Amidst the towering peaks of Sumatra, Gunung Kerinci stands as a formidable challenge for adventurers seeking the thrill of conquering Indonesia’s highest volcano. Embarking on this journey during the rainy season added an element of unpredictability, turning a trek into an adventure filled with surprises, wildlife encounters, and breathtaking views.
Day 1: Into the sky with Footprints Indonesia Adventure Travels
Around 8 in the morning after a big plate filled with delicious but spicy nasi goreng we set off from the quaint village of Kersik Tuo. The first 20 minutes we jumped into the back of a small car that dropped us of at the entrance gate from the national park. From this point at around 1.750 MASL, armed with excitement and rain gear, the jungle welcomed us with its vibrant hues and the chorus of unseen creatures. My guide, a local from the Kerinci province led me through a maze of lush vegetation. We started early morning so we could reach shelter 3 at 3.300 meters before the afternoon rains. Sandy, my guide told me it should be around 7 to 8 hours to get to our camping side.
After the easy first 30 minutes where the forest is beautiful but not going up so much, we reached camp 1. From here it goes up and the trail gets more challenging, climbing over roots from the trees, holding yourself for balance at the branches and trees. All this with the amazing jungle sound from crickets, cicada’s, birds, and monkeys. Some Thomas’s langur monkeys swung from tree to tree, escaping from us guests in their territory. Their playful antics as a reminder of the untamed beauty surrounding us. The dripping canopy overhead created a magical ambiance, turning the forest in a giant umbrella, protecting us from the light rain that has had started but luckily also vanished again soon.
At shelter 1 at around 2.300 meters hight we had a welcome lunch with ‘nasi bungkus’ the Indonesian term for rice, veggies, egg and tofu take away. From here on it is another 3 to 4 hours climb to our campsite and it was good to take some rest and recharge for the second part of the day.
Mount Kerinci has 3 different campsites starting from shelter 1, shelter 2 and shelter 3. Shelter 1 and 3 are best for camping with drinking water close by. Most people skip shelter 2, it’s a bit smaller and clean drinking water is a bit further away. My guide told me that during the peak days around 500 people go up to the summit (for information about best time to go, contact Footprint Indonesia). During these days even shelter 2 is crowded with tents.
From shelter 1 to shelter 2 the terrain became more challenging, the route up is following a small stream normally bringing the rainwater down from the mountain. Sometimes the route was very narrow and steep, but even though my back felt more heavier after 5 hours walking, I kept thinking how amazing this trail was, imagen doing such a cool trek in my home country in the Netherlands. The highest mountain/ hill in my country is 322 meters above sea level and it takes a bike ride and a short walk to get there.
At shelter 2 it started to rain a bit and I put on my raincoat while waiting for Sandy who was carrying around 18 kg up, our tent and small stove to cook a meal and coffee or tea. When he arrived at the shelter we rested a bit and prepared for the last hour up to are camping place for the night, shelter 3.
As we ascended, the air became crisper, and the mist clung to the mountain like a shroud. Arriving at Shelter 3, nestled at 3,300 meters, the world below disappeared in a sea of clouds. The shelter, a open space for around 20 tents had enough places to find a spot away from the wind and a possible view on the summit when the clouds cleared away. Luckily after setting up camp and prepare for the night at 3.300 meters the view on the summit opened up. The panoramic views were nothing short of breathtaking. The rain-soaked landscape below was transformed into a mystical realm, shrouded in mystery and beauty. The weather, though challenging, added a layer of drama to the experience, turning every glimpse into a frame from a surreal painting.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, we retreated to our tent and settled in for hopefully some hours of sleep. The alarm was set on 4 am so we had time for a small breakfast before the last 2 hours to the summit. The night sky, free from the city lights, unveiled some stars twinkling and giving good hope for a dry summit push. The temperature dropped, and the cozy confines of the tent provided refuge from the chill. Sandy was freezing and was laying in his sleeping bag with two jackets and his gloves on, for me it was oke, cold but with a thermos shirt and my cap on ready to sleep.
Day 2: to the summit and slippery road down
The night was long, did not get a lot of sleep caused by heavy rain and wind all night. My guide, Sandy, slept well and after making the decision to get to the summit he started making breakfast. We had our doubts to go up because it kept on raining till 4.30 in the morning but after it stopped, we were confident we could get up to the highest point from Sumatra.
