Mount Semeru (3676m) is an active volcano located in East Java, Indonesia. It is the highest mountain on the island of Java, legendary for both its stunning scenery and extremely challenging terrain. The stratovolcano is also known as Mahameru, meaning ‘The Great Mountain.
The scenery around Mt. Semeru was strikingly beautiful, but to reach the summit was demanding.
The surrounding area boasts Ranu Kumbolo Lake, which is famous for its turquoise blue water and the stunning green hills that surround it. Only a 15-minute walk from the lake is a breathtaking view of the Oro Oro Ombo meadow, a 100-hectare savanna. A two-hour walk from the meadow takes hikers to the Jambangan field, which is blanketed by countless edelweiss flowers.
But for those that choose to climb, hikers must reach the summit before noon to avoid the poisonous gas regularly emitted from the volcano. As the climb to the summit from the lowest camp takes roughly seven hours, hikers will start ascending at midnight, in the face of strong winds and minus-zero temperatures. The seven-hour climb was painstaking as a 60-degree climb on sandy terrain offers unstable footing, which is energy-sapping, as well as the constant fear of falling rocks from above. The reward was worth the pain though. Watching sunrise from the summit of Mt. Semeru, with Java’s coastline, the nearby mountains, cities and the crater all joining to create a panoramic, picture-perfect view above the clouds.
TOURS
4 Day Mt Bromo, Mt Semeru & Tumpak Sewu : 31 July – 03 Aug 2020