what to expect on the hike.
The hotel we'd booked was only $70/night, so our expectations weren't really too high. From the street the $70/night price tag seemed fair...once inside, though, it was a whole nother story.
Two infinity pools—one just off the restaurant area, and one directly outside of our villa—overlooked a sprawling landscape of lush greenery and rice paddies. Bright tropical flowers bloomed along the natural stone walkways, and our mountain to climb loomed in the distance.
Our villa was comfortably sized, equipped with air-conditioning, cable TV, DVDs, a mini-fridge, and, my personal favorite, and open-air bathroom with a giant tub surrounded by tropical flowers.
Rinjani Lodge ended up being one of our favorite hotels during our two-week adventure in Indonesia. It was the perfect place to rest up before heading to the trail.
NEXT UP: Summit time!
Enter: Green Rinjani
((How they haven't found their way into the Lonely Planet book yet is beyond me.))
Communication: So. Easy. We communicated though WhatsApp, and responses were always timely (which I found especially impressive given the time difference). We were able to coordinate everything through WhatsApp from car transfers to hotel reservations, and payments (which were made through PayPal).
Sustainability: The name probably gives it away. Green Rinjani prides themselves on having only a positive impact on the environment, and promises to take all the trash that is produced on the hike back down with them. AND, my favorite part, each hiker gets to plant a tree along the trail, too. Bonus: We got to plant our tree on Earth Day, which made it feel all the more special.
Price: From the hike itself to the accommodations and transfers, all of the pricing was incredibly fair.
I highly recommend paying the extra $22USD/day for an extra porter...if you find yourself exhausted and wanting desperately to hurl your pack off the side of the mountain, that extra porter will be a game changer—he'll carry your pack for you. And then you'll profess your love for him. Or maybe that's just me. Anyway... “splurge” for the extra porter. Don't forget to bring tip money, too.
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| that GLORIOUS moment // feeling when your porter takes your backpack |
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| Our guide, Didi |
Food // Drinks: I still miss the food we had on the trail, and that's saying a lot for this picky eater. I'm a vegan, and gluten-free, and they did an amazing job accommodating my dietary restrictions. Be sure to let them know if you have any dietary restrictions before you leave for the hike so that they can pack/plan accordingly. All of the meals were incredible, but the curry soup was out of this world. I tried to make it myself when I got home...but it just wasn't the same.
They'll also have plenty of water for you to drink along the way, though we still did pack some of our own anyway. At each rest point our guide offered us an array of sugary snacks, too (fruits, chocolates, cookies, etc.).
Tent // On-Trail Accommodations: Our tent was small, but comfortable, perfect for two. We each had a thick sleeping pad and a very warm sleeping bag that our porters carried up. We had torrential downpours on our way up and through the night and we were still perfectly comfortable, and dry. They also set up “bathrooms” along the ridge — basically a tent with no roof and a hole in the ground. All part of the experience!
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| #tentlife |
PRE-HIKE + HOTEL
Our first order of business, before we could settle in at our hotel, was to visit the office and fill out paper work (a.k.a. sign your life away, start getting really nervous). A giant map on the wall shows the various hike loops available, and we stood in awe as we traced our fingers over the trail we were heading out on.
This is the moment where the “HOLY SHIT WE ARE ACTUALLY DOING THIS”-feels really start to kick in.
We hung around and chatted with a few of the guides before heading to the hotel, and ogled over the resident puppy.
We'd be returning back to the Green Rinjani HQ later that night for dinner, to meet with our guide, and to get the full run-down of what to expect on the hike.
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| Rinjani Puppy |
The hotel we'd booked was only $70/night, so our expectations weren't really too high. From the street the $70/night price tag seemed fair...once inside, though, it was a whole nother story.
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| Rinjani Lodge Entrance |
Back in the US a place like this would have astronomical nightly rates, so, it almost felt as though we were doing something wrong to be paying such a small fee for such an outstanding space.
Two infinity pools—one just off the restaurant area, and one directly outside of our villa—overlooked a sprawling landscape of lush greenery and rice paddies. Bright tropical flowers bloomed along the natural stone walkways, and our mountain to climb loomed in the distance.
H-E-A-V-E-N.
BACK TO THE TRAIL
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| One of our BADASS porters |
Day one of a hike like this is always a cluster-fuck of emotions—for me at least. There's a ton of excitement, some nerves, optimism, a little bit of fear, and some delirium (at the later points in the day).
