Hiking to The Highest Ground of Java, Mount Semeru (2019)

How Much it Costs + Experiences

Hi, It's Medi!

This time I will tell you about the estimated cost + trip to Semeru from Jakarta. Bytheway, for more details, I went with my friends, so it's 6 person of us departed from Jakarta on April 21st 2019, and hiking on August 22nd-25th 2019. Actually, I didn't go home with my friends because I stayed in Malang for about 2 weeks, but just think that after getting down from Semeru, I immediately went back to Jakarta to make it easier).

(Okay, jadi kali ini aku bakalan kasih tau kalian tentang estimasi biaya + perjalanan ke Semeru dari Jakarta. Oh iya, untuk lebih jelasnya aku ber-6 dan berangkat dari Jakarta tanggal 21 Agustus 2019, dan untuk pendakiannya tanggal 22-25 Agustus 2019. Sebenernya pulangnya aku gak bareng temenku sih karena stay dulu di Malang kurang lebih 2 minggu, tapi anggep aja habis turun dari semeru aku langsung pulang ke Jakarta biar lebih gampang)

1. Estimated Costs (Estimasi Biaya)

So, I will tell you the estimated costs calculated from Jakarta-Malang round trip okay? the costs I mentioned are a general description of what I spent, calculated from the meeting point, so it is not include costs incurred from home, personal snacks, etc.

(Jadi, aku bakalan ngasih tau kalian estimasi biaya terhitung dari Jakarta-Malang PP ya, biaya yang aku sebutin ini adalah gambaran umum yang aku keluarkan, terhitung dari meeting point, jadi gak termasuk biaya yang dikeluarkan dari rumah, jajan pribadi, dll).

a. Train Ticket (Tiket Kereta)

So, I went there by Matarmaja train from Pasar Senen Station to Malang Station at a rate of Rp. 109,000,- one way, so for round trip it cost Rp. 218.000,- the train departs at 15:15 and arrives at 08:00 the next day.

(Jadi, aku naik Kereta Api Matarmaja dari stasiun Pasar Senen ke Stasiun Malang dengan harga Rp. 109.000,- sekali jalan, jadi untuk pulang pergi total Rp. 218.000,- kereta berangkat jam 15.15 dan sampe malang jam 08:00 pagi besoknya).

b. TNBTS's Conservation Area Entry Permit (Simaksi TNBTS)

So you have to book online on the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park website https://bookingsemeru.bromotenggersemeru.org/index/blog because the quota is limited to around 600 people/day. So if you want to stay 4 days in Semeru you have to book for 4 days. I took it from Thursday to Sunday and the total price is Rp. 81,000,- and the payment is transferred.

(Jadi kalian harus booking online ya di website Taman Nasional Bromo Tengger Semeru, https://bookingsemeru.bromotenggersemeru.org/index/blog Karena dibatesin kuotanya sekitaran 600 orang/hari. Jadi kalo kamu mau di semeru 4 hari harus booking untuk 4 hari. Aku ambil dari kamis-minggu dan total harganya Rp. 81.000,- dan bayarnya di transfer ya).

c. Round trip Accommodation from Malang Station-Ranu Pani

For accommodation from Malang Station I use ojek gunung services (not sponsors) because it is more practical, and a basecamp has also been provided in Pasar Tumpang. Bytheway, for the price is Rp. 250,000,- round trip.

(Untuk akomodasi dari Stasiun Malang ini aku pake jasa ojek gunung (it isn’t a sponsor) karena biar lebih praktis aja sih, dan udah disediain basecamp juga di pasar tumpang, Oh ya, for the price it cost Rp. 250.000,- PP.)

d. Logistics (Logistik)

For logistics, this is optional, but I spent Rp. 100,000,- per person for 4 days. If you don't know what logistics are, this is what the group needs to buy groceries, etc.

(Untuk logistik ini opsional sih, tapi aku ngeluarin Rp. 100.000,- per orang untuk 4 hari. Oiya, kalo kamu belum tau logistik ini kaya kebutuhan kelompok buat beli bahan makanan, dll).

So the total of general costs is Rp. 650,000,-

The estimated cost is clear, now we continue the journey starting from Malang Station.

(Jadi total pengeluaran umum Rp. 650.000,- Okay, untuk estimasi biaya udah clear ya, sekarang kita lanjut ke perjalanan di mulai dari Stasiun Malang).

DAY 1

a. Malang Station - Pasar Tumpang

For a trip from Malang station as I mentioned earlier, because I had used ojek gunung service, we were picked up from Malang Station to the base camp in Pasar Tumpang, the trip was ± 45 minutes.

