Above The Clouds: Mount Rinjani
Last April a bunch of friends and I went on a hiking trip to Mount Rinjani in Lombok (Indonesia). We made an effort to train for the big climb by practising a few hikes before the trip.
I’ll be honest though; the journey was a lot more challenging than we had anticipated!
A Team: Me, Charlie, John, Eva and Adam.
Our porters went right ahead of us, carrying two baskets on stick filled with food and cooking gear. By the time we arrived at the first pit stop, they had already started cooking lunch!
The weather started getting temperamental as we climbed our way up to base camp. It rained on and off; good thing we brought our waterproof jackets and kept most of the stuff in our backpacks in ziplock bags.
I found out my Marmot backpack was NOT waterproof so I had to use a plastic bag as a cover; I should’ve bought a rain cover for it. Glad that at least it had a front zipper so I had no problem taking out whatever I needed, even if it was at the bottom of the bag. If you’re thinking about buying a hiking backpack, consider getting one with a front zipper instead of a top-loading bag, it’ll save you a lot of hassle.
Made it to base camp! Day 1 was by the far the toughest…
A soupy dinner was just what I needed. Freeeeezing cold that night.
A good reason to practice squats.
NINJA!
Porters packing up on the morning of day two.
Day two: Starting at base camp.
Misty morning.
Had to be really careful here as some of the rocks were quite slippery. Those walking sticks helped a lot.
Walking through clouds.
Our rest stop for lunch on day two.
The kitchen was busy.
Serene.
Amazing view from here. Not quite up near the campsite yet though.
Goat path.
Finally made it up to the crater rim. My legs were about to give away!
We were so glad the clouds cleared up for a little bit for this magnificent view.
The journey down was even harder on the knees.
We definitely pushed our bodies to the limits. Our legs felt like jell-o. Our backpacks got heavier as we had to lug our wet clothes. We were soaked in sweat and rain. Badly needed a shower.
The walking sticks were a lifesaver.
Breakfast for champs! We stayed at villa Puncak in Lombok after completing our 3D2N night up Mount Rinjani.
A much needed rest and relaxation.
Took a boat to the Gili Islands. We spent a couple of nights at the Mahamaya.
Little island with a dirt path… No cars here!
It’s so cloudy up there that you can’t even see the summit of Mount Rinjani! Tough for hikers climbing that day.
Swinging good time.
I’d love to paint with those colours.
The sun made a grand appearance when we went snorkelling!
Glass-bottom boat.
When it rains, look for rainbows.
Sunset on Gili Meno.
Stayed at the luxurious Oberoi villa in Lombok on the way back from the Gilis.
Loving life!
