Travelling has become a huge passion and an important part of my life. And there is one special journey that I will never forget; a journey that changed entirely my perspectives of mental strength; a journey that pushed myself to go beyond my comfort zone and gave me genuine memorial experiences: my hike to the summit of Mount Rinjani, the second highest volcano in Indonesia.
Rinjani is an active volcano on the island of Lombok, next to the famous island of Bali. This volcano has acquired reputations for its spectacular, breathtaking landscapes and attracted thousands of trekkers each year. However, when I told my co-workers about my plan to hike Rinjani, only two agreed to join me. Most of my colleagues have never traveled overseas on their own before, so climbing a massive mountain in another country seemed a big challenge for them.
The three of us arrived at Lombok International Airport at around 8 pm, and our tour guide had been there, waiting to pick us up. He then drove us around 2 hours from the airport to a homestay where we stayed a night before the trek started. The guide spoke very good English and was a very nice guy. I could feel his enthusiasm when he told us funny stories about Indonesian life and culture.
On the first day of the hike, we were so excited with the volcano scenery and the three novice climbers indulged themselves in extremely panoramic scenes along the way; so much that they were late getting to the first camp. That night in the camp, our guides said we should not continue the ascent to the peak the following morning, especially me, the weakest member of the group. But at 2:00 am, we woke up, and the others began their climb to the top, and I was left behind. The guide told me that I should stay and wait for the next group, but there was something that made me go on.
The trail near the top was steep, windy and sandy. At the time I entered the last trail, the sun was gradually rising from the far horizon, revealing majestic views of Lombok island covered by the sea and the mouth of the volcano filled by a crystal blue crater lake. At higher altitude, the cold wind blew more severe and I felt like it cut my skin. I wore many layers of clothing but still wasn’t warm. I wound my scarf tighter around my head and walked on layers of rock with difficulty. I breathed slowly, trying to stay calm and not look down to the deep gorge below. I focused on my steps and counted one, two, one, and two.
I finally reached the summit on a cold morning in September 2017. The time I was on the last trail was probably the longest hours that I have experienced. But it was truly rewarding. When I got to the top, my mind was fully immersed in the spectacle of nature, coupled with a great sense of pride.
After the summit, we had two more days to descend and go through a tropical forest, but this time, I was the one who took the lead.
Trekking in Rinjani is not so difficult, even easy for some professional climbers, but it still gains the tremendous admiration of my heart. Although I had gone through the cold winter in Fansipan before, the hike in Rinjani really opened my eyes by its chill wind and difficult, steep trails. The hike taught me to persevere in pursuing my goals and chasing for what I love in all phases of life. It is one of those rare trips that gave me the feeling: “yeaaah I made it, I absolutely made it”. Definitely, this is one of the most memorable trips I have ever made for myself.
https://bachtrungphu.wordpress.com/
Rinjani is an active volcano on the island of Lombok, next to the famous island of Bali. This volcano has acquired reputations for its spectacular, breathtaking landscapes and attracted thousands of trekkers each year. However, when I told my co-workers about my plan to hike Rinjani, only two agreed to join me. Most of my colleagues have never traveled overseas on their own before, so climbing a massive mountain in another country seemed a big challenge for them.
The three of us arrived at Lombok International Airport at around 8 pm, and our tour guide had been there, waiting to pick us up. He then drove us around 2 hours from the airport to a homestay where we stayed a night before the trek started. The guide spoke very good English and was a very nice guy. I could feel his enthusiasm when he told us funny stories about Indonesian life and culture.
On the first day of the hike, we were so excited with the volcano scenery and the three novice climbers indulged themselves in extremely panoramic scenes along the way; so much that they were late getting to the first camp. That night in the camp, our guides said we should not continue the ascent to the peak the following morning, especially me, the weakest member of the group. But at 2:00 am, we woke up, and the others began their climb to the top, and I was left behind. The guide told me that I should stay and wait for the next group, but there was something that made me go on.
The trail near the top was steep, windy and sandy. At the time I entered the last trail, the sun was gradually rising from the far horizon, revealing majestic views of Lombok island covered by the sea and the mouth of the volcano filled by a crystal blue crater lake. At higher altitude, the cold wind blew more severe and I felt like it cut my skin. I wore many layers of clothing but still wasn’t warm. I wound my scarf tighter around my head and walked on layers of rock with difficulty. I breathed slowly, trying to stay calm and not look down to the deep gorge below. I focused on my steps and counted one, two, one, and two.
I finally reached the summit on a cold morning in September 2017. The time I was on the last trail was probably the longest hours that I have experienced. But it was truly rewarding. When I got to the top, my mind was fully immersed in the spectacle of nature, coupled with a great sense of pride.
After the summit, we had two more days to descend and go through a tropical forest, but this time, I was the one who took the lead.
Trekking in Rinjani is not so difficult, even easy for some professional climbers, but it still gains the tremendous admiration of my heart. Although I had gone through the cold winter in Fansipan before, the hike in Rinjani really opened my eyes by its chill wind and difficult, steep trails. The hike taught me to persevere in pursuing my goals and chasing for what I love in all phases of life. It is one of those rare trips that gave me the feeling: “yeaaah I made it, I absolutely made it”. Definitely, this is one of the most memorable trips I have ever made for myself.
https://bachtrungphu.wordpress.com/
