How to Climb Mount Rinjani, Indonesia

What to Pack for Lombok, Indonesia?

As you may already know, I am an advocate of light traveling, and indeed, packing light for a journey like this is a unique art form. Here are some packing tips for your upcoming trip to Lombok, Indonesia:

• Walking/Hiking Shoes: With all the walking and possible hiking during your travel, a comfortable pair of shoes is a must. I recommend the Timberland 3-Eye Classic Boat Shoes that are my go-to pair for long strolls and hikes.
• Breathable Shirts: Given the potential for hot weather, pack a few breathable shirts for your outdoor adventures.
• Shorts/Jeans: Anticipate lots of walking during your travels? Be sure to pack some breathable shorts and a pair of Levi's jeans for when the weather cools. For women, leggings are excellent for both hot and cold climates, so consider packing some as well.
• Outer Shell Jacket: An outer shell jacket is great for windy or rainy conditions. I highly recommend the Columbia Watertight Jacket (for women). It's lightweight, breathable, and even comes in a cool orange color.
• Microfiber Towel: A Microfiber towel is the ideal backpacker's towel due to its lightness, quick drying, and compressibility.
• Swim Suits: A swim trunk is a must-pack item if you are planning to visit Lombok, Indonesia in the summer, just in case there is a body of water you can jump in.
• Camera: You should also pack a good camera for your trip so that you can capture all the beautiful experiences you might have. I recommend the Sony a7R V camera together with the Sony 24-70mm f2.8 GM II lens, which is probably the highest-performance camera and lens combination you can get right now.
• Power Bank: Keep your electronics charged on the go with a 20,000+ mAh Power Bank.
• Water Bottle: The Hydro Flask Trail Water Bottle is a great insulated water bottle to have with you in cities or on hiking trails. It is lightweight and can keep your water cold or warm for more than 12 hours. It's a total game-changer.
• Universal Adapter: You'll need just one universal adapter to plug in your electronics in any country you visit.
• Packing Cubes: Packing Cubes will help you save space in your backpack and keep all your belongings organized.
• Daypack: The Langly Alpha Globetrotter is my go-to everyday camera backpack. It's large enough to carry all my travel gear, and it comes with plenty of slots and pouches. Plus, it's stylish as hell!
• Large Backpack: You will need a large backpack to carry all of your stuff. I recommend the Osprey Atmos AG 65L backpack. With excellent weight distribution and a lifetime guarantee, you can't go wrong with Osprey.

For more information on what I pack in my backpack for this trip, check out: My Packing List: 60 Travel Essentials.

Trekking with John's Adventure

For this trek, it is best that you do not trek solo. I went with a couple of friends, and we decided to go with John's Adventure, which was a little more expensive than the others. But since there are so many scams out there, we think it would be best if we went with an already established company.

With John's Adventure, you have a choice of doing the summit for 2 days, the summit and the lake for 3 days, or 4 days. We thought we were pretty decent trekkers, so we went with the 3-day package. It turned out we weren't that great, and the schedule proved to be too tight for us, so we only went up the summit and opted out of the lake because we were too slow to come down from the summit. The fact that we were climbing on volcanic ashes meant that whenever we climbed 2 steps up, we were going down 1 step as well. It's like climbing up a sand dune.

Overall, though, it was a hell of an experience, and as difficult as it may be, we eventually reached the top and got a breathtaking view of the volcano.

Basic Itinerary

This program is designed specifically for the real trekker (advanced). Participants must be fit and have several mountain climbing experiences. Not recommended for beginners.

This trek starts from Sembalun and ends in Senaru.

Highlights: Mt. Rinjani's summit (3,726 m), Segara Anak Lake (crater), hot springs, and caves.

Day 1:

1. The guide will pick you up at hotel lobby at 06.00 AM then transfer to Sembalun. Register the Rinjani Information Center (RIC) in Sembalun Lawang (1,156 m), meet your guide and arrange National Park entry tickets.
2. Your guide gives you briefing describes the route details, local cultural traditions and what you might see, and explains rubbish management and safety procedures. 
3. The trek starts from Sembalun Lawang with the gentle ascent walking through open grassland used as cattle grazing by local people. 
4. Resting at Pos 1 Pemantauan (1,300), after about three hours from Sembalun we reach Pos 2 Tengengean (1,500 m) enjoying the beautiful views of Mt. Rinjani summit (3,726 m). 
5. After another hours ascent to Pos 3 Pada Balong (1,800 m), we start the steep climb to the campsite at Plawangan II Sembalun crater rim (2,639 m). 

