Rinjani

After 2h in Senggigi, one of Lombok beach, next to the island capital, Mataram, I started to get bored, so i booked a tour at the Rinjani Trekking Club. You can't miss its yellow color boards all along Senggigi main road.

The next morning, the RTC minibus took 5 trekkers from different Senggigi hotels to Bayan, a village at the start of the trek.

By chatting together between us, we noticed that nobody paid the same, 2 paid 1.5 mil Rp, another 1.2 mil, I paid 1 mil after bargaining, but anyway nobody was happy because the last trekker only paid 900k. All for transport, 3 days in the mountains, 2 nights with food, tents and sleep bag furnished. Not a bad deal.

The 1st day was spent climbing to the crater ridge, and we camped there, not going down near the lake [a pity according to my fellow trekkers because the water look so promising, they tried bribing the guide to no avail]. 

The second day was the most pleasant one, going down the cliff, swimming in the lake, enjoying  a hot spring bath at the local air panas, then going up almost 2h to camp at the Rinjani summit basecamp, which is full of silly monkeys. 

The Basecamp is really windy, so you re almost happy when the guide wakes you up at 1am for climbing the summit. The wind was even more crazy on the way up [100km/h], we couldnt even stand up, or see anything because sand was flying in our eyes, each step forward was followed by 2 steps backward.

Most of my trekking companions gave up around 5am, and stayed with the guide. I decided to go on with a german trekker, and we made it at 6am, a bit late for sunrise [see the pictures]. The Agung is clearly visible as well as the Rinjani shadow. View is stunning even if we couldnt really stand up, we had to crouch our way to the top!

We went down as fast as we could to find the group waiting for us in the wind!!!! all freezing as they didnt move for 1h30, then we all went down for a "brunch" at basecamp. Only bananas, thanks RTC, it's cheaper, huhhh

We were all already totally exhausted, but our day was not finished because we still had to go down to Sajang on the main road which makes a loop around the Rinjani. The trail was nice through tall yellow grass but we were unable to enjoy it.

I still think that Rinjani is better in 4 days / 3 nights to enjoy more the crater lake area which is fabulous, and also the fish looked so nice there, even though we didnt taste it. It was a shame.

Go there by yourself, hire a porter, but no need RTC!!!!