Climbing volcanoes in Indonesia

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The country is located where the Indo-Australian continental plate is moving under the Eurasian plate at a rate of about 6 cm per year. The volcanoes on the Indonesian islands are part of the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, a volcanic mountain range about 3,500 km long, marked on maps.n

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Climbing with professional guides

The best time for an excursion is considered to be before dawn. When the sun begins to rise, the sky is usually clear and the summit offers stu

ing views of the surrounding area. During the day, clouds prevent you from admiring the landscape. Climbing some mountains is impossible due to high volcanic activity.

Excursions to the craters of Indonesia leave an unforgettable experience. It is recommended to do them together with experienced guides, as many dangers await tourists along the way. A person who does not know the area is not able to assess them correctly. There are known cases where travelers died after falling into the crater.

The role of the “fire mountains” in the life of the local populatio

Volcanism has a special impact on the lives of Indonesians. They attribute magical functions to ancient geological formations and erected hundreds of large and small temples in their honor. Sacrificial ceremonies to demons and gods are regularly performed on their peaks. The list of Indonesian volcanoes that erupted at least once during the Quate ary period (anthropocene) includes 144 mountains. They are located on islands such as:

  • Greater Sunda: Java, Sulawesi, Sumatra.n
  • Moluccan: Tidore, Kayoa, Damar, Bachan, Banda, Halmahera, Te ate, Gunungapi, Makian, Manuk, Mare, Nila, Teun, Serua, Damar, Moti.n
  • Lesser Sunda: Bali, Sumbawa, Batu Tara, Flores, Adonara, Lembata, Palu, Lombok, Sangeang, Pantaria.n
  • Sangir: Sangir, Ruang, Sio.n
  • Togian: Una-Una.n
  • Krakatoa. Volcanic ash makes the soil on the islands extremely fertile. Local residents harvest 3 rice crops a year. About 70% of the land is used for agriculture.

Agung

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The highest Balinese stratovolcano of conical shape, a symbol of the mythical Mount Meru - the center of the universe. Its name translates as “majestic mountain.” Indonesians have long considered Agung sacred. On the southweste slope, at an altitude of about 900 m, even before the appearance of Hinduism on the island of Bali, there was a sanctuary. Later, on this site, the Hindus built the luxurious Pura Besakih temple to honor Shiva and the spirits of their ancestors, which has survived to this day. The Agung volcano was visited a

ually by a huge number of travelers from all over the world. Tours were offered by different agencies. However, today excursions are prohibited, since the stratovolcano woke up again in 2017. The last explosion occurred on July 2, 2018. A column of ash rose to a height of 2 km, and hot lava spread over the same distance. In the 19th century, Gunung Agung awakened three times. The natural disaster of 1963 took the local population by surprise, as they were preparing for the religious festival of Eka Dasa Rudra. Some villages were completely destroyed, killing about 1,600 people.

Batur

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An active volcano separated by a valley from Agung. A third of its crater collapsed in 2000 after ash erupted and a series of small explosions. Between November 2009 and November 2010, the number of earthquakes increased significantly and authorities declared an increased alert level. The last powerful explosions, according to scientists, occurred more than 30 thousand years ago. Many legends and myths are associated with the frequently awakening volcano Batur in Bali. In its crater a lake 100 m deep formed - Danau Batur. The Balinese believe that goddesses live in the reservoir, often shrouded in mystical fog. The list of attractions of the Batur volcano also includes: - Tregnan village with an unusual ancient cemetery. Situated on the easte shore of the lake. The dead are not buried here, but are covered from above with a hut made of bamboo.n - Pura Ulun Danu Batur Temple at the foot.n - Two hot springs. In the thickets on the slopes of the crater live monkeys who wake up at dawn. Climbing Mount Batur is only possible with a guide.

Ije

  • Official name: Kawa Ijenn
  • Type: stratovolcanon
  • Height: 2799 mn
  • Climbing difficulty: mediumn
  • Last eruption: 1999n
  • Location: Java, East Javan
  • Coordinates: 8°04′ S. w. 114°16′ E. d.
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Volcanic complex in the easte province of Java, located in close proximity to the Raung stratovolcano. Its main attraction is the Kawa Ijen crater lake, 75 km in diameter and 200 m deep, which geologists and mineralogists call the largest “vat of acid” on Earth. The turquoise color of the water is given by aluminum-potassium alum (more than 100,000 tons), sulfur, and gypsum. Its temperature ranges from +32 to +48 °C. Due to toxic sulfur fumes, climbing the Ijen volcano in Indonesia is sometimes impossible. The most active fumaroles are concentrated on the southeaste shore of the reservoir, next to which sulfur deposits up to 8 m thick have formed - the largest in the country. The temperature of the exhaust gases ranges from +190 to 240 °C. Since 1968, a sulfur mine has been operating here. In the 20th century, the Kawa Ijen volcano woke up several times. Dozens of workers were poisoned by gases released during eruptions. Kava is considered so unpredictable that the radius of the danger zone has been expanded to 8-10 km. An observatory was built on the southe slope of Mount Merapi, near the village of Jambu, which has been recording an increase in its activity since 1991.