The early morning ascent to the summit tested our endurance, but the promise of witnessing a possible sunrise and reaching the the highest point in Sumatra fuelled our determination. The climb to the summit from shelter 3 is quit tough, you can feel the altitude climbing towards 3800 meters and the route is covered by small rocks, slippery rocks, big rocks to step over but step by step getting closer to the top. I reached the summit after 1,5 hours steady climbing and Sandy arrived 20 minutes later, he was going easy knowing that we also had to go down all the way today. The view on the summit was on and off beautiful. Clouds were playing and kept the sunrise out of sight. Standing on top of this beautiful volcano, in one of the last large rainforests on earth made me humble and honoured to stand here. Proud that I pushed myself for another adventure in Indonesia, far from comfort and easy travels. Happy I could do this and enjoy the landscape, nature, forest and being a guest in the forest, home to beautiful animals and guest in the kingdom of the Sumatran tiger.
With Sandy we took some pictures for our memory before heading down to our tent again for a cup of coffee. Because the raining season the change of a sunrise on the summit is small, but for me the reward of standing there, taking a moment for myself was enough. A moment on the summit from Gunung Kerinci I will not easily forget and gives me motivation to explore more and keep on making adventures for myself and others.
Descending from the summit gave some beautiful views on the top, the sky cleared up for some moments and the volcanic terrain showed itself to us. The highest 500 meters from the mountain are covered in a red kind of dirt on the rocks and no plants grow anymore till the summit. This gives the mountain a special glance in the sun. According to Sandy this is caused by the volcanic activity a bit more than 10 years ago, before that the mountain was till the summit covered with vegetation.
At shelter 3 we started packing and cleaning up our area. The rest places are dirty and plastic from the last couple of climbing are visible. Sandy and I talked a lot about the pollution at the mountain and the laziness from many people coming up but not taking their rubbish down. We took our rubbish down in bag and handed it off at the registration post in the village Kersik Tuo. Guides are obligated to do so but during peak season it seems many people think taking the rubbish down is to much of an effort.
Just as we finished taking the tent down it started raining and we decided to quickly pack everything and climb slowly, steady, and careful down to shelter 1 for a second breakfast or early lunch with coffee. The trail following the stream down turned into a stream of rainwater going down and in 15 minutes we where socked, only keeping our bags dry with a rain jacked and bag cover.
It was a big adventure, it was hard taking care not to slip to much and keeping the concentration not to go fast and for every step making sure my shoes and hands had grip somewhere before taking the next step. After 2 hours going down we reached shelter 1 and took a break from the rain. Shelter 1 has the only actual shelter still standing so it gives cover from the rain in cases like ours. After a delicious meal with noodles and egg, topped of with some tasty Indonesian coffee we went back into the rain and walked straight down to the entrance gate. After this trek going down I know and understand the meaning of rain forest better, it was beautiful but I was relieved that we made it down without any damage to ourselves or our gear. Pito, a friend from Sandy and organizer from my trip picked us up in his care and we drove back the village of Kersik Tuo and dropped of our rubbish and signed out so the national park guards know we came down safely.
At the village of Kayu Aro we had our second lunch together and shared our experiences. Sandy was so hungry he ate two full plates of rice and fried chicken at the local ‘warung ayam lalapan’ (small restaurant that serves fried chicken).
The trip up and down to Gunung Kerinci, trough the national park “ Teman Nasional Gunung Kerinci Seblat” was amazing, and with help from Sandy and Pito I was able to complete this adventure in Sumatra. The conditions in the rainy season made it hard but possible, I suggest, if possible, go up in the dry season so the sunrise at the summit is even more rewarding than it was now for me. But walking in the rainforest, challenging myself made this trip an amazing experience. The encounters with monkeys, the symphony of birds, and the awe-inspiring views from Shelter 3 created memories that will forever be etched in my heart. For me this trip was an endorsement that I want to make more adventures and make this possible for others. Adventure awaits those who dare to tread its trails.
I am happy to share more of this trip with you if you are interested or just want to know more about Footprints Indonesia Adventure Travel and the trips we organize.
Gunung Kerinci, in all its rainy season glory, had proven to be a journey of resilience, testing our physical limits and rewarding us with the untamed beauty of the rainforest.
