This hike is part of my 8 day journey in Lombok, Indonesia where I spent the first 4 days in Gili Trawangan, an island paradise known for its scenic sunsets. Read more about my experience in Gili Islands here.

Indonesia's second highest volcano

Mount Rinjani, standing majestically on the island of Lombok, Indonesia, is a towering symbol of natural beauty. At 3,726 meters (12,224 feet) above sea level, it is the second highest volcano in Indonesia and an iconic landmark renowned for its breathtaking vistas and challenging hiking trails.

Mt Rinjani attracts adventurous travelers from all over to embark on multi-day treks that test their endurance and reward them with unparalleled views of Lombok's scenic landscapes.

The journey to the summit is not for the faint of heart, requiring determination and stamina to navigate steep ascents, rocky trails, and ever-changing weather conditions (We experienced unforgiving weather conditions during our push for summit on day 2!). Ii is indeed notoriously tough, and you'll hear many reviews talking about how sandy the terrain is. Nobody is lying - It is tough! Our guides prepped us the day before, mentioning that you'll slide back a step for every 2 steps you take, so it's double the effort needed to get to the top. The sandy terrain forms around 30 - 45 mins of the climb leading up to the mountain ridge line, and forms the main part of the trek leading up to the summit for about an hour or so.

This volcanic giant is also well known for its stunning crater lake, Segara Anak, a turquoise gem sitting within the crater rim. Surrounding the lake is a lunar-like landscape dotted with steaming vents and rugged terrain, creating a surreal view of the the environment.

The porters here are also super fit - One could be climbing the mountain twice a week, transporting camping essentials up and down the mountain for hikers. The best part? They do it in slippers. If that's not enough, they don't carry proper bags for transporting equipment. Instead, they bundle all the equipment onto a thick pole before resting it on one side of their shoulders.

Planning the climb

Getting there

There are a few ways to get to Lombok where Mt Rinjani is:

1. Flight: There are numerous international flights flying in to Lombok International Airport (LOPS) daily. Do some research to see when the ideal time for you is.
2. Boat: Getting to Lombok by boat is an option as well. Travellers typically take boat rides from neighbouring islands like the popular Bali or even Gili Islands

Once you step foot on Lombok, you'd still need to travel to base camp via car. If you booked your climb through a tour operator, transport to base camp is typically covered - Simply fill them in on your arrival details before arriving to Lombok.

Climbing options

Before going further, it is possible to hike Mt Rinjani in a single day, but given the distance and elevation gain needed to be covered in a single hike, most climbers will complete their climb over 3 days (hiking to base camp on day 1 and summiting on day 2, then spending day 3 descending Mt Rinjani).

In some cases, tours offer climbers an option to head down to the crater lake after summiting Mt Rinjani, though this requires an additional few more hours descending from Mt Rinjani base camp, and some hikers would not prefer this option given the fatigue accumulated from summiting the volcano on the same day.

Primarily, there're 3 routes travellers usually ascend the volcano from, each with its own unique challenges. Note that all 3 routes converge eventually to the same path leading up to the summit of Mt Rinjani as there is only 1 way up and 1 way down.

Sembalun Route (East Route) - Covered in this article

Difficulty: Moderate to Challenging

Distance: Approximately 7.5 kilometers (4.7 miles) one way

Time Required: About 7-8 hours to reach the crater rim

Highlights: The Sembalun route is known for its sweeping grasslands and picturesque savannah on the way to POS 1. Starting from the village of Sembalun Lawang, the trek ascends gradually through open terrain, offering panoramic views of Mount Rinjani and the surrounding countryside. Trekkers can camp near the crater rim and enjoy breathtaking views of Segara Anak.

Senaru Route (East Route):

Difficulty: Moderate to Challenging

Distance: Approximately 8.5 kilometers (5.3 miles) one way

Time Required: About 7-8 hours to reach the crater rim

Highlights: The Senaru route is the most popular trekking option, known for its lush forests, stunning waterfalls, and panoramic views. The trek begins in the village of Senaru and ascends steadily through dense rainforest, offering glimpses of wildlife and natural beauty along the way. Trekkers typically spend the night at a campsite near the crater rim, where they can marvel at the sunset and sunrise over Mount Rinjani's crater lake, Segara Anak.