(Untuk perjalanan dari Stasiun Malang, seperti yang udah aku mention tadi karena aku udah menggunakan jasa ojek gunung, kita di pick-up dari Stasiun Malang ke basecamp Pasar Tumpang, perjalanannya itu sekitar ± 45 menit).

b. Pasar Tumpang - Ranu Pani

Arriving at the base camp, I didn't go straight to Ranu Pani, I went to the basecamp first to take a shower, eat, buy some logistics, then repacked it. The trip from Pasar Tumpang to Ranu pani is ± 1.5 hours.

(Sesampainya di pasar tumpang aku gak langsung ke Ranu Pani ya, aku ke basecamp dulu buat mandi, makan, beli logistik yang kurang, terus packing ulang. Perjalanan dari Pasar Tumpang ke Ranu pani ± 1,5 jam).

Because I got there at 12.30 p.m. so the registration was closed due to a break and opened again at 1 p.m. Then after registered, you must follow the briefing to find out what can and cannot be done on Mount Semeru.

(Karena aku sampai sana jam setengah 1 siang jadi registnya tutup karena istirahat dan dibuka lagi jam 1 siang. Terus abis itu, regist dan wajib ikut briefing ya untuk tau yang boleh dilakukan dan yang tidak boleh dilakukan di Gunung Semeru).

c. Ranu Pani - Ranu Kumbolo

Okay so I started hiking from Ranu Pani at exactly 2 p.m., the journey from Ranu Pani to Ranu Kumbolo took ± 5 hours, because I started hiking at 2 p.m. so I arrived at Ranu Kumbolo at 7 p.m. because I had dinner on the track too.

(Okay jadi aku start pendakian dari Ranu Pani tepat jam 2 siang, perjalanan dari Ranu Pani ke Ranu Kumbolo memakan waktu ± 5 jam, karena aku baru start jam 2 siang dan sampai Ranu Kumbolo jam 7 malam karena makan malam di track juga sih).

Bytheway, the campsite is only allowed at 2 points, in Ranu Kumbolo and Kalimati. Because I arrived late at Ranu Kumbolo, so I didn't see anything haha. Then we immediately opened the tent, cleaned up, and went straight to sleep.

(Oiya, untuk tempat camp Cuma dibolehin di 2 titik ya yaitu di Ranu Kumbolo dan Kalimati. Karena aku sampai Ranu Kumbolonya malam, jadi gak keliatan apa apa haha. Terus kita langsung buka tenda, bersih-bersih, dan langsung tidur).

DAY 2

In the morning I swore to God that was the most beautiful sunrise in my life, Ranu Kumbolo is as good as people say. The sun appeared from the middle of the hill. Enjoy a cup of hot chocolate while looking at a very beautiful view, Perfect.

(Paginya, I swore to God that was the best sunrise in my life, Ranu Kumbolo bener-bener sebagus itu seperti yang diceritain orang-orang. Mataharinya muncul dari tengah bukit. Have a cup of hot chocolate while seeing a very beautiful view, Perfect).

At 8 am we start cooking for breakfast, then after that we cleaned and dismantle the tent to go to the second camp, Kalimati. Then after that do you know what to go through? Tanjakan Cinta!

(Jam 8 pagi, kita mulai masak untuk breakfast, terus abis itu kita beres-beres dan bongkar tenda untuk ke tempat camp yang kedua yaitu Kalimati. Lalu abis itu kalian tau lewatin apa? Tanjakan Cinta!)

d. Ranu Kumbolo - Tanjakan Cinta

Do you know the myth about Tanjakan Cinta? So the myth is that you have to think about someone, and you can't look back at all. It's really steep, and I hiked from Ranu Kumbolo to Tanjakan Cinta for ± 10 minutes

(Kalian tau mitosnya tanjakan cinta? Jadi, mitosnya kalian harus mikirin seseorang, dan kalian gaboleh noleh ke belakang sama sekali. Emang terjal banget sih, dan aku nanjak dari Ranu Kumbolo ke Tanjakan Cinta itu ± 10 menitan).

e. Tanjakan Cinta - Oro Oro Ombo

From Tanjakan Cinta we went down and arrived at Oro-Oro Ombo, Too bad I came here during the dry season so it was very barren. Usually, there are verbana flowers that are purple in color.

(Dari Tanjakan Cinta, turun lagi ke bawah dan sampe deh ke Oro-Oro Ombo, Sayang banget aku kesini pas lagi kemarau, jadi tandus banget. Seharusnya, ada bunga verbana yang warnanya ungu itu).

f. Oro-Oro Ombo - Cemoro Kandang

I arrived at 10:45 a.m., and stop by to buy watermelons! It's really good to eat watermelon at an altitude of 2,500 meters above sea level! After that we continued our journey to Kalimati, but previously we passed Jambangan first which was 3 km from the Cemoro Kandang.