Day 2:

1. At 03:00 AM starts is necessary for the hard three-hours climb to the summit (3,726 m) on volcanic screen. 
2. Once there, enjoy the proud feelings of satisfaction and the amazing sunrise views across the Wallace Line to Bali, Mt. Agung and Sumbawa. 
3. Return down the ridge to the crater rim camp for a well-deserved breakfast. 
4. After breakfast, proceed to go down to the lake. It takes two to three hours down the steep trail to the crater lake. 
5. Enjoy the lake, swimming or exploring the caves and pilgrimage hot springs, believed to have healing powers, while our porters preparing for your lunch. 
6. After a lunch break, leave the lake and climb for two and half hours up to Plawangan 1 Senaru Crater Rim (2,461 m) for the day 2nd camp. 
7. Dinner and overnight at crater rim if weather permitted or another hour down to Cemara Lima. 

Day 3:

1. After breakfast, descend down the long trail to Senaru village (601 m), through thick tropical forests rich in flora, bird life and a variety of butterflies. 
2. Rest stops are taken along the way, with village stories and local legends related by your guide.  
3. After seven hours walk from the rim, (or five hours from Pos 3 Mondokon Lolak), the trek ends at Rinjani Trek Center at the road head in Senaru, where the car is waiting to transfer you to the airport or Senggigi 

Day 1: Hiking to the Ridge from Sembalun Lawang

As we flew from Malaysia to Lombok, we did get a glimpse of what we would be climbing early the next day.

Looking for a complete travel guide and itinerary for Vietnam?2 Weeks Itinerary for Vietnam

As we walked out of the airport, we were greeted by our drivers, and they took us to one of the hotels owned by the same company. Lombok is not a small island. It took us almost 3 hours to get to the hotel, and by then it was so late that we went straight to sleep.

We woke up early in the morning, brushed our teeth, and had breakfast while the guides briefed us on the tour.

We also got a glimpse of how high Mt Rinjani is from sea level. Since we weren't that high from sea level at that point, I feared that our bodies might not be functioning well with such a tight schedule. I was not wrong.

After a 2-hour drive from the hotel to the national park office, we got our permits and headed to the trail's head. The trail started off with mostly steep paths and a few small climbs. We were expected to climb for 7-8 hours on our first day. Be ready for the sun as there will be little to no shade during the first few hours.

After a 3-hour walk, we eventually arrived at our first stop. This stop is a common place for lunch, so you will be eating with people from other tours. The lunch consisted of basic macaroni and Prego sauce combination.

After lunch, we continued up another inclined path, through tall grasses. As I walked, I occasionally saw the remnants of a wildfire. It was extremely dry and there had been very little rain during my time there.

It was not until two-thirds of the trek that the trail started to become steeper and steeper. I was starting to feel slowed down by the ground as it got finer and finer as I approached the volcano.

After 8 hours of walking, we eventually arrived at the ridge where we were to camp that day. This was the view of the summit from the ridge. The guide said it would only be a 3-hour walk. I refused to believe this, and I was not wrong.

And here was our camping ground. The guy was digging our toilet for the day. Who would have thought that our lives would depend on this little hole the next day.

No matter where you camp, the view from your tent will never fail to impress you.

Our camping ground had a view of both the lake and the summit, not to mention a perfect spot to watch the sunset! All the pain went away for a moment there.

Since there was a full moon a couple of weeks ago, I thought we wouldn't be able to see the Milky Way. I was wrong. The Milky Way presented itself to us while we were eating dinner around a campfire.

I took a stroll up the ridge to find a quiet place and there, I set up my tripod, mounted my camera, took this photo, and gazed at the universe in wonder.

Seeing the Milky Way never gets old, no matter how many times I've seen them.

Day 2: Mt. Rinjani Summit Day

And there we went, waking up at 2 am and starting the climb, hoping to arrive at the summit in 3 hours.

I don't know if it was the altitude, the bad food, or simply because of the volcanic ashes, but I was unable to maintain my breathing rhythm like I used to. The trail got even steeper (as you can see from the photo), and the more I climbed, the more I had to stop and take a deep breath. I guess this is what it's like climbing a sand dune as high as a mountain.

Four hours in, and I was still an hour away from the summit, and that last bit turned out to be horrendously steep. At this point, one of my friends had already given up and walked back down. I was sitting on one of the rocks, watching the sun rise over an ocean.