Torean Route (West Route):

Difficulty: Challenging

Distance: Approximately 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) one way

Time Required: About 8-9 hours to reach the crater rim

Highlights: The Torean route is the least traveled and most challenging option, known for its rugged terrain, steep ascents, and remote wilderness. Beginning near the village of Torean, the trek follows a narrow trail through dense forest and rocky terrain, offering adventurous trekkers a true test of endurance. Despite the difficulty, the route rewards intrepid explorers with pristine wilderness, solitude, and stunning views of Mount Rinjani's summit and crater lake.

Regardless of the route chosen, conquering Mount Rinjani is a challenging yet rewarding adventure that promises unforgettable experiences and breathtaking scenery. Trekkers should be prepared for strenuous hiking and possibly, variable weather conditions, but the opportunity to witness the natural beauty of this iconic volcano makes it a journey well worth undertaking.

Best time to climb

The best time to climb Mount Rinjani is during the dry season, which typically runs from April to November. During this period, the weather is generally more stable, with lower chances of rain and clearer skies, making for safer and more enjoyable hiking conditions. However, it's important to note that the peak trekking season for Mount Rinjani is from June to August, so expect more crowds and higher prices for guides and accommodations during this time.

HalloTrekker

This climb was booked through HalloTrekker, a trek agency that specializes in providing services for travellers wanting to hike Mt Rinjani. The engagement with the agency was consistent and satisfactory throughout - Replies were prompt and our questions were answered clearly. Their website contains all you need to know about hiking Mt Rinjani, including the different hike routes and how to prepare leading up to the hike.

During our hike, porters were provided who helped carry camping and cooking equipment up to base camp so that we were well fed and had a place to sleep in. Our guides were english-speaking, so communication wasn't an issue. Food and drinks along the hike were taken care of too - Our guides brought enough water to pass on to us if we ever needed more. Whenever we stopped to rest, our guides also pulled out random snacks from their bags for us to munch on. Top tier service I would say! Thank you HalloTrekker :)

Day 1 - Settling in and briefing

As part of the package provided by HalloTrekker, we met up with our driver and got transported to Sinar Rinjani Cottages & Restaurant where we stayed and rested before moving out to commence the hike the following morning. Being able to see the grand Mt Rinjani from where we were staying got us all excited yet nervous!

In the evening, we met with our hiking guides and were given a briefing on what to expect during the hike. Shortly after, we had our dinner and spent the rest of the evening recharging and packing for the arduous journey ahead.

Day 2 - Hike commencement

The day started early - We had to leave by 730AM for the visitor center, where we were required to fill in a simple health declaration and indemnity form; there was also a simple health screening in place where our blood pressure was taken. We were instructed to only bring along what we needed on our hike, and our luggage were left behind at the hotel to be taken care of by the agency.

We were loaded up the back of the lorry with our hiking gear and transported to the Taman Nasional Gunung Rinjani, the main park office where we could have our final toilet break before commencing the hike.

Journey to Mt Rinjani Base camp

It was an another quick 10min ride before we arrived at our starting point - Gunung Rinjani via Kandang Sapi.

Mt Rinjani can roughly be seen in the background although it was blocked by the clouds.

It's worthwhile to note that it is possible to pay for a scooter ride from the start point all the way to POS 2 (Lunch point), which shaves off around 2 hours of hiking and around 450m of elevation gain. This might be a considerable amount of effort for some, but I personally wouldn't recommend this since this takes away the authentic experience of hiking the mountain all the way from the start and appreciating the views along the way.

Start point to POS 1

The journey to POS 1 takes around 1.5 hours and takes you upwards 363m. The terrain starts off gentle with nice views of nearby farmhouses. As you ascend a little more, you get to see a nice view of the nearby countryside.

The path then breaks into the forest briefly before reemerging into an open savannah, where you get to see the beauty of the grand Mt Rinjani standing tall right before you - This was honestly one of my most favourite views of the mountain on this hike. It was daunting to think that I would be standing at the very top the next day!

The hike continues along the open savannah - Enjoy the views of Mt Rinjani as you hike up towards POS1!

Just a short hike later through the plains and we would reach POS1, the first checkpoint of the hike.

POS 1 - POS 2

The journey from POS 1 to POS 2 is slightly shorter with a short burst of steepness towards the end. It takes around 45 mins between these checkpoints and brings you up an elevation of 92m.

As we ascended a little more, it became cloudy and visibility was moderate to low. By this time, we could not see the peak anymore so we focused on what was ahead of us.

Just for a brief while, the track became slightly steeper as well. The fatigue was building up but all was well once we saw POS 2, identified by the 3 huts in the distance.

