Elevation: 3726 m / 12224 ft
Type: peak
Views: 3,980
Popularity: 39% (2291st place)
Description of mountain:
Gunung Rinjani is Indonesia's second-highest mountain/volcano at 3,726 m. It rises from the tropical island of Lombok and is clearly visible from Bali, 85 km away. Rinjani is an active stratovolcano located on the edge of the Australian tectonic plate in the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire. On clear days from the summit, one can see the 3,000 m peak Gunung Agung on Bali, the Gili Islands, and Sumbawa Island.
For Hindus and Sasak people, Gunung Rinjani is one of three sacred mountains they typically pilgrimage to at full moon. The other two are Gunung Agung on Bali and Bromo on Java (which erupted again in July 2016).
The caldera or crater of Gunung Rinjani is something special, so it is no surprise that it attracts numerous hikers. The crater rim is at 2,600-2,700 m elevation, with a huge diameter of 6 to 8.5 km. At its bottom, around 2,000 m elevation, lies a turquoise lake up to 200 m deep, in the middle of which rises a new volcano extending 300 m above the lake. Scientific sources indicate that before its last major eruption in 1257 AD, the volcano was around 5,500 m high. That year saw an eruption with no survivors, considered the strongest in the last 2,000 years, causing a period of global cooling. The explosion lowered the volcano's summit by 2,000 m. There have been several minor eruptions recently: the last in 2010, previously 2009, 2004, 1995, 1990, 1966, and 1945. The Global Volcanism Program recorded a world record there in 1945 for the measured volume of lava flow.
The mountain is in the "Taman Nasional Gunung Rinjani / Mt Rinjani National Park," where an entrance fee is required (150,000 IDR, about 10 euros in July 2016). Organized tour costs in June 2016 were 120 euros (down from 180 euros after mandatory haggling), joining a random group of hikers (price includes guide and two porters, water, food, two nights tent camping, one night in a hotel, transport anywhere on Lombok, park entrance).
Two main trails lead to the mountain. From Senaru village (600 m elevation), the tropical approach. From Sembalun Lawang village (1,150 m elevation), the savanna approach. The best choice is a combination of both: ascent one way, descent the other, worth visiting the lake and bathing in the hot springs (water 45°C). Such a hike usually takes 3 days. A dog may occasionally follow the group; there are numerous macaque monkeys in the forest that in the afternoon reach the crater rim at 2,600 m, plundering food scraps, abandoned backpacks, and even equipment if left unattended. Before night, the monkeys retreat to lower areas due to the cold.
The suitable visiting time is from June to September during the indistinct dry period, which naturally includes occasional showers as befits the tropics. Nighttime temperature at 2,600 m drops below 10°C, at the summit a few degrees above freezing. No snow. Best views are possible only early in the morning; later, misty fog rolls over the slopes.
Surroundings within radius of
km:
Webcams in radius of
km:
Pictures: