Difficult Journey at Mt.Sindoro
Mount Sindoro was the second “S” I visited this time, following Mt. Slamet.
Indeed, the triple S (Mt.Sumbing, Sindoro, and Slamet) is well-known among climbers and appears to be a must-do package. Mt.Sindoro is located on the Temanggung-Wonosobo district’s border. The three S’s are all in Central Java.
The Sumbing-Sindoro basecamps are even closer to each other. Mt.Slamet is also not far away. So there are climbers who finish all of them in a single trip.
How about me? Of course not ! hahha:-D
This time, I was able to visit this mountain via Kledung’s basecamp. Alang-alang Sewu is another popular basecamp that serves as the starting point for the climb.
Actually, the journey to the camp post in Sindoro is the shortest and fastest compared to other places. However, although the journey to the camp post is short, do not underestimate the steep uphill and rocky terrain that make it more steep and difficult.
The trip became more difficult because of the rain, and I was sometimes hesitant to wear a raincoat because it would impede my steps. but as the rain became heavier, I couldn’t help but wear one.
The camp post is usually at post 3, but some people prefer to camp at Sunrise Camp. This place is another option for pitching a tent. But I’m glad we didn’t spend the night there since the journey to Sunrise Camp is more difficult and steep, so webbing is used in several places. I can’t imagine walking there with a heavy carrier. In addition, there were wild pigs who came to visit at Sunrise Camp that night! Some people may prefer to camp there because it is larger and more spacious.
That afternoon, the fog came and went quickly, despite the fact that we desperately wanted to take a picture with Sumbing Mountain, which was right in front of us. Because these two mountains are almost opposite each other, Mt.Sumbing always accompanied us and was visible throughout the journey, even at the summit.
However, the Sindoro summit trip was difficult for me. We left around 3 AM to reach the summit, which is said to be longer than the trip to the campsite. We will encounter large rocks that are steep and always uphill until we reach the summit.
The summit in Sindoro necessitates extreme caution due to the numerous “chasms” on either side of the road. It’s dangerous because we’re walking in the dark and are sometimes obscured by reeds.
This happened to me when I unintentionally fell into one of these ravines. Fortunately, the hole was not too deep, and my traveling companion was able to pull me out. A slight miscalculation on the other side of the same ravine could have been more fatal.
Of course, I was shocked, surprised, and scared that night, but because there were no serious injuries, I was deemed safe to continue traveling. I’m more cautious now about the rest stop
After passing through the Lamtoro 1–2 forests, we will arrive at Batu/Watu Tatah, which is post 4 and the best spot for documentation, as many people have suggested on social media.
Luckily, the morning sky was so clear that the trip to the summit became more enjoyable.
We could see Mt.Sumbing right in front of us, as well as Mt.Merbabu, Mt.Ungaran, and even Mt.Lawu in the distance.
Unfortunately, there was no sea of clouds to accompany us, like on Mt.Slamet or Mt.Merbabu.
From the start, we were told that if the weather was bad, we would have to stop at post 4. However, the sky that morning was clear, so we kept going to the top of Mt.Sindoro. I was both happy and nervous when I met a climber who had just come down from the top and told me that the top was still a long way off!
I was happy because he was telling the truth, but I was also sad because the statement was true and made my spirit drop :-P
The trip to the top turned out to be just as long and hard as before. The situation was made even worse by the smell of sulfur, which was noticed soon after passing Post 4. We wore masks, but it still smelled and made us cough sometimes. Because of this, our chests got even tighter. One of the people I was traveling with couldn’t take it anymore and decided to end the trip.
I think it was the right choice.
The crater is at the top of Mt. Sindoro, and sulfur smoke comes out of it. Because of this, you shouldn’t stay on top after 9 a.m. So we didn’t break that rule; we had to hurry up and walk faster.
Safety is more important than everything and everyone else.
But I had faith in myself and thought I could still get there.
I thought I could judge my own skill level at the time, so I decided to do it, even though I was a little nervous when my more advanced friend decided to stop.
At that time, the peak seemed close, and I wasn’t the only one there.
Alhamdulilah, thanks to the Almighty’s protection and strength, I was able to complete this journey to the summit. I was relieved to have overcome my fears and challenged my mentality to not give up so easily. I was even happier because I could be there with my wonderful traveling companions.
We still have an episode to finish because we need to go down to the camp post and base camp. But all of my exhaustion seemed to pay off that day…
There are no words to express my gratitude for the opportunity to be here…It was one of the most difficult trips, but it provided good memories.
I was really fortunate and feel blessed 😊
