Mount Kerinci, often referred to as the roof of Sumatra, is the highest volcano in Indonesia, with an elevation of 3,805 meters above sea level, and its trail is quite challenging. Check out my experience climbing Mount Kerinci in Sumatra.
It all began when I stumbled upon an article in a magazine about West Sumatra. I didn’t realize there were so many interesting places there.
Although I had visited Padang and Bukit Tinggi before with my family, I didn’t enjoy it much.
The idea to climb Mount Kerinci suddenly came to mind.
Initially, I had planned to travel across Padang, Medan, and then Aceh, but I missed out on buying cheap tickets.
I also considered Mentawai as an alternative, but ultimately, I chose Mount Kerinci.
However, there was still a lot of work to be done.
I needed to find companions, as while traveling alone was okay for me, hiking alone was something I wasn’t brave enough to do.
I searched for information on the Padang Backpacker Community on Facebook.
There, I got to know Bang Jamie from Sungai Penuh. I also borrowed some hiking gear from other members. Finally, the day had arrived.
The view on the way to Sungai Penuh
Getting to Mount Kerinci
To reach the basecamp and start the climb, one must first travel to Sungai Penuh.
There are two ways to get there: from Jambi or Padang. I chose to go through Padang.
My flight was at 5:30 a.m., so I slept at the airport, landed at Minangkabau airport, and was picked up by Bang Kohar (a friend from Facebook).
We went directly to a travel agent in Ulak Karang to buy the bus ticket to Sungai Penuh and departed at 10 a.m.
FYI, there are two departures per day: 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. The cost is around Rp 100,000, and the journey typically takes 7 hours.
The scenery along the way to Sungai Penuh was unforgettable, with all the green hills, especially around Mount Kerinci.
The vast tea gardens refreshed my eyes and mind.
It was so beautiful. I met Bang Jamie, who ran a merchandise store named KerinciMerch.
If you’re looking for souvenirs, this is the place to visit. Bang Jamie introduced me to Mbak Sandra, and I stayed at her home.
Sungai Penuh
My itinerary climbing Mount Kerinci
It took me four days in total to climb Mount Kerinci, then spent couple of days to camp near the Gunung Tujuh Lake. There’re four of us climbing the mountain.
Day 1: Starting the hike until Post 2
I felt guilty when Bang Jamie said he would come with me to Mount Kerinci. He was supposed to hike at the end of the year.
He had told me before that his friend would accompany me. Unfortunately, all of his friends were busy.
We prepared food and everything. There were four of us: me, Bang Jamie, Bento, and Ucok taking the “oto” (that’s what they called it, the same as “angkot,” IDR 10,000 each person). It took about an hour to reach the gate.
Here comes the horrific part. I had read a lot in people’s blogs about Mount Kerinci. The suggestion to pass the third post before dark had always been mentioned by them.
The reason is that Sumatran tigers still roam wild in the jungle, and they start hunting at night. I don’t know why these guys had the idea to hike at night.
The plan was to build camp at post 2. As far as I know, it’s safer to camp at shelter 1, due to the risk of encountering tigers.
Moreover, shelter 1 is already 2000 meters above sea level, so there are no tigers there.
Bang Jamie told me there was a river, so it would be easier to refill water.
After checking our gear and praying, we were ready to hike in the middle of the dark.
All sorts of crazy imaginings came to my mind. What if a tiger showed up and ate us all? Only our names would be left. Not cool to die because of being eaten by a tiger.
I looked around, wondering if climbing a tree was possible. I had never climbed a tree, so I was worried. I prayed, hoping everything would be okay.
A few minutes into the walk, I heard a sound, a sound like a tiger’s breath or growl. Obviously, I was scared to death.
I called Bang Jamie, who was in front of me, and asked what the sound was. He just said, “Pretend not to hear anything.” I shut my mouth but not my heart and mind.
I recited all my prayers in a Buddhist way. Fifteen minutes to post one felt like hours.
Again, Bang Jamie reminded me, “No matter what you hear and see, keep silent.”
Again, I heard the tiger’s breath at post 1. I kept silent and kept praying. The three of us continued enjoying their time smoking, regardless of how scared I was. Fifteen minutes again to post 2. It was 8 p.m. I was a little bit relieved because we were going to camp.
We cooked dinner before sleeping and had a chat for a while. Bang Jamie still didn’t want to tell me anything.
He just said if tigers had their own path, they wouldn’t come closer to humans. What sound had I heard then? I didn’t want to think about it anymore; let’s sleep.
Day 2: Post 2 – Shelter 3
Planned to start hiking at 8 a.m but never exactly did as what we planned.
- 10.30-10.55 : post 2-post 3
- 11.15-12.17 : post 3-shelter 1
- 12.17-13.15 : lunch
- 13.15-16.30 : shelter 1-shelter 2
- 17.00-18.30 : shelter 2-shelter 3
The challenging part started from shelter 1. We needed to climb because it was high and steep.
Roots were used as grips. From shelter 2 to shelter 3 was crazy. The height that we needed to climb was as tall as our chins. It was cloudy, sometimes raining, but not very heavy.
I really enjoyed hiking with these guys. They made jokes, and it was totally fun. We laughed so loudly along the way.
