mount

  • A GUIDE TO CLIMBING MOUNT RINJANI

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    Coyote Hunters Team

    Rising from the lowlands, Mount Rinjani is located on the Indonesian island of Lombok. Climbing to the top, at 3726 meters (12,224 ft), will test your limitations. However, the reward for reaching the summit is the sight of far-off volcanoes covered in clouds and Segara Anak, a vivid turquoise lake located within the crater rim.

    Read More: Mount Rinjani Trek

    Indonesia is home to several volcanoes, but most of them are too active or have too uneven terrain for us to climb. Rinjani, nevertheless, is quite approachable. It’s a terrific one if you want to push yourself,” says Yangyang Li, marketing manager at an adventure travel business in Indonesia.

    Because of its height, this volcano is very different from the others I’ve visited. The dry, sparse grasses of the savannah are where you start. After that, you ascend to the volcanic ash layer and eventually arrive at the volcanic rocks. Of course, the top of the peak offers a breathtaking view of Bali’s Agung, sometimes even visible during the dawn.

    After that, you’ll go downhill and pass a lake that is encircled by woods, where you may spot many of monkeys. Local fisherman will be present; they ascend Rinjani specifically to go fishing. During the dry season, hot springs are also present; however, they are not always accessible since heavy rains cause the lake to swell. You must descend 2000 meters farther through a vast tropical jungle to reach the trail’s terminus. I enjoy climbing Rinjani since there is a wide variety of greenery to be seen along the route.

    “All of the volcanoes are spiritual to the locals; they are the homes of their god.” Thus, all Indonesians will walk up the volcanoes, notably Rinjani, if they wish to perform rituals or pray, particularly after the major Ramadan celebration. It’s one of their sacred volcanoes, Rinjani, and they believe that everyone should ascend it at some point in their lives for prayer.

    WHERE IS THE RINJANI MOUNT?

    Part of the Sunda Archipelago, which also includes islands like Bali and Flores, Mount Rinjani is situated on the Indonesian island of Lombok. As shown in the above map, Mount Rinjani is situated in the island’s northern region and is a component of the Pacific Ring of Fire.

    How difficult is it to climb Mount Rinjani?

    Because ascending Mount Rinjani involves relatively small distances, trekkers sometimes misjudge the degree of hardship. However, Yangyang advises against doing so.

    Since they often walk 30 kilometers in a day, sometimes my customers assume it would be simple since the first day’s walk is just 10 kilometers. I advise them to verify the elevation as they will be ascending more than a thousand meters on their first day. It wears me out a lot,” she explains.

    Our tour takes three days and two nights, so it’s fairly demanding. Rinjani needs at least two days and one night, if you want to conquer the summit. Although the summit trip is just one kilometer long, it takes three hours to complete. Sand, ashes, and pebbles make up the landscape. Three steps up and two steps down is what you can do. It is similar to strolling in a desert. That explains why it requires so much time.

    The route to Climb Mount Rinjani

    The Senaru Route and the Sembalun Route are the two paths that ascend Mount Rinjani. Yangyang suggests starting with the former, which starts at the customary village of Sembalum, then going down the Senaru route from there. You’ll be able to visit the crater lake and hot springs without having to go back and forth.

    You can, of course, go backward. After that, you would begin at Senaru Village, make your way through the forest, and ascend to the Senaru Crater Rim for your first night’s camp, according to Yangyang. Although the first day’s climb is simpler, we suggest to start from Sembalun so that you may save your energy for the peak the following morning.

    Many hikers on the Senaru Route simply trek up to the crater rim to view the lake and the fisherman, with no intention of reaching the top. Therefore, you start with Sembalum for the highest chance of reaching the peak.

  • A Beginner’s Guide to Mount Kilimanjaro Climbing

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    Coyote Hunters Team

    When I approached the 18,200-foot peak of Kala Patthar, which is close to Everest, as a graduate student in really decent health, I thought, Kilimanjaro is 1,000 feet higher than here. After then, I was unable to imagine finishing it. That’s why, over the decades, Kili has come to represent the ultimate bragging-rights climb for Type A personalities who may cycle twice a day at SoulCycle but don’t bother to collect carabiners. This has always surprised me. Nonetheless, it makes sense: Completing the trip doesn’t need weeks of planning or costly safety equipment of your own. Furthermore, prior knowledge of climbing methods like as belaying is not necessary. To put it really simplistically, all you have to do is hike up the 19,341-foot mountain.

    Read More: Hiking groups

    Even so, it seemed a bit much to me. Then, when a friend told me about a fundraising walk to support Lifewater International, I knew that my teenage son Max would love it and would be the perfect way to send him off to college. We had walked in Yosemite and El Salvador together, so even if we didn’t reach the top, I thought Kilimanjaro was an incredible experience that we would never forget.

    We scheduled our vacation a full year in advance, and we got right into training. After three months, we were running ten or twelve miles on Saturdays and Sundays. We also worked out throughout the week while using high-altitude training masks. We believed we were at our best when we arrived in Arusha, Tanzania, in June of last year. We quickly learned that, at over 20,000 feet, nothing can adequately prepare you for the headaches and dyspnea brought on by altitude. Ultimately, our party of 16 hikers, ranging in age from 17 to 73, reached the top. Thank goodness, I won’t ever need to pursue that high again.

    Things to Consider Before Traveling

    Though going more slowly to better adjust to the altitude boosts your chances of summiting, certain Kili climbs may be completed in as little as five days. Our seven-day Machame route was followed. Our sixth and worst morning began at 12:30 a.m. with a six-hour ascent to 18,885-foot Stella Point. After that, it was a very simple one-hour hike to the top, where we spent about an hour shooting photos before making our way down to our camp, which was at 12,530 feet.

    Every climber needs a government-approved guide, and climbing in a group boosts morale greatly: Our Tanzanian porters cheered everyone up with jokes and songs in Swahili.

    June is the coldest month of the year, with horrible wind chill and daily rain or snowfall. However, it is also the clearest month with the greatest vistas.

    In addition to tents and emergency supplies like stretchers, extra oxygen, and hyperbaric chambers, Climb Kili offers cooks, porters, and guides. (Hippo Creek Safaris and Custom Safaris are other booking options.)

    After the climb, reward yourself. We enjoyed two wonderful days of safari, one at the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the other at Tarangire National Park. In West Arsi, Ethiopia, we also went to the Lifewater International projects.