As I was sitting, trying to keep myself warm, my mind started to wander off and it just went black. I fell asleep right on the spot for god knows how long. The guide who was accompanying my other friend that went down came and woke me up. Since I had already missed the sunrise, I told him that I might give up, but he tried to encourage me to no avail.

After I was discouraged by the climb, two of my friends arrived. I told them I would give up, but they convinced me to push through. It would be a shame to come this far and not reach the summit.

It was so close, yet it felt so far. My body refused to accept it. I watched as the guides assisted and pulled my friends up the mountain. "Well, it would be a shame indeed", I told myself, and I slowly walked toward the summit with all the energy I had.

Even though it was like hell climbing that last one-hour stretch, but you gotta admit, the view from up here was magnificent.

I really pushed myself to the limit that day. I wasn't even walking; I was simply dragging my legs up a few meters per minute.

And there I was, at the summit! After a freaking 5-hour walk since 2 am, I finally reached the summit.

I did not just look like shit, but I also felt like shit up there. My body started to dysfunction as I sat and rested. For some reason, my stomach was aching, but that didn't stop me from enjoying my hard-earned time up there.

There were 8 of us in the group, and 6 reached the summit. It was a proud moment for all of us.

As my stomach got worse by the minute, I decided to walk down before everyone. I was also told that we had another freaking 8-hour hike to the lake ahead of us that day.

I could not have run faster that morning. Imagine being stuck in traffic on a highway when you really need to go number 2, but without the nice comfort of your car, and you have to walk down a mountain for 3 hours before reaching the toilet. That was what I went through that day.

I arrived at the tent around 9:30am, and I was told that if the group didn't arrive by 10, we wouldn't be able to go to the lake in time. By then, I knew that with the conditions we had, we wouldn't be able to continue anyway.

Everyone was down at the camp by 11, and we all accepted the truth that walking another 8 hours at night is just not wise. In the end, we opted out for the lake and decided to stay on the ridge another night and walk back down the same way.

That night, out of the 8 of us, 6 including myself had a really bad stomach. Everyone was at their worst condition. I literally shat 8 times that night and in the morning, the next day, I somehow felt worse than before.

Day 3: Backtracking our way to Sembalun Lawang and Admit Defeat

When I'm trekking, I usually walk fast, but that morning I couldn't walk. It was so bad that I could feel the water rumbling in my stomach with every step I took. I couldn't eat anything for several meals before, and now that my energy had run out, I started to feel tingling in my fingers.

My mouth was so pale that the guides were extremely concerned about me. The guide was so concerned that they offered me a trekking pole and to carry my backpack. I felt defeated, but I had no choice but to try and see if it would make my stomach better.

As it turned out, the backpack was part of the culprit. Since the backpack was strapped to my bag, it forced my body into a position that put a strain on my stomach. I felt relief right after I got rid of my backpack. I wasn't proud of it, but at least I could walk as fast as before without anyone's help.

At our lunch stop, no one had the appetite to eat anything, so we decided to opt out of having lunch and pushed ourselves to the finish line once and for all. It only took us 4 and a half hours to descend, thanks to our awesome guides. I owed my life to these brave men.

And that's the end of the trek. My friends and I decided to split here as I headed to Gili Trawangan and my friends went to Bali. Along the way to the pier, we saw a bunch of teens celebrating and dancing at a wedding ceremony on the street.

They sure have got some killer moves. :)

And that is what the worst scenario would be like when you climb a mountain. As previously promised, I have brought you the most ridiculous and crazy trekking stories that even topped the one where a super typhoon hit when I was on Mt Fuji.

Now that we have all the information we need, it's time to start planning your trip! Here are some resources to help you get going:

Flights: Skyscanner and Expedia are the best places to start looking for cheap flights and great deals from your home country.

Accommodation: Hostelworld, Booking.com, and Agoda.com are the ultimate go-to platforms to search for amazing hostels and hotels at affordable prices.

Travel Insurance: Heymondo covers theft, medical emergencies, cancellations, and more during your travels. Get a 5% discount if you sign up today.

Transportation: 12go is a great place to look for bus and train schedule and buy tickets online in Southeast Asia that would otherwise not have been available in English online.

Car Rental: DiscoverCars.com is a great and reliable platform to find rental cars.

Internet: Airalo is the best way to get a sim card and has reliable internet access for your trip. All you need is an esim compatible smartphone, install it on your phone prior to your trip, and you are all set.

VPN: To stay connected with people at home, I always make sure to have ProtonVPN, installed before traveling. It's FREE, and I can gain access to services that may be blocked in certain countries.