Day ONE of this 3 day / 2 night hike would have three resting spots (Pos I, Pos II, Pos III) before we would finally reach our camping site for the night.
POS I
The trek from the trailhead to Pos I was not terribly grueling (apart from the heat // sun) nor was it terribly far. There wasn't a ton of uphill, steep hiking yet, and our spirits were high and we were feeling good. The break here is short, about 10-15 minutes, before you start moving again to the next pass.
(I was also feeling especially good because I'd already relieved myself of my pack and passed it on to my porter/angel/best friend...Ger was still going strong with his pack!)
At every break point there are these concrete, elevated huts to sit in, which are a welcome reprieve for tired legs.
POS II
The distance from Pos I to Pos II was notably longer, but with the prospect of a long break + lunch, we still kept a good pep in our step. The trail was definitely starting to pick up an incline, but still was not excruciating or terribly physically exerting yet.
Ger was still going strong with his pack. We chatted a bit with Didi along the way, finding out he was only 20 years old and that he will sometimes do this trek 2 times in one week. Which seemed crazy as we headed to Pos II, and even crazier when we finally got a taste of the trek to summit.
By the time we were nearing Pos II heavy clouds started to roll in, and while it was still humid, it was a welcome reprieve from the steady stream of sunshine that was cooking us earlier. We arrived at Pos II and our porters had already set up a little spot for us to relax, sit, and eat.
Doing a private group meant that the only people that were really walking alongside us were our porters and our guide. Getting to Pos II was nice because there were so many other hikers stopped here for lunch, too. It was nice to have the opportunity to talk to other hikers, find out where they were from, and exchange words of encouragement and well wishes for our separate treks to summit.
After lunch, we got to plant our trees (!!!) take one last moment of relaxation, and then head on to Pos III.
From Pos II to Pos III we were starting to pick up an incline in the terrain, and the distance between each resting point grew longer. The weather really started to turn on us at this point, too. It rained on and off, but the cool drops felt nice.
POS III
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| this is the point where delirium starts to kick in |
Reaching Pos III feels like a huge accomplishment—which it is, but it's also the start of the most grueling part of day one.
Shit gets real from here on up.
From Pos III to Crater Rim (campsite) it is all. up. hill. It's a prolonged steep climb with a combination of dirt trails and stone steps.
If you haven't broken out your trekking pole yet, now is definitely the time to do so.
It takes about 3 hours to get from Pos III to Crater Rim, so pace yourself, be sure to drink plenty of water, and crack open those sugary snacks to keep yourself going. Your guide will likely have snacks for you if you didn't pack any. Didi was fueling Gerry with chocolates and cookies along the way (I think he might actually credit TimTams for his ability to get through this portion of the day).
Side note: Just to speak to how difficult this section is, somewhere between Pos III & Crater Rim Gerry finally passed his backpack along to the porter.
We were also greeted with torrential on and off downpours on our way to Crater Rim...which, again, felt delicious and helped to bring our body temperatures down, but also made for pretty slippery terrain. There aren't many huts along the way between Pos III and the Crater Rim, but we were fortunate enough to be coming up on one when the skies decided to open up on us again.
CRATER RIM
From that last little hut to Crater Rim we really powered through—you reach a point where taking a break doesn't even seem worth it, and you just want to experience the joy of actually getting to camp and putting day one to bed.
As you get closer and closer to camp the trail starts to level out, and you'll start to happen upon tents of other trekkers. Once you start to see tents, you've reached the home stretch! Life is good again, and you start to forget just how brutal that 3 hour steadyily steep climb actually was.
If you're fortunate, you'll have a great view of the lake once you reach your campsite. Unfortunately for us it was incredibly cloudy...but, being so high up, it was still pretty cool because we were pretty much hanging out in the clouds.
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| One of us is clearly more excited about being in the clouds than the other. |
From here, it's relaxation central until your 2:30AM wake up call!
The porters will make another delicious meal for dinner, you'll get to wander around and talk to other hikers, and then you'll fall into your tent, crawl into your sleeping bag, and pass out.
OR...you'll be like me, unable to sleep, wide-eyed, and wildly over excited // anxious for the morning hike to summit.
NEXT UP: Summit time!
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