Volcano Hunting in Indonesia by Motorbike

We woke up up at 01:00, in the dark, with the entire Milky Way galaxy cluster above us, packing only a torch, a small snack, and water. We made our way to an incline so steep that it might as well have been a wall. But waking up in the dead of night, the intense climb, and the cold was worth it. The stars were absolutely brilliant, the sunset was beyond gorgeous, and the views at the summit were phenomenal. Indonesia is home to countless volcanoes, each with their own unique attributes.

Hiking volcanoes in Indonesia is an experience like no other. And traveling by motorbike makes it even more thrilling. In addition to climbing some of the most beautiful mountains, and witnessing eruptions, I camped on various beaches, befriended strangers, both local and foreign, and stumbled upon small villages and communities. Indonesia is home to countless volcanoes, each with their own unique attributes.

Merbabu

Starting off with by motorcycle in Yogyakarta, I drove a few hours North to where I hiked Merbabu. The trek was moderately difficult, but hiking through the clouds and seeing the views at the top was more than worth it. I made many locals along the way and at the top. This was not a touristy hike, so I never met any foreigners. I camped on one summit for the night, watching the stars. I woke up for sunrise, then headed over to another summit. The path to this summit was only climbing, with some exposure. There were many local hikers at the top. A group invited me to sit with them and we talked for awhile. Most of the group didn’t speak any English, but it was fun conversing as best we could. We had coffee, biscuits, and talked about other volcanoes in Indonesia. After awhile, I made my way back down, grabbed my motorbike, and headed East.

Pacitan

In between all of the strenuous hiking and climbing, were the more relaxing and peaceful times where you could just sit back on a bike and watch the scenery roll by. Driving through Java in Indonesia was full of mountainous areas, beach areas, and small villages. After Merbabu, I made my way towards Pacitan, a small beach and fishing town. I explored the nearby beaches and harbors, and then camped on the beach.

Semeru

After Pacitan, I made my way East again. Only this time, I went through the mountains, navigating the twists and turns or the broken, pothole-filled roads. The scenery was breathtaking. I made my way to Malang, and resupplied and prepared for my next hike, Semeru. In order to do this climb, I had to go to a hospital to acquire a medical health certificate saying that I am physically able to climb. Apparently, this is the most difficult, and tallest, climb in Java.

After picking up some clothes and food and spending the night in Malang, I hopped on my motorbike and headed to a small village, which is base camp for the climb. There I made friends with two Australian folks and their local tour guide. One of the folks was a volcanologist who mines rare metals from various volcanoes in Cambodia. And the other was a materials engineer living in Australia. We stayed at the same guest house and ended up hiking together.

The climb was three days, with a summit “attack” at the end. The first day of the hike was relatively easy, but with rewarding views everywhere. Locals set up shops along the way, with tofu snacks, fruit, and water for sale. We had lunch at a pristine lake with potable water, and camped just before the summit.

Summiting Semeru was easily my most difficult climb in Indonesia. On top of being steep, the slope of the volcano was unstable. You would slide back down with every step. But the night sky, and the thrill of adventure kept me going. As I made it to the top at around 04:00, a gigantic plume of smoke rose above me, followed by a light raining of ash and dust. I made it just in time to see a few eruptions at night. Semeru erupts about every 30 minutes. We saw the sunrise and stayed until the poisonous smoke forced us to head back down.

Heading down was my favorite part. You could ski down the slope and let the gravel carry you down. We made our way back to camp, packed up, and headed back to the lake to camp. In the morning, we made our way back to base camp, and then headed back to Malang.

Ijen

After Semeru, I went to Ijen which, in addition to being beautiful, is an active sulfur mine. We had to wear gas masks and be extra careful close to the mines. I watched as miners laboriously carried the bright yellow sulfur up and out of the crater.

Rinjani

One of my favorite hikes was Rinjani, a hike fairly similar to Semeru in terms of difficulty and summiting. However, the views were far superior. There is a lake-filled caldera on top of the volcano.

I hiked with a tour group, so we had porters to help us carry our food and camping gear. The first night, we camped along the edge of the crater rim, then at midnight, we attacked the summit. Getting to the top was strenuous, but worth it. We hiked back down, packed up camp, and then descended into the lake-filled crater. We went to a hot spring, had lunch by the lake, and then hiked back up to camp along the crater again.

Food and Supplies

While driving long distances by motorbike, you can’t pack much food, or anything else really. Luckily, there are family owned shops everywhere that sell many different types of food. I liked Soto Ayam (soup with chicken, vegetables, and rice) and Mie Ayam (chicken with noodles). You could also pick up gas conveniently, either at a less-common gas station or at a small shop that sells gas out of glass bottles.

Final Thoughts

Motorbiking in Indonesia, or another Southeast Asian country, is something I would recommend to anyone. It is such a wonderful way to get off the beaten path and meet people. I can’t wait until my next trip!