Mount Rinjani is an active volcano located in island of Lombok, Indonesia. It rises to 3,726 m, making it the second highest volcano in Indonesia. The most recent eruption of Mount Rinjani was on 3rd May 2009 (which was a couple of days after we came down from summit).

The 6 km by 8.5 km oval-shaped caldera is filled partially by a crater lake known as Segara Anak ('Child of the Sea') and is approximately 2000m above sea level and estimated at being around 200m deep). The 1990's eruptions have formed a small cone, Gunung Baru (or 'New Mountain' - approximately 2300m above sea level) in the center of the caldera.

Our trek program involved: Day 1: From Rinjani Trek Center to Senaru Crater Rim campsite Day 2: Trek down to Crater lake, then up to Sembalun Crater Rim campsite Day 3: Summit. Day 4: Trek to Sembalun Village.

We are a group of friends from Singapore whom went to trek Mount Rinjani together from 25th Apr 09 to 2nd May 09.

We booked land package directly with Lombok's tour agent (which include all land transfer 4D/3N climb package, Senggigi hotel stay and Gili day tour). The land package costs around S$300 each.

We also booked our own flight tickets (Silkair flies from Singapore directly to Mataram). For promotion tickets, some of us managed to acquire cheap fare at S$314 (excludes return airport tax around S$15).

Our group did go to Mount Kinabalu, Mount Ophir or even Nepal together. We did our own training (twice weekly 1.5hr trek session at our very own Bukit Timah) 3 months prior to the departure date.

Upon arrival at Senaru Village, there was a briefing by our tour agent in the first night. He highlighted that that despite Gunung Rinjani is lower than Mount Kinabalu in term of height; it is much tougher trek than Mount Kinabalu. Mount Rinjani (3726m) is Grade 4 while Mount Kinabalu (4095m) is Grade 2. Think we under estimate Gunung Rinjani and kind of didn't know what we weren't getting into. He also mentioned that Singaporean group is generally the slowest (with his years of experience guiding groups). That kind of made us worried but we had no choice except to press on.

He also changed our climb iternary (instead of the conventional trek from Semabalun and end at Senaru, we are doing the reverse). The reason he had given was there is better chance of reaching summit from Senaru... Well, I am still kind of not too convinced though till now...

It is indeed a much much tougher mountain to summit compared to Mount Kinabalu. Especially during the final summit ascend... The surface is covered with a thick layer of small gravels... you will slide one-a-half steps back with every three steps up...

It was one of the toughest climb I had come across... We took more than four hours to reach summit from Sembalun Crater Rim campsite that morning. But probably one of the most memorable and electrifying moment was when all 13 of us reached the summit. Some just because of sheer determination and with nerve of steel.

Well, probably we really prove these couple of points:

a) We might not be fast, but we made it to the Summit

b) It doesn't matter if you are slow, as long as you do not stop.

Enjoy!!!