Bromo

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The youngest and most famous composite volcano of the Tengger massif, stretching along the Sunda arc. Located in Indonesia's Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park. The name Bromo is derived from the name of the Hindu god Brahma. For Indonesian Hindus, especially the Tenggers, this mountain is an important pilgrimage site. According to legend, at the end of the 15th century, Princess Roro Anteng of the Majapahit Empire, together with her husband, founded their own principality - Tengger. It flourished, but the ruling couple was unable to have offspring. Then the couple climbed Bromo and asked the gods for help. They responded, but set one condition: to sacrifice the last child to them. Roro gave birth to 24 daughters and sons. When the last one, the 25th, was bo , she broke her promise to the gods, which caused their anger. Fire and brimstone erupted from Bromo's mouth until the child was finally thrown into it. When this happened, people heard a child's voice ordering them to hold an a

ual holiday at the Bromo volcano - Yadnaya Kasada. The custom is still observed by local residents. The main event is climbing to the top at night and making offerings to the gods.

Kelimutu

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A complex volcano near the small town of Moni. Tourists are attracted by the three crater lakes of Kelimutu, which change their color over many centuries. It ranges from black to turquoise, red-brown or green. Residents of Moni are sure that the souls of the dead move into reservoirs, and the color changes when they are angry. According to scientists, this phenomenon is associated with changes in the mineral content of water.

Names of Kelimutu reservoirs indicated on all tourist maps:

  • Tiwi Ata Mbupu - Lake of the Ancients,n
  • Tiwu Nua Muri Kooh Tai - Lake of Boys and Girls,n
  • Tiwu Ata Polo – Enchanted Lake. From the village you can climb the mountain on foot or by small minibus along a winding road. On either side of Kelimutu are the older peaks of Kelibara (2 km to the north) and Kelido (3 km to the south).

Krakatoa

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Volcano in the Sundai Strait, between the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra. One of the most dangerous in the world. Over the past 2 centuries, he has awakened several times. Powerful phreatic explosions recorded on August 27, 1883 caused a tsunami. As a result of the disaster, instead of one large island of Indonesia, three appeared: - Krakatoa,n - Panjang,n - Sertung. Despite the measures taken, almost all buildings on the nearby islands were destroyed, killing over 36,000 people. The consequences of the eruption were felt by residents all over the Earth. Currently, Anak Krakatoa (Russian: “Child of Krakatoa”) is active, which began to grow from an underwater caldera on the site of the destroyed mountain in 1927. December 2018 was marked by powerful explosions that caused a tsunami. 222 Indonesians died then. For security reasons, the authorities ba

ed the construction of houses within a radius of 3 km from the mountain.

Tambora

  • Official name: Tamboran
  • Type: stratovolcanon
  • Height: 2850 mn
  • Climbing difficulty: highn
  • Last eruption: 1967±20n
  • Location: Sumbawa, Nusa Tenggara Baratn
  • Coordinates: 8°14′43″ S. w. 117°59′34″ E. d.
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One of the highest peaks in Indonesia. In 1815, the force of the eruption of the awakened Tambora was 7 points on the scale of volcanic activity. The record set by Taupo in New Zealand about 26,500-22,500 years ago was only 1 point short. Precipitation in the form of ash fell on: - Bo eo,n - Sulawesi,n - Java,n - Moluccas. The natural disaster killed 71,000 people in Sumbawa and Lombok and caused global climate change, dubbed the “Year Without Summer.” Due to crop failure and high mortality among domestic animals, certain regions of the Northe Hemisphere were gripped by terrible famine. Seismologists and volcanologists in Indonesia are monitoring the activity of Tambora today. Biologists and archaeologists conduct their scientific research. In 2004, a team of volcanologists discovered a village buried in 1815 under a layer of ash near the crater, which they called “Pompeii of the East.” During excavations, human bones and artifacts were found. Archaeologists hope to find the remains of the Rajah's palace from the destroyed "kingdom" of Tambora.

Merapi

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One of the most active stratovolcanoes in the country and the most dangerous in the world. His twin brother is the extinct Ijen Merapi. The mountain is important to the people of Java Island: it is one of the four places where employees of the royal palaces in Yogyakarta and Surakarta a

ually perform sacrifices to pacify ancient spirits. The Javanese people believe that Merapi is home to an invisible kingdom whose ruler protects the inhabitants of the villages located around the mountain. At a high altitude before the 2010 eruption, there lived a spiritual guardian of the volcano named Mba Marijan. He served the Sultan of Yogyakarta and the spirits and demons of Merapi at the same time. According to the people of Indonesia, Mba could predict the behavior of the mountain. People, including the Sultan, listened to him more than to the advice of scientists. However, the custodian died on October 26, 2010 along with 15 other Hindus.

How to get there

Many “fire mountains” are indicated on the map of Indonesia. The easiest places to get to are those located in Bali, where planes fly from Moscow. To see the volcanoes of the island of Java (Kavu, etc.) and other regions of the Republic of Indonesia, you will have to additionally travel by water. A list of geological formations and information about them can be found in guidebooks. Balitourus offers excursions to the most popular of them.n