It was meant to be a getaway trip, one for us to unwind and stay far away from work. It did more than that. It brought lots of fun and laughter, and us closer to each other, and nature.
Mt Rinjani is situated east of Bali on the island of Lombok. It is an active volcano with a beautiful crater lake in its centre and rises to 3,726m, making it the second highest volcanic peak in Indonesia.
Our trek up Rinjani was tougher than I thought. We started from Sembalun Lawang, up to the crater rim where we would attempt the summit push the following day.
Our guide woke us up at 2am, shortly after we managed to snooze a little amidst the sound of the howling wind. By 3am, we were on our way up. In the dark, all we felt was cold, strong wind and not much of the height. It was only towards day break that the realisation of how high we were set in. When our guide told us that we were about 100m from the summit, we decided to turn back as the wind was way too strong.
Without of the pressure of conquering the summit, the trek became more enjoyable and lighter. Trotting down towards the lake was a rather “calculated” experience. Because of the sharp turns and huge rocks, one tends to be extra careful.
The lake is beautiful and that camp site was the most scenic. With mountains towering over us and a lake right in front, we enjoyed the luxury of the hot spring and barbequed fish fresh from the lake.
Other than being impressed by the porters who helped us redefine what physical abilities and limits a man ought to have, one other thing got into my head. The attempt up to the summit brought this up very clearly: everything and everyone has a place in life. In the dark, we were relying on everything and anything that’s there to help us stabilise, whether it’s grass, a piece of rock or just sand and gravel.
Trips like this one always give us the space and time to think about what has happened and what can happen. Since wallowing in self-pity is not exactly the best thing to do, we usually tend to work hard and then enjoy life to the most. Afterall, what really matters in the end is that we will always have our friends and family with us. Thank you all for a great trip, again.
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