The wind blew very fast when we reached shelter 3. There was only one tent standing beside ours. It was time to rest.
Shelter 1 – Shelter 2
Shelter 2 – Shelter 3
Day 3: Shelter 3 – Summit of Mount Kerinci
It was raining heavily and windy when we went to sleep, but luckily it stopped early in the morning.
We had planned to start the summit attack at 4 a.m., but in fact, we started at 6:15. By then, the sun had already risen.
We had a very nice view of Sungai Penuh and the South China Sea.
I felt worried because of the fog on the summit. I just hoped for good weather up there, and also that the sulfur conditions were not bad.
Overall, the path was full of rocks and sand but not as sandy as Mount Semeru or Mount Rinjani.
By 7:45 a.m., we reached Tugu Yuda and met other hikers who had just come down from the summit. They said it was grey up there, covered by fog.
Gunung Tujuh Lake
View from our campsite
On the way to summit
Almost reached Tugu Yuda, so foggy
I was thinking, whatever the conditions up there, at least I could step on the highest land in Sumatra. I would be very happy even if the view was not nice.
But again, God blessed me! By 8:30, we reached the summit, and it was clear up there.
Luckily, the wind blew to the other side, so those thick sulfur clouds moved away from the land we were standing on.
Bang Jamie said that if the wind changed its direction toward us, within 5 minutes, we would fall and be poisoned at a glance.
I was extraordinarily happy and grateful that I could reach the top of the highest volcano in Indonesia safely.
We took photos, and we even did the Gangnam Style up there. Thank you, God, it was so beautiful.
We could see Danau Gunung Tujuh from up there. It was very exciting!
We made it!
Me, on the top of Mount Kerinci
Heading down from the top
At 2 p.m., we descended from shelter 3. Unfortunately, Bang Ucok’s injury had worsened, and he had difficulty walking. We had to proceed very slowly.
By 9 p.m., we decided to camp again for one more night at the third post. Bang Jamie and I went to find water, but he wasn’t sure where the source was. We ventured deep into the jungle.
Weathered wood obstructed the path, and leaves and branches impeded our progress.
Heading down from the top
With the team
Once again, this feeling of double worry and weariness swept across my mind. At one point, Bang Jamie asked me to stay put while he left to find the path.
It was dark, and I contemplated tigers, ghosts, and everything in between.
Bad thoughts, but those things came to my mind, alone, in a dark jungle. Horrifying!
But finally, we found the water source, a small river. What if the tigers were drinking water from that river? 😉
Day 4: Heading down – Lake Gunung Tujuh
We packed our bags again and made our way down to the gate. We hitched a ride with a farmer’s vegetable cart to get to the main road. Our journey continued to Lake Gunung Tujuh.
Lake Gunung Tujuh is located not far from Mount Kerinci, about a 30-minute ride from Tugu Macan, Mount Kerinci. It is known as the highest volcanic crater lake in Southeast Asia.
This location is surrounded by seven mountains, which used to form a volcanic crater.
The names of the mountains are Gunung Hulu Tebo, Gunung Hulu Sangir, Gunung Mandura Besi, Gunung Selasih, Gunung Jar Panggang, and Gunung Tujuh.
On the way to Lake Gunung Tujuh
After descending from Mount Kerinci, I only had a little time to rest. Our stomachs were growling with hunger. Without wasting any time, we had a simple but meaningful lunch (for our stomachs).
Bakso, or meatballs, was the closest food available. No wonder my friend had two rounds of meals due to hunger.
After lunch, we stopped an “oto” to go to Danau Gunung Tujuh Resort. Only Bang Jamie and I continued, while the other two went back to Sungai Penuh. It was raining, but not for long.
We still had to take an “ojek” to go inside the resort. But when you hear “resort,” forget about luxurious accommodations.
Yes, it used to be a resort, but now it’s abandoned. It’s become a basecamp, where people register to hike Lake Gunung Tujuh. Four friends were waiting for us: Mbak Yandhi, Yura, Sari, and Aan from Padang. They are friends of Bang Jamie (he’s popular :p).
Still feeling tired, we walked and hiked, which drained our stamina. Plus, I had a big refrigerator (backpack) on my back. Ah, my thighs were so stiff. We started at 4 p.m. and finished at 7 p.m.
It was normal, a three-hour hike. The other girls were strong. We set up our camp and rested. I had a massage session with Bang Jamie. A single touch made us scream loudly. It really hurt.
Cloudy day at the lake
Day 5: Back to Sungai Penuh
The next day, when the sun had shown its light, though not so bright due to the cloudy weather, we enjoyed the lake and even swam in its cold water.
Being a part of nature was an incredible feeling that you cannot find in the town, especially Jakarta. But alas, it was time to go back to Sungai Penuh.
So, that’s my overall experience climbing Mount Kerinci. It was fun yet challenging, and I even had some mysterious moments during the climb.
Who knows the truth, anyway? Let me know if you need more information about climbing Mount Kerinci.
Hiked in 21-23 Dec 2012Â
Thanks Bang Jamie, Bang Ucok, Bang Bento. Thanks to Mbak Sandra family for hosting me =)
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