DAY 01
Senaru Village – Sembalun Village (1,150 m) – Sembalun Crater Rim (2,639 m)

We were driven to Sembalun Village for about an hour. After some health check out and registration at Rinjani Information Center (RIC), we started trekking at 9am, towards POS-1 PEMANTAUAN (1,300 m) in about 2 hours.

We then continued walking to POS-2 TENGENGEAN (1,500 m) in about an hour, after taking a short break. I’m not sure why we spent 2 hours here waiting and we had an early lunch. We were sitting around and waiting for our lunch to be prepared. While other groups came and went, we were still stuck at Pos-2 even though my heart was racing to continue the trek.

After lunch, we continued trekking to POS-3 PADA BALONG (1,800 m) in about an hour.
In order to catch up on lost time, we continued trekking to Sembalun Crater Rim (2,639 m) which can be reach in about 3 hours. This was where we will spend a night on the Sembalun Crater Rim.
Here you will get to enjoy the awesome views such as sunrise and sunset, Segara Anak lake, and even you can see most of north Lombok island. When we reached, the lake was covered by clouds and there was not much of a scenic view.

At night, it started to get really cold in the mountains due to the high altitude. We put on some warm clothing and waited for our dinner to be prepared. We talked around the campfire until it died down, then returned to our tents to rest. The next wake up call would be 1.30am.

DAY 02
Sembalun Crater Rim (2,639 m) – Rinjani Summit (3,726 m) – Segara Anak Lake and Hot Springs (2,008 m) – Senaru Crater Rim (2,641 m)

We woke up at 01:30 AM to have some light breakfast then we started trekking to Rinjani Summit (3,726 m). This was the most difficult part of the hike. Trekking to the Rinjani Summit will take about 3.5 hours. Since it was pitch dark, we had to walk with head lights and also I did not take any pictures.
The first stage is 2 hours moderate climb, continue with fairly easy long trekking for 30 minutes.
The last hour is quite steep and difficult. When you reach the summit, you will be able to see all of Lombok island, Bali, Sumbawa island, and Segara Anak lake. Even though the last bit of ascent was the most difficult, I was glad that I made it to the summit with the most of my teammates.
After watching the most beautiful sunrise ever with the background chatter of excited French/ German/ Indo climbers, we went back down to the Sembalun Crater Rim to have breakfast and take some rest.

Rinjani 3726m. Second highest volcano in

I did it! During the climb, I was wondering why am I doing this? Why am I subjecting my body to such torture? But only those who experience this climb will truly understand the pains and challenges. From the soles of my hiking shoes coming off to blisters on my toes to waking up early at 2am just to start the sunrise trek, it was all worth it!

This was the single most difficult hike I’ve ever done in my life. Can’t compare to Nepal or Torres del Paine. It was like walking in a sand box, uphill, into a hurricane, but for me the wind wasn’t too strong. The last hour to the summit was like a game of Reversi, I walked up one step and slid back three steps, due to the volcanic soil terrain. My guide had to pull me up towards the last bit as I mustered every bit of my remaining energy. Going down was fun as it was like skiing except that it’s on sand.

Next, after an hour of rest back at our original campsite, my heart sank when my guide told me there was another 6 more hours of hike to be done.

We continued trekking to the lake and hot springs which would take about 3 hours trekking on the slippery path. The descent to the lake was harder, as it was not as easy as going down the slippery volcanic slope. It was filled with large boulders and steep rocks, with some parts that are just hanging off the cliff, so with one wrong footing, it would bring you off the cliff.

Finally we reached the hot springs. It was naturally heated and there was a strong sulphur smell. I wanted to take a bath but was too tired and the water looked dirty. So I only dipped my legs in the hot springs, knowing that I would sweat again.

We had lunch beside the Segara Anak lake. It was a scenic view. Some Hindu pilgrims were having a ceremony by the lake. There were some who had set up camp beside the lake, which I really wished to do so. However, my day was not over yet, as there was another ascent to be done.

After enjoying the freshly prepared lunch, we continued hiking up to Senaru Crater Rim in around 3 hours of walking. For me, it took about 4 hours as my legs were weak by now and every step that I took, I was cursing under my breath. The ascent was steep and there were some parts of the terrain that needed us to hold on gingerly to the frayed ropes and to pull ourselves up.
Finally, it was dusk when I reached the campsite. The Senaru Crater Rim provided an incredible view of sunset over the mountain Agung in Bali, but I was in no mood to enjoy. This was the other side of the crater rim, which was directly opposite the one on the first night.
After dinner, I fell asleep really early and prepared myself for the hike down the next day.

DAY 03
Senaru Crater Rim (2,641 m) – Senaru Village

After a quick breakfast and enjoying the sunrise, we went down to Senaru village in about 4-5 hours. I’m not sure why my guide made us start so early, but we started our hike down at 07:00AM.
Lunch will be provided in a way to Senaru Village and we are expected to arrive at Senaru Rinjani Centre around 12:30 PM to 13:00 PM. Even though this was the original plan, we decided to skip lunch as we reached the exit of the National Park around 11:00AM and I was in a hurry to go to Bangsal Port to catch my ferry to my next destination – Bali.

We arrived at Senaru Gate and was expecting a pickup vehicle, which did not arrive. There seemed to be some miscommunication. Anyway, I texted my coordinator and after walking for about 1 km, a car came over to pick us up and soon I was on my way to the harbour. I was so dirty after having not showered for 3 days, covered with soil and volcanic ash, but I was just so glad that my hiking ordeal is finally over.

I couldn’t have completed the 3D2N hike without my guide, porters and teammates. They all lent me a helping hand in one way or another.

Firstly, the two French guys I was with, we chatted with ease in French everyday and this brought back fond memories of my exchange days. When the sole of my shoes was about to come off and this was only on the second day, Samir helped me to put a pair of socks over the shoe to hold it in place. We had tried tying it with a rubber band or lace but it came off easily.

As for my guide Bizam, he may be young and not so experienced at guiding, but still he was dragging me up toward the summit of Rinjani so that I could experience one of the most memorable sunsets ever. Even though I was slow at ascending after walking for about 10 hours, he patiently waited for me and warned me of the dangerous terrains.

When my shoes broke, he also exchanged his sneakers for mine so that I could hike down properly. He then wore my slippers for the rest of the hike.

As for the porters, I’m in amazement of how they can carry such a heavy load (tent, cooking equipment, utensils, food supplies etc) on their shoulders while trekking in their flip flops. One of them also helped me with my backpack on the way down on the last day.

This was definitely an unforgettable trekking experience. Would I do it again? Probably not, as I have other summits to climb, such as Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.