An Active Volcano... A Mountain Goat... and Me! (Part 1)

These Indonesian guys were cheering us to the top!

Last month I had the opportunity to climb Gunung Merapi ("api" = fire in Indonesian), which is an active volcano near where we live.  This is my account of the trip.

I was still in the process of waking up as Donovan and I walked to the international school in the cool early morning air.  The sun wasn't even awake yet, but there we were with bags strapped to our backs filled with sunscreen, water, snacks, and a few other items.  Our crew of five had planned to leave the school parking lot as close to 4:30 as possible, that would hopefully give us a good early morning start on the volcano.

The road there was a bit rough in some sections and going was slow, but after about an hour of travel we finally arrived at the base of the volcano.  As soon as we got out of the car I was struck by a weird sensation that I hadn't felt in quite some time!  It took me a second to figure it out as my brain strained to recall memories of experiencing this same sensation before.  Finally my brain did it's job and I realized that I was cold! Not just cold, as in the day we got out of school for a snow day, but I was so cold that I was actually shivering and wishing I had brought a jacket of some sort.  The low laying fog and the slighty higher elevation both contributed to me being the coldest I have been since being in Indo.  It was great!

So then it was time to start up the Mountain.  Bill and I actually started out at quite a fast pace, I think it was because we were just so excited to finally be climbing Merapi.  We eventually slowed down and let Sid, one of the more experienced hikers in the group take the lead and he set a good pace.  Now I'm not quite sure what I expected to see within the first few hundred meters of the hike, but I can tell you I saw some amazing things.

It was still extremely foggy as we continued up the mountain and it was out of this fog that these amazing things would come and disappear while you were left thinking "WHAT!?!" or maybe a "NO WAY!!"  These amazing things were the Indonesians that we saw along the way.  There were groups of women with huge baskets strapped to their backs carrying veggies or some other goods up and down the mountain.  I mean some of them had to be carrying at least 30+ pounds in these baskets and every time we stopped to take a break at least one group of these tiny women would appear out of the mist, acknowledge us, then disappear into the mist further ahead.  Not to be outdone by the women, we saw one man practically running down the mountain while balancing a log on his head!! I mean this wasn't just a piece of wood he was carrying, this man had to use his outstretched arms to steady this massive log on  his head while he jogged down.  When he needed to come down the same path we were ascending,we had to step off the path so he, and his log, could pass.  I was impressed-to say the least!

From checkpoint #1: Pic of #2, #3, & summit

Along the way there were three check points and from each check point you get a quick peak at the summit before continuing on.  As we hiked from checkpoint to checkpoint there were a lot of transitions in scenery and atmosphere.  Starting at the base as we hiked we noticed a lot of terraced gardens growing various types of crops.  Everything was green and lush and the sides of the mountain were covered in a tall bright green grass just waiting for the next herd of cattle to come along.  As we rose in elevation and advanced from checkpoint to checkpoint you occasionally had the chance to view the area around the mountain.  Clearly visible were the mountains surrounding Gunung Merapi, we could also see the small towns and villages that seemed to spread into one another, then there were the vast "sawahs" where incredible amounts of rice are grown and harvested from the fertile volcanic soil each year.  There was one other thing that constantly kept changing as we slowly conquered more and more of the mountain, the temperature and the visibility.  All morning we hiked in and out of clouds.  These clouds produced great delight and then at times great frustration.  As we hiked through the clouds the temperature was perfect, it was cool with a slight damp feel and the sun had no way of finding us.  But just as the sun couldn't find it's way to us, we couldn't see our way out of it very well, so I kept feeling a little deprived of the incredible views I just knew I was missing.

Summit from the last check point-just wait!

Finally as we neared the third checkpoint, the last before the summit, we emerged from the forest and continued the rest of the way on terrain that can be best described in one word which I will steal from J.R.R. Tolkien, "Mordor!" It really was a labyrinth of razor sharp rocks and I still have a hole in the knee of my pants to prove it.  The entire top of the mountain had been completely, and naturally, renovated last year when Merapi erupted, leaving nothing but razor sharp rocks and ash covering the top.  It was just slightly dangerous!

So what happens next?  Check in soon, to find out more.

to be continued.....