Lombok, Rinjani Hike

Yooo, I went on a hike!

I actually wanted to do this hike at the beginning of my indonesia trip, but then my body decided to quit for half a week (Bali belly got me). After my Bali belly, I did some islandhopping and recently I decided to go back to Lombok and finally start the big hike. I was definitely a little bit nervous about it because everyone I talked to about the hike told me, “It’s not for the weak ones.” Even though I’m Swiss, I knew this was a tough challenge, and my “hiking skills” wouldn’t be enough to get me through it. For context: the hike up Mount Rinjani takes 3 days, 2 nights, and includes summiting at 3,726 masl. It was both a mental and physical challenge for sure, but I’m so happy I did it! I’m super proud of all the members of the group and myself. My hiking mates were amazing, and we supported each other a lot, which was really helpful.

Here’s a short version of how the hike went:

Before the hike started: We were picked up at Bangsal Harbor and driven to the homestay in Senaru. We rested a bit, and in the evening, we had a briefing about the upcoming hike. We could also rent gloves, jackets, headlamps, hiking poles, etc., which was very necessary because it’s freezing at the summit. We got all the information, had dinner, packed our small backpacks, and went to bed early.

First day

We woke up, had breakfast at the homestay, and then got transported to the starting point. From there, we hiked for about 6 hours with a lunch break and a few small breaks until we reached the first sleeping station. A lot of other brave people were doing the hike as well, and we all slept in tents, which kind of gave me a nostalgic feeling from childhood (my family used to go camping every summer).

It was also kind of funny that I had to dress so warmly because it was freezing up there. I could tell the landscape was very different from what I had seen before in Indonesia, which makes sense due to the climate changes at higher altitudes. After dinner, we went to bed early again.

Second day

We didn’t really sleep well or for long. We woke up at 1:30 AM and started hiking at 2:15 AM. It took me 3.5 hours to reach the summit and 2–2.5 hours to get back to the tent station. It was crazy… especially the last 30 minutes, which were super tough and challenging because the entire way up, we had to walk through ash. This meant that every step forward felt like two steps back. I had to focus on each step and appreciate every little bit of progress I made towards the summit.

After breakfast back at the tent station, we hiked until 5:30 PM to the next tent station. We had a one-hour lunch break and a few other small breaks as well. Despite the challenge of hiking up and down, the surrounding nature was indescribably beautiful. In my mind, I committed to a love-hate relationship with hiking. At the end of the day, we saw the summit from a different perspective, and it was mind-blowing to see how far and high we had climbed. This was my favorit moment of the entire hike. Seeing how high I got from a different perspective.

Third day

On the last day, we woke up around 7:00 AM, had breakfast, and hiked down for about 4 hours. We took a short lunch break in the forest. Our bodies ached, every muscle was screaming, and standing up from sitting felt like a curse.

When we reached our final destination, we visited a beautiful waterfall and then returned to the homestay where our journey had started.

This experience has been both, heaven and hell in one. It's a story worth sharing in person. I’m very excited to tell my family and friends about it.

bisou bisou