Rinjani, Batur, Merapi, Semeru, Bromo

Java, Bali (Indonesia), part II

By Martin Rietze, organized by Chris Weber, (Aug/Sept. 2005)

in deutsch


SEMERU SUMMIT

 

Instead of a triangle an inverse shadow was shown luckily. This inverse shadow was standing upset down in the sky. The reason was the expanded eruption cloud in the height. To get the chance for another eruption I visited the summit again with Chris. But the position on the rim was too dangerous because of the broad strewed ejected bombs. (There have been several reports of fatal injuries in the closer area at this point). In this case the directly view to the funnels was not able, but an impressive impact was loudly heard in a very close range.

       

BROMO, TENGGER

After finishing the trekking at Semeru the Tengger caldera was observed. The Bromo crater was circled twice times by me whereby a red glowing couldn’t be seen. 

    

         

KAWA-IJEN

At the 8.27.2005 the trip was going on to the volcano Kawah Ijen. After a night in the coffee plantations the ascend ended in a terrible surprise. The whole crater was filled with a dense SO fog. After waiting for hours the crater area cleared up for half an hour. All photographers seemed to be happy now? The descent to the lake and the sulphur sources was following. In this mine the local worker are carrying boulders up to 100 kg. Remarkable was the pappy and oversaturated sulphur flame in combination with the tropping material. 

  

BATUR

Finishing this cumulative yellow excursion, the volcanos of Bali were my intended objects for the next two weeks. After a good bye trip with the group over the volcano Batur by crossing the respectable caldera, my following route was straight on to Lombok.

     

Here a four-day trekking was started in the afternoon from the village Senaru crossing the accreted virgin forest. Although the eruption from autumn 2004 was extincted totally I want to advice that this was tour of great impression.

 

   

RINJANI & SUMMIT

The next day our way was crossing the rim with a spectacular view to the second highest mountain on this archipelago with its crater see and the outstanding cinder cone. By having a hard ascend over the fluffily material an impressive sunrise was accompanied with an uncomfortable clamminess which was standing in contrast to the warm sea climate. Fortunately you don’t have to change films by using the digital camera, otherwise you will get in monster trouble with the material. In addition to the ugly coldness, I have to remark that I wasn’t able to change films anyway because of my stiffy fingers. After leaving the high-camp, I met my guide a few hundred meters below. He stopped at this point fearing the frost bite.  

On the next day we walked down to the new cinder cone. This way wasn’t used for month but the circuit and ascent of the cone was more impressive as expected. From there you can enjoy the see view and walls of the caldera. Ending this volcano tour by jumping into a ‘Gump’n’ (Bavarian word for a small deep water pool), I returned back to Bali on a so called soul vendor. The only alternation on this ferry boat was the nice view through the grid holes in the ship planks onto the fantastic island world.

  

GUNUNG- AGUNG

In the last days the culture was standing in the foreground. But for a volcano interested person like me it is hard to say ‘no’ to an ascent of the mighty volcano Gunung Agung. Starting the ascent at 1:30 on the south side of the Agung you come very fast to the awareness that you’ll reach the lowest level of the crater. By asking the guides how to reach the main summit, the answer was straightly ’impossible’. The locals prefer to sit mainly on the miserable edge. Ok, I decided to circle the summit by my own. By climbing endless rock needles I was observing the sunrise on a more or less minuscule jag. After sunrise the 360 degree hike ended successfully by crossing countless rocks, dumps and pillars…….

A faithful request for my part. If somebody did circled this crater edge completely I would be curiously interested of his impressions.

At the 9.10.2005 the journey ended with the back flight to Munich

back to part I 

 

Etna    Stromboli    Volcano world    Cinema

From Etna to Stromboli     Planets & Space

 ©photos & text by  Martin Rietze; Translation & Web Th. Böckel ,last modification 2.12.2005


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