4.28 am, July 2nd. The sun hasn’t yet begun to rise over Lombok, Nusa Tenggara, and I’m bent over the edge of a volcano dry retching into the void.
I’ve had to stop to gag every 5 steps for the last 3 hours; the combination of a 1 a.m. start, breakfast of plain bread, and this narrow 45-degree ridge of volcanic rock and dust are taking their toll on my body.
The summit of Mt Rinjani is a monstrous grey peak towering above me. I still have at least 2 hours left until I reach the top.
The Journey Begins
7 am, July 1st. Our journey began on the 1st of July, as my three friends and I crammed into the back of a pickup truck. 3 porters, 1 guide, 1 driver, 2 Russians, 3 days of gear, and the 4 of us squished in together. Together we drove for over an hour in the back of the truck, it was already feeling like an adventure!
We had arrived on the island of Lombok the day before. From our comfy private rooms on Gili Air, we said goodbye to the rest of our friends and took a boat across the divide. From there it had been a 3-hour drive to our accommodation, where we had learned all about how our journey would play out.
Beginning
We began to hike at 9 a.m. Through the starting gate, the trail headed in a slight incline, slowly snaking its way up the foothills of Mt Rinjani. We walked for about 3 hours, taking in the scenery.
Everything seemed lovely, spirits were high. But of course, before too long… it began to pour. The clouds opened up to TORRENTIAL rain.
So, since we had not brought raincoats, we got soaked. Only 3 hours into a 3-day climb, my clothes, and shoes (but luckily not my camera) were wet through and through. This was when I knew Mt Rinjani was going to push me farther than I ever thought it would.
After 7 hours of walking, mostly straight uphill, we made it to the crater rim. The mountain had been covered in clouds our whole walk up. But as we began to set up camp, the clouds slowly began to drift away; revealing one of the most beautiful views I had ever seen.
After walking through the clouds and rain for 7 hours, this felt like a victory. This made everything worth it.
After a good meal, stretches, and yawns we closed our eyes, and even though the sun hadn’t quite set, we fell asleep. Knowing that at 1 am tomorrow… we would be awake again.
An Adventurous Childhood
I am not new to adventure. Growing up in a small town in rural Australia, known to be a rock climbing mecca, the outdoors was no stranger to me. My parents, extremely talented climbers themselves, raised my sibling and me in the bush.
In 2014 I did my first trek on the Jatbula Trail, which can be found in the remote Katherine Gorge. From then we went on to hike the Villerica Traverse (as pictured above) in the Chilean Andes. After, a trailless bushbash along the Colo River in NSW, and the Greenstone/ Caples track in NZ.
That being said, my teenage years took place far, far away from any mountain. Diagnosed with anorexia nervosa at 15, I went through periods where I could not even get myself down a flight of stairs. So, I lived over 200 days in the hospital, fed through a feeding tube, and attached to a million machines.
Subsequently, Mt Rinjani meant more to me. This was what made my journey so special. It meant proving to myself that my body was capable of so much more than I ever imagined.
Mt Rinjani, Summit Day
1 am, July 2nd. After tossing and turning all night, my alarm went off after only 2 hours of sleep. We were sore, and our shoes and socks were still wet, but we got dressed and packed our day bags for the hike to the summit.
We climbed with the light of our head torches, the night sky a field of stars above our heads.
I was feeling awful, and only 5 minutes into what would end up being 13 hours of walking it became unbearable. I had my last anti-nausea pill and kept on walking. Eventually, I would end up having to stop every few meters to dry retch off the mountain.
This continued all the way to the top. As the sun rose, the temperature grew colder as we climbed rapidly in elevation. In the 5 hours it took to reach the summit, we gained 1000m.
The last km of walking is what gives Mt Rinjani its name as one of the hardest hikes in Asia. A narrow ridge that climbs at a 45-degree angle, with no stable footing. It’s a scramble-up of volcanic rock and ash. With every two steps, you slide back one.
The Summit
As the last remnants of sunrise faded away, I summited Mt Rinjani. It was a moment of relief.
Because it was so cold I only stayed on the summit for 10 minutes, but for those 10 minutes, I truly felt I was on top of the world. At 3726m above sea level, with the clouds sprawling out below me and the blue sky above.
We came down from the summit in a controlled slide. Slipping our way back to our first camp. The scenery, now that it was light, was breathtaking.
I arrived back in camp, closed my eyes, and for 30 minutes I rested before I was woken up again to continue our walk.
Summit day, from camp to camp
10 am, July 2nd. We walked to the bottom of the crater via a very steep descent. Eventually, it comes out next to its lake. The lake was where we ate lunch and found the hot springs. After our morning, the hot springs were heaven. Relaxing our muscles for what was to come.
We walked across the crater and slowly began to crawl back up the other side. Another 700m of elevation gain. At this point, my body went into a bit of a survival mode. I didn’t think at all as I dragged myself up stretch after stretch of semi-vertical incline.
I pulled myself forward and up, km after km, body aching, and that morning’s nausea still very much there. However, every time I looked behind me as we climbed the other side of the Rinjani crater rim, I was completely rejuvenated by what I saw.
The summit was bathed in sunlight, with the lake sprawling below. The second little volcano is within the crater rim, with forests crawling up the lower sides. It was magical.
In the end, we walked over 30km that day, with 2000m of vertical elevation gain, and a similar amount of elevation loss. It took 17 hours to get from our first camp to our second.
When we finally reached camp, it was pitch black again. All I could do was collapse in the tent with my friends. But in that moment, with my amazing people on the mountain, the hardships of climbing were forgotten.
Our final day on Mt Rinjani
6 am, July 3rd. Our final morning on the mountain was a blur. We woke up at 6 a.m. with a reignited energy. The downhill was rejuvenating, and so we ran… RAN, down the side of Rinjani.
At each stop, we checked the clock. A 6-hour journey turned into 3 as we consistently halved our expected times.
Jogging was faster, with less effort than walking down each hill. So at lightning speed, we made our way, Noah Kahan playing on the speaker and electricity in the air.
The scenery changed as we descended. From very few trees to shimmering green, to rainforest jungle. We were awed at the beauty of the mountain, at just how quickly it went from desolate to lush.
As we stopped for lunch in the jungle, it began to rain. But this time, for me, it felt right. It had rained when we got here, and it rained when we left it.
We arrived at the end of our journey at 10.30 am on the 3rd Of July. Driving out of Mt Rinjani National Park felt surreal. We had completed it, I had broken my own glass ceiling. The opportunities were endless. This was the beginning.
