ART OF THE JOURNEY

Mt Rinjani Day 1

Richard Whillas

Posted on November 20 2015

We began our trek at the registration centre at 1500ft, taking a narrow path to a gentle, rolling savannah with views of the volcano and the summit we would be on top of at 6am the next morning. The incline steadily increased and the reality of the trek became obvious - it was only going to get tougher. 

One of the things that kept my mind off the intense walk up was one of the the most mind blowing things I have witnessed - watching the porters. Balancing up to 60kgs on a narrow stick, the thin, wiry locals not only beat us to the camp site but they did it in flip flops. While chain smoking. In the rain.

Pushing past pain barriers we made it to the crater rim before sunset and it was magic - it looked and felt as though we are above the clouds. The camp site that was setup nearby was a warm welcome after the day's walk and even though we put in a good effort during the day it became clear that reaching the summit would be something else.

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