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Climbing Rinjani, Indonesia – day 1

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Trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles

MOST groups on our itinerary camp on the 1st volcano ridge day 1. Our guide offered us the chance to descend 3 hours to camp at the lake, instead. Super tough 1st day — but we were all glad we did it.

We were up for the dawn. I added milk powder to my brutal black instant coffee.

Banana pancakes excellent, as always.

Driving up to the start at 600m we stopped for a blessing. An important tradition with the local Sasak people as well as Hindus.

Still clean and keen at the start.

They’ve had a lot of deaths on this mountain, the most recent June 2025.

Another died May 2025. Both from falls.

We each had to register with photo ID. The Gunung Rinjani National Park, established 1997, is trying to make this adventure safer — but they have a long way to go. It’s dangerous.

Our goal was the 1st crater rim — only 6.9km. Sounds easy until you calculate you need gain 2km in elevation over that short distance!

The start through jungle was relatively easy. THEN it got steep and challenging.

Wherever hikers might stop to eat, long-tailed macaques will be waiting.

These wild cousins are more worrisome than the ‘tame’, well-fed ones in the Monkey Forest, Ubud.

Breakfast !

We hiked into and out of clouds.

Crater rim beckons.

This — really — is the best vista on the hike. Crater lake Sagara Anak is huge, the colour unforgettable. The volcano’s eruption in 1257 is considered one of the most powerful global volcanic events of the last 2,000 years.

We were scheduled to set up our camp on the ridge here at 2,600m.

But we opted, instead, to hike down to the lake at 2000m, saving us 3-4 hours on day 2.

We all agreed to go for it.

OUCH …

That decent is awful and dangerous. I took no photos. We had to concentrate on every technical step.

It was a relief to finally get to the lake. This one of my toughest hiking days of all time.

We arrived just before dusk.

Alpenglow time.

Each group has their own toilet tent.

The alternative at major camps are these good looking public toilets. This one was filthy! But some are quite new. Fairly clean.

Major camps have emergency shelters. I don’t doubt they are used frequently. The trek is risky.

Our guide sent us to the hotsprings with one of the porters. Fantastic. A highlight of the entire trip.

Tim (tim_de_bruijn on Instagram) was a full-time social media manager for a major Dutch soccer team. He showed us fantastic photography tips on his iPhone, including these two. It was pitch dark at the hotsprings!