(Aku sampai jam 10.45, dan berenti sebentar buat beli semangkaaa! Enak banget makan semangka di ketinggian 2500 mdpl! Abis itu kita lanjut lagi buat ke Kalimati, tapi sebelumnya lewatin Jambangan dulu, jaraknya 3 km dari cemoro kandang).

g. Cemoro Kandang - Jambangan

From Cemoro Kandang to Jambangan it took 2 hours, I arrived at 12.45 p.m. From Jambangan you can see the view of Mahameru! and there's Edelweiss too! we are getting more enthusiastic to go to Kalimati to open the tent and eat!

(Dari Cemoro Kandang ke Jambangan ngabisin waktu 2 jam, aku sampe jam 12.45. Dari Jambangan, udah keliatan view Mahameru! dan ada Edelweiss jugaaa! Jadi makin semangat buat ke Kalimati buat buka tenda dan makan!)

h. Jambangan - Kalimati

From Jambangan, we still have to walk 2 km to get to Kalimati, but the road is going downhill! I arrived in Kalimati at 1.13 p.m., so ± 30 minutes from Jambangan, after that we opened the tent, ate and rested because at 1 am we will summit to Mahameru!

(Dari Jambangan masih harus jalan 2 km lagi buat sampe ke Kalimati, tapi jalannya turunan kok! Aku sampe Kalimati jam 13:13, jadi ±30 menit dari Jambangan, abis itu buka tenda, makan, dan istirahat karena jam 1 pagi kita bakalan summit ke Mahameru!)

DAY 3

The struggle begans, we woke up at 12 a.m. to eat before summit, it is very important for layering because if i'm not mistaken the temperature is below 0°C, the wind is really strong, use the geither, and it is also very important to use the headlamps because it is very dark! gloves too!

(Perjuangan di mulai, Kita bangun jam 12 buat makan sebelum summit, penting banget buat layering karena if I'm not mistaken suhunya under 0°C anginnya kenceng banget, pake geither ya, dan juga penting banget pake headlamp karena gelap banget! sarung tangan jugaa!)

i. Kalimati - Arcopodo

Distance from Kalimati to Arcopodo is 1.2 km, and as much as possible don't stop too much, because it will feel cooler, because the wind is super strong, and don't get separated from your group, the road to Arcopodo is still a lot of trees.

(Jarak dari Kalimati ke Arcopodo 1,2 km, dan kalo bisa jangan terlalu banyak berhenti ya karena bakalan lebih ngerasa kedinginan, karena anginnya super kenceng, dan jangan sampe misah sama group kalian, jalan ke Arcopodo masih ada pepohonan).

j. Arcopodo - Puncak Mahameru

Arcopodo is at an altitude of 2900 masl, and Mahameru is at an altitude of 3676 masl, imagine how far it is, this is the 1.5 km longest I have ever walked, And the real struggle will start from here to the eternal peak of the Gods, Mahameru.

(Arcopodo ada di ketinggian 2900 mdpl, dan Mahameru ada di ketinggian 3676 mdpl, kebayang kan betapa jauhnya, ini adalah 1,5 km terpanjang yang pernah aku lewatin, Dan perjuangan sesungguhnya akan dimulai darisini menuju Puncak abadi para Dewa, Mahameru).

You have to be very careful here because there are so many rocks, you can't go up, sit or lean on the rock for fear that it will fall and injure you and other people. There is already a warning before you enter the sandy terrain, the vegetation boundary.

(Harus hati hati banget disini karena banyak banget bebatuan, kalian gaboleh menginjak, menduduki, maupun menyender di batu karena khawatir batunya bakalan jatuh dan mencelakai kalian maupun orang lain. Udah ada warningnya sebelum kalian masuk ke medan berpasir, yaitu batas vegetasi).

After the vegetation boundary, there are no more trees, so the wind hits the body right away and if I'm not mistaken the temperature has reached minus, the terrain is steep, it feels like taking 3 steps forward but is only 1 step, if there is wind you should stop for a while.

(Setelah batas vegetasi, gaada lagi pepohonan, jadi angin langsung kena badan dan itu kalo gak salah suhunya sampe minus, medannya pasir dalem yang terjal, rasanya ngelangkah 3 langkah majunya cuma 1 langkah karena gak sampe-sampe hahaha, kalo ada angin berenti dulu).

Finally !!! All the hard work has paid off, the highest ground of Java, Puncak Mahameru 3676 meters above sea level. I arrived at sunrise around 05.30. It feels happy and touched to be at the peak of the eternity of the gods

(Finally!!! all the hard work has paid off, The highest ground of Java, Puncak Mahameru 3676 mdpl. Sampai atas pas banget sunrise, sekitar jam 05.30. Rasanya campur aduk bisa ada di puncak abadi para dewa).