A COUCH POTATO'S GUIDE TO HIKING IJEN CRATER #TRIPOFWONDERS

So you're a professional couch potato who happened upon a random yet griping documentary and now you want to climb Ijen. Great news, you're just like me! And guess what, we can make it to the top without dying. ┐( ˘_˘ )┌

I am not a hiker nor a sportsman. My idea of a workout for the last 1.5 years is a short walk from the fridge to my couch or bed and then typing in a few key words for an adult session of Netflix and chill (no hanky-panky involved).

To say that I was not physically prepared for this climb is an understatement. I was already panting during our short walk to the bar from our hotel on Gili Island (on flat land!) but that's a whole different story.

For now, let's talk about my personal Ijen experience.

But first, is IJEN a DANGEROUS climb? ☠

IN ENGLISH:

Me: Have you been hiking in Indonesia? Saw some YouTube videos, looks dangerous

Friend: Not yet, I'm scared because there are frequent earthquakes which cause the volcano to erupt suddenly!

Me: We're going to a volcano called ijen crater which is also known as the jaws of hell. FML. Thank you. Hahaha

Friend: YEAH THAT IJEN IS CALLED JAWS OF HELL CAUSE IT KILLED 3,000 HIKERS ALREADY.

Me: *cry cry cry hahaha

Friend: It's the one that exploded before when many Filipino hikers went missing. My friend's business partner also died during an Indonesian Volcano Hike. Crazy right, but it's instagrammable so go for it.

Me: I hope I don't die. Hahaha

Off I went! It was go or don't get paid anyway, so GO! (￣^￣)ゞ

This was my view from the airplane upon landing in Banyuwangi. I SAW NO SIGNS OF MODERN CIVILIZATION. Felt like we were gonna be dropped in the middle of Jurassic Park.

But of course not. This was my hotel room at Ketapang Indah, Banyuwangi. Nice and clean with wifi and a balcony too! (*¯︶¯*)

MOVING ON  ↴ 

The best time to explore any mountain or volcano is at the break of sunrise. To achieve that, you must head out by at least midnight.

YES NEVERMIND SLEEP, WHO NEEDS SLEEP? ٩(ఠ益ఠ)۶

(My thoughts exactly. But guys, it was worth it)

Ketapang Indah Hotel is a 2 hour drive away from the base of Mt. Ijen.

Use the 2 hour drive time to SLEEP. You will need all the strength you can get.

Also make sure to have a light meal before climbing (some bread will do). The only toilet is located at Base Camp (5km away from the summit so that's pretty much the only chance you'll get at a modern, acceptable-ish lavatory. Bring your own tissue) It costs RP 2000 to use (doesn't matter if you pee or poop - WARNING: they're all squat toilets!)

Once you're done doing your business, your guide will probably ask you to assemble somewhere near the entrance of the mountain for a quick briefing and distribution of head lamps and gas masks.

The number of gas masks and headlamps available are limited so if you have your own, best to bring it. I didn't have any so I was forced to use a regular 3M dust mask (terribly uncomfortable and DOES not provide enough protection from the thick sulphur fumes)

***THIS IS A GOOD TIME TO ASK FOR A WALKING STICK. It will make your Ijen life 100x easier.

 

GEAR CHECKLIST

 "Fake it 'til you make it..."

• NON-SLIP HIKING SHOES
• THERMAL WEAR (if you're caucasian you may skip this)
• SCARF
• JACKET (preferably lightweight and all-weather)
• BEANIE
• GLOVES
• GOGGLES
• GAS MASK
• A GOOD PLAYLIST - "Ain't no mountain high enough...", "My heart will go on and other epic movie soundtracks - just a suggestion.
• BOTTLED WATER (only take small sips during the hike)
• FLASHLIGHT OR HEADLAMP
• WALKING STICK
• CAMERA WITH ZOOM LENS (pancake or prime not a good idea)

I just used the 16-50mm kit of my Fuji XA2 **

photo by @JelitoDeLeon

OOTD DETAILS: Columbia Thermal Top + Northface Thermal Pants (cannot be seen) + HiTec Hiking Boots + Eddie Bauer Jacket from ROX | Topshop Leggings | Scarf on loan (shopping purchase of Jelito from Sasak Sade Village)

***layers are better because while it's freezing cold in the early morning, the temperature rises during the hike down so it's nice to be able to strip some extra clothing off when it gets too hot.

HOW FAR IS IT?

The answers will vary depending on who you ask. The guides will say oh around 2-3km, some will say 4, others 5, I say 20.

Haha. Kidding aside, I still don't know exactly how far it is (I'm guessing around 9km back and forth) but what I do know is that the guides don't really know the definition of flat land. According to them, the hike is a 2km steep climb, followed by a 1km flat trek.

NO.

It's not flat. Just less steep. 

凸(｀ﾛ´)凸

And very dark and slippery SO BE CAREFUL. There are times when you will have to walk close to the edge of a cliff. But don't worry, you won't slip.

 

Just make sure to wear good hiking shoes. I suggest Hi-Tec or Merrell. ☆

TIPS AND TRICKS TO GET YOU THROUGH THE WORST TIMES

• THERE WILL BE TIMES WHEN YOU WILL WANT TO GIVE UP. DON'T!!! If I was able to make it, you will be able to get through it too! Trust me. :)
• When things turn tough, play some music to liven up the atmosphere.
• There are taxi's that you can hire for RP500,000 to take you to the top. Try to resist the temptation (it's for sissies only ✌ AND YOU AREN'T ONE!)
• Rest when you have to, it's not a race...unless you want to catch BOTH the blue flames and sunrise.
• Don't let the sour attitude of some insensitive tourists ruin the experience for you (there's a chance you might encounter some, just brush it off)
• TAKE A MOMENT.