Hold up! Why is there a motorbike on the hiking trek? Well, if you opted for a motorbike ride from the start, this is where the motorbike ride ends - Just a short walk from POS 2 where hikers usually break for lunch.

Clearer look at POS 2 after the skies cleared up:

On the left you can see a line of hikers going up - This mountain is surely a popular one during peak climbing season!

Lunch at POS 2

It was finally time for lunch break! Our guides directed us to gather under one of the huts. We rested, hydrated before our guides returned with a very delectable, nutritious meal served up neatly on a plate, cutleries included! We got treated to an Indonesian lunch, comprising rice, eggs, chicken, crackers and tofu. Tempeh (Triangular dish resting underneath spoon in the picture), an Indonesian soy dish, was not something to miss as well - It is known to be extremely nutritious with many health benefits.

We were even served a fruit platter consisting cut watermelon, oranges, apples and pineapple. I must say, this has been the nicest fruit plating I've ever seen in my life!

It would be wise to use this lunch break for a final toilet break before continuing on the hike - There won't be any proper toilets anymore from here on out. When I was there, portable toilet cubicles were installed there for fellow hikers to use. Do note, however, that there is a IDR5,000 entry fee to use it!

If you prefer not to pay though, you could do your business in the open by walking past the left of the cubicles up a little slope. Walk past beyond it and there would be a space for you to do whatever you need to do!

POS 2 - POS 3

Lunch left us feeling recharged for the remaining journey ahead! The journey to POS 3 takes another 45 mins of hiking and elevates you around 230m up. The hike continued up the hills along an elongated trail:

At one point we had to walk past an exposed pathway - No prizes for looking down because falling surely guarantees a one-way ticket off this earth!

Wasn't too obvious from the photo but it sure looked at least a good 100m drop from where we were. Not to worry as the pathway was wide enough for one to keep away from the edge, so it was rather safe.

Along the hike, we could start to see the volcanic ash path lining the ground - Of course I had to get a picture.

Seeing the hardened volcanic ash also means that you're nearing POS 3, so push on!

POS 3 - POS 4

It starts to get a bit steeper from here on out - The journey from POS 3 to POS 4 takes another hour with an elevation gain of 305m. Before we set out, it started raining so we had to put on our waterproof gear. Because of the weather, the entire journey towards POS 4 was in the clouds.

If the weather was clear, though, you'll be able to spot POS 3 (and even POS 2!) in the distance - I captured this while we were descending the mountain:

Step by step and we were finally at POS 4!

POS 4 - Base Camp

The journey from POS 4 to base camp would prove challenging - A staggering 2 hours to cover 580m elevation. The trail gets noticeably steeper here, and you would be high enough to get great views of the scenery behind you. If the weather is good, you would even be able to spot the summit hiking through this segment.

The views behind you will just be as awesome as well - You would be high enough to see the surrounding landscape around the mountain.

We stopped a few times to catch our breaths, as did the porters who were carrying loads way heavier than us.

If the weather is great, don't pass up the opportunity to get some shots with mother nature:

Mt Rinjani Base Camp (2641m)

After around 7 hours of hiking, we finally arrived at base camp, also known as Pelawangan Sembalun Camp Site. It was a tiring ascent for sure, but we were definitely rewarded with amazing views of Segara Anak, the turquoise crater rim lake few hundred meters below us.

Sitting over 2000m above sea level, the crater rim lake is a vast 11 square kilometres. The lake's name, Segara Anak, translates to "small ocean" and came about from its natural-occurring blue color. Our guide also shared with us that fish is bred in the lake, which makes it a popular spot for fishing among locals.

At this point, the summit of Mt Rinjani can be clearly seen, which was a huge motivation for us:

When we arrived, there were already few tents set up by other hikers, and some were already enjoying their dinner. There is even a medical 'house' at base camp if anyone requires medical attention.

If you need to do your business, makeshift latrine points are available - A hole is dug in the ground and is surrounded by canvas sheets. While within the canvas sheets, my head was still poking out, which meant I could see everyone and everyone could see me while I peed.

After our tents were set up, we could leave our bags inside it and change out into clean clothes. Our guides served up delicious lontong, an Indonesian dish made with compressed rice cake and is commonly served in coconut curry - Perfect for the cold weather since the sun was setting.

