Dani from Terantara, Posing with Sarah Group from Australian Embassy and AUSID
Dani from Terantara, Posing with Sarah Group from Australian Embassy and AusAID

 

 

Mount Gede trekking must have been the most sought activity for nature enthusiasts who happen to visit West Java. The mountain area is in close proximity to Jakarta which enables us to visit during the weekend. Like our guests on this occasion, which is a group of women from the Australian Embassy and AusAID in Indonesia. Considering that most of them were beginner-level in hiking and living around Jakarta, mount Gede is the perfect choice.

Terantara itself has been operating since 2013 (previously known as Teras Nusantara) and we are open to partnership. This trip for instance, was in partnership with Equator Indonesia. We delivered full services which consisted of hiking preparation, arrangement, shuttle service, porter, English-speaking ecotour guide, camping equipment, and meals.

About Mount Gede

Mount Gede is located within Taman Nasional Gunung Gede Pangrango (TNGGP) area. The mountain has an elevation of 2958 meters above sea level and is quite popular among tourists. TNGGP is visited by around 160 thousand people per year, of which at least 60 thousand are trekking Mount Gede. Mount Gede has many points of interest other than the peak and the craters. It has a beautiful lake, waterfall, and wonderful biodiversity along the track. See our ultimate guide about Mount Gede and Pangrango.

Mount Gede Trekking

Our guests chose to use their own transport and we met at the mountain base. We had breakfast first and started hiking from Gunung Putri despite Cibodas being the most popular route. This is because if we are going up from Gunung Putri, we would camp at Alun-Alun Surya Kencana. Surya Kencana is an open area with beautiful scenery, and edelweiss field, giving a lasting experience.

 

Unfortunately, we were later caught in a sudden and heavy rain. The weather in the mountains, as we know, is unpredictable. It might change from sunny to rainy in a nick of time. Thankfully we were well-trained, able to handle the situations well, and managed to keep the group’s morale high.

The next day we got up early and started hiking by 8 A.M. We reached the summit by 9 A.M. and had breakfast there. We stayed for a while to take in the scenery while enjoying the morning breeze.

 

After that, we went down through Cibodas route. Personally, we love this route because there were many incredible spots to enjoy along the way. On this route, we will experience the thrill of trekking through the stream of hot water. We can also enjoy the beautiful scenery of Telaga Biru on our way back to the mountain base. The sun was bright and the journey was fun. We finally reached Cibodas gate by 5 P.M.

 

From this experience, we know that hiking is not always rainbow and butterflies. Sometimes there are challenges and difficulties that we have to deal with. In this case, the sudden and heavy rain. But despite all the challenges, people keep coming back to nature. The allure lies in the rewarding experience of conquering obstacles, enjoying nature’s beauty, and finding personal fulfillment in reaching the summit. If you are in for some adventure, entrust your trip with us.