My favorite part of the climb was when we decided to stop for awhile, keep silent and turn of all our flashlights to appreciate the company, the stillness and the beauty of our surroundings. We saw about 5 lingering shooting stars during our trek.
This could be a once in a lifetime thing. Relish it, squeeze it 'til you get to the core then milk it for all it's worth.It was a real "I love you, man" moment. Hahaha

After about 2 hours of walking, you'll begin to notice the strong smell of sulphur. Now's the time to put on that gas mask and some goggles if you have sensitive eyes. *It hurts. If it gets too much to bear, drop down and stay close to the ground until it clears up (just a few seconds). Bear it because shortly after, you'll arrive here.

PICK A SPOT AND SET UP CAMP!

There's a nice forest-y patch that's great for catching the sun peep through the awe-inspiring mountain ranges of East Java.





On one side you'll see this:

On the other, this: A bird's eye view of Ijen's world famous sulphur lake!

DID YOU KNOW THAT: Ijen's one-kilometer wide caldera is the largest and most acidic lake in the world? The high concentration of metals is what turns the water into this gorgeous shade of turquoise blue!

I had to edit because it gets pretty foggy up here. If you'd like a good picture with less fog, they say it's best to stay 'til around 10am.

Far off in the distance, you will get to witness THE MOST SPECTACULAR PINK SUNRISE I HAVE EVER SEEN!

The photos don't do it justice. It just creeps up on you.

I spotted it slowly with one little groggy eye and couldn't help but shout and call out to my friends so they could see it too! It's pink and turquoise laced with fog, branches and mountains. 

It WAS so B E A U T I F U L !!!! ♡

Just layers upon layers upon layers of magnificent mountains!

The thing about IJEN is that you might have to choose between catching the sunrise or the blue flames because they only last 'til around 5am. It takes an hour to walk down to the crater and another to make your way up so catching both might be a bit of a hurdle unless you maybe leave a bit earlier or hike faster. We chose the sunrise. I've no regrets.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SUNRISE, TAKE PHOTOS THEN HEAD FURTHER UP!

ps. If you come across some miners along the way, please step aside and give them the right of way. They usually carry upwards of 60kg worth of sulphur on their shoulders.

The "TAXI" I was talking about earlier.

After a short walk, YES! Short! ヽ(・∀・)ﾉ

You'll finally reach the summit. Brace yourself for one of the MOST MAGNIFICENT VIEWS IN THE WORLD!

Being at the top of Ijen is like being in different places at once. The terrain is diverse everywhere you look. It just takes a few steps to cross from one to the other.

On the opposite side of the crater is this area which looks like a natural collection of picnic tables.

We sat here to rest and enjoy a sandwich!

ps. please be mindful of your litter.

HEADING DOWN IS AN EXPERIENCE IN ITSELF!

Because we made our way up while it was pitch black, the scenery on the trail down was a wonderful surprise.

ON WHY OUR GUIDE LEFT US BEHIND...

Yes he did. Not saying he didn't try.

He really tried his best to pry us away from the top BUT it to was just too gorgeous to resist. WE COULD NOT STOP TAKING PHOTOS. We took photos 'til our friend ran out of battery and the other run out of memory. We took photos 'til we realized oh shit, our 4x4 was about to leave us behind!

(⊙_⊙)

We headed quickly back to base camp, but I still managed to steal a couple more shots along the way!

This is what the inside of the mountain looks like! 

W O W!

(´♡‿♡`)

Also spotted a couple of Belgian campers along the way...looks straight out of Kinfolk don't you think?

I'm not sure if camping is allowed on the mountain actually but maybe if it's just a few hours it's okay. I certainly would't recommend to couch potatoes. You will not be able to handle the extra weight!!! Just bring some snacks.

So the question is...

 IS IJEN WORTH THE CLIMB??? 

AND THE PAIN AND THE TEARS?

photo by @jelitodeleon

 

*** OMG, YASSSSS!!!! ***

♡＼(￣▽￣)／♡
please add to your bucketlist!

To pass on the drama, st0p reading beyond this point.

This was my first time to hike anything. Yes I like to travel, go to the beach, etc. but I am just a city girl. An out of shape city girl who likes to drink and stuff. I was not prepared for this climb and I was dead scared. But like I said many times before, what I love about these familiarization trips is that they push you to try things you wouldn't normally dare do. I wouldn't suggest to hike a freakin' active volcano for a holiday. No. Same is true with my para gliding stint in Bali awhile back. I wouldn't normally do those things but after everything, I am so thankful I was given the chance to experience it. These are priceless memories I will cherish forever. Even more so than my bag collection - HAHA. But seriously, yes. While up there on the mountain in the darkness, with only trees and friends surrounding me, time stood still. Everything became clear. It was so peaceful I could hear my thoughts. I have never felt such peace within myself. It didn't just make me realize what truly matters, it made me believe in it. And I think the only way to live a good life is to keep on pushing, to keep on experiencing these things so we are reminded of what living is really about. I am truly #blessed.
 (/￣ー￣)/~~☆’.･.･:★’.･.･:☆


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Good luck and may the force be with yoU!

***FOR MORE INFO ON INJEN AND BANYUWANGI, CLICK HERE

***FOR TOUR PACKAGES, JUST SEARCH GOOGLE FOR "IJEN TOUR"

HOPE YOU ENJOYED READING MY COUCH POTATO'S GUIDE TO HIKING IJEN CRATER!