Once we were done with dinner, it was time to get some rest! The skies cleared up and we could see nighttime Lombok from where we were. Hikers in their tents had their flashlights on, which painted a colourful arrangement of tents in the darkness.

Day 3 - Summit attack

By the time we slept, it was well around 9PM, but we had to be up by 2AM to grab a quick breakfast and commence our hike to the summit at 230AM. With our headlamps equipped, it was time to push on to the summit, which requires around 4 - 5 hours and a staggering 1100m of elevation gain.

The journey to Mt Rinjani summit consists mainly 2 portions. The goal of the first portion is to reach the ridge line of Mt Rinjani, and this requires some scrambling up the steep face of the mountain from base camp. The initial climb starts off moderately steep for the first hour or so, and escalates to really steep for the next hour, where scrambling is required to ascend. A good 30mins - 1 hour before reaching the ridge line, climbers get a first taste of climbing up the sandy surface of Mt Rinjani.

Once you've reached the ridge line, take a breather - The terrain ascends gently for the next 30mins or so. By this time, the exposure is quite high so be very careful when walking. Once you've reached the sandy portion of the climb again, it'll be another hour of steep climbing before reaching the summit (The most painful part of the summit climb).

Looking closely above, lights can be seen in the distance, indicating that other climbers are on to that portion of the climb - One can judge how steep the terrain is just by the lights alone.

On the morning of my climb, we were stricken with really bad weather - It rained! Not the pitter-patter kind of droplets; it was enough to get you drenched. At that altitude and temperature, let me just say that it felt torturous. Firstly, you literally have nowhere to seek shelter; you're fully exposed to nature. Secondly, the stormy winds are so strong at that altitude that it chills you to the skin. My hands went numb and my face hurt from the cold.

My advice: Don't always assume perfect conditions in the mountains; pack with uncertainty in mind!

There were many times we walked past groups of hikers who gave up and just cradled themselves as best as they could, doing their best to shelter themselves from the unforgiving chilly winds. Those who brought along emergency blankets had them opened up as well.

I felt like giving up a few times along the way as well, but since I was already there, I had no reason to stop. The only thing that could keep me going was to keep moving so I could maintain a higher heart rate, which kept my body temperature warm. I knew that if I rested, my heart rate would drop and the cold will really hit. The summit journey, therefore, comprised minimal rest while making gradual, baby steps towards the end.

After a painful and cold ascend, we finally made it to the summit! Visibility was zero - There were no views but the journey was worth it indeed.

Well, the view should have in fact been like below, and I do hope you get such views if you climb Mt Rinjani!

After just 5mins of photo taking, we were ready to commence our descent (We were freezing and there was nothing to take photos of!). The descent back to base camp was much more bearable, stopping only once or twice for a quick sip of water. We were back by around 10am; the rain had stopped by then and we were served breakfast - A fruit platter and some chocolate banana crepes.

The rest of the day was spent recovering from the climb and drying our equipment. We had dinner served around 6pm, consisting of a piping hot bowl of noodles and plain rice on the side:

As usual, time for a much needed sleep after dinner to prepare for our descent down Mt Rinjani the next day.

Day 4 - Back to start point

We woke up at around 6am to catch the sunrise that should've been caught at the summit, and I must say it was one of the best sunrises I've seen from up in the mountains!

We went back to rest for a bit after snapping the photos, then got up again for breakfast before packing up and getting ready to head down the mountain. The entire descent took us 6 hours. At POS 4, we bumped into a group of porters resting so I asked if I could try carrying their load - Not only was it heavy, it was very uncomfortable with all the load resting only on one side of my shoulders. Full respect for the porters for carrying such weights up and down the mountain!

We stopped at POS 2 again for lunch; my legs were aching a whole lot by then and I could feel the cramps coming, but we pushed on back to the start point and got there by 2pm!

Once we were back at the start point, a lorry was waiting to pick us up. We bid farewell to our guides, loaded our bags and got on, where we were transported back to Sinar Rinjani Cottages & Restaurant. Luckily, we had time to wash up and change into fresh clothes before our transport arrived (also part of the tour) to bring us to the city hotel.

End of climb

For those who dare to embark on this epic adventure, the rewards are incomparable. From witnessing the sunrise from the summit (not for me, hopefully for you), to marvelling at the crystal blue waters of Segara Anak, Mount Rinjani offers unforgettable moments that leave a lasting impression on the soul (and muscles!).

Hopefully after you read this, you'll be adding this this volcano to your to-climb list in Southeast Asia!