Day Trips & Tours: Viator, GetYourGuide and TripAdvisor are great platforms to search for trips and tours to join.

Tickets & Deals: Klook is always my go-to website when I want to find cheaper deals for entrance tickets to tourist attractions.

Are you planning to travel independently? Be sure to check out my guide on How To Plan A Backpacking Trip here.

Further Reading for Indonesia

I hope this travel guide will help you plan your trip to Indonesia. I have visited Indonesia more times than I can count and have written a ton of articles about the country.

If you are looking for more articles about Indonesia, here is a selection of articles that might help you plan your trip to Indonesia even further.

• Looking for a complete itinerary and travel guide for Indonesia? One Month Itinerary for Indonesia.
• Are you planning to travel to Indonesia as part of a big Southeast Asia trip? Check out our 3-month backpacking itinerary for Southeast Asia.
• If you are visiting Bali for the first time, here is a travel guide to get you started: 10 BEST Places To Visit In Bali.
• Jakarta is a massive city unlike any other, and there is quite a lot to do here if you know where to look. Here are the 8 Best Things To Do in Jakarta.
• Yogyakarta is a great cultural and historical place to visit in Indonesia, and there are plenty of things to see and do there. Here are the 9 Best Things To Do in Yogyakarta.
• Did you know that there is an island in Indonesia that is free of tourists? One of them is Karimunjawa, a true hidden gem island of Java. Here’s a complete guide on how to travel to Karimunjawa island.
• Looking for an article that summarizes a trip through the Java island? Check out my photo essay of Java, Indonesia.
• Gili Trawangan is one of the most popular Gili islands in Lombok, and even though it's crowded, you can often find solitude if you know where to look. Plus, it's cheap. Here's an article about exploring Gili Trawangan.
• I bet visiting the Komodo Island is among the top of your bucket list. If so, you are going to need this: Here's a complete backpacking guide to the Komodo Islands.
• Flores is another great island that deserves way more credit than it receives. There are the Komodo islands, Kelimutu tri-colored lakes, and so much more. Here is a 10-day travel guide for Flores and Komodo Island.
• Talking about Kelimutu, here’s a complete travel guide on how to get to Kelimutu lakes in Flores, Indonesia.
• For a complete itinerary to Sumatra, check out: One Month Backpacking Sumatra Itinerary.
• Being the largest volcanic lake in the world, you can't visit Sumatra without visiting Lake Toba. Here are the 10 Awesome Things to do in Lake Toba, Sumatra.
• Want to travel to Lake Toba from Medan, but not sure how? Here's a guide for you: How To Get From Medan To Lake Toba.
• Berastagi is home to some of the most accessible volcanoes in Sumatra. It's definitely worth a stop if hiking a volcano is on your bucket list. Here are the 10 Best Things to Do in Berastagi.
• Want to see orangutans in the wild in Indonesia? The best place is Bukit Lawang and here's A Complete Guide to Orangutan Trekking in Bukit Lawang.
• For West Sumatra, your journey will likely begin in Padang, the capital city of the province, with a ton of things to do. Here are the 8 Best Things to Do in Padang.
• Get off the beaten path in Sumatra and visit Bukittinggi, the old capital of the Pagaruyung Kingdom, and explore the highlands with this guide: 12 Best Things to Do in Bukittinggi.
• Want to visit Bukittinggi? Here are all the best ways you can travel there: How to Get to Bukittinggi: A Complete Guide
• One of the best islands to visit in Sumatra is Mentawai. It's not just a place for surfers. You can enjoy the beach, snorkeling, and even spend days living with the Mentaway tribe. Here is A Complete Travel Guide to Mentawai.
• If you want to visit and live with the Mentawai Tribe in the jungle for a few days, this guide is for you: Visiting the Mentawai Tribe: A Complete Guide.
• Not sure how to get to the Mentawai Islands? Here is all the information you need from ferry schedule, costs, and more: How to Get to Mentawai: A Complete Guide
• Are you planning your Indonesia trip as part of a big Southeast Asia trip? If so, be sure to check out my photographic journey through the subcontinent. Here are 64 photos that will inspire you to visit Southeast Asia.
• Wondering where you want to go next? How about Timor-Leste? Visit Timor-Leste Travel Guide page for more travel guide about Timor-Leste.
• To see all articles about Indonesia, visit the Indonesia Travel Guide page.
• Looking for more travel guides for Southeast Asia? You can find more on my Southeast Asia Travel Guide page.
• For more of my travel guides, visit my Destinations page.