Why go Mountaineering?

Written by: anagonzales

Mountaineering is a combination of sport and recreational activity that overcomes the challenges and dangers of slopes and avalanches to get a breathtaking view from top. The end makes the arduous Climbing worth it. There are several reasons why people engage in Climbing. Some of these are the following:

• Mountaineering challenges an individual’s ability to scale the different slopes of the mountain they chose to Climb. People love adventure. This sport will give the enthusiast a sense of fulfillment and a feeling of conquering the world by being on the mountain’s summit. The beautiful view is their reward.


• Mountaineering is a physical activity that is great for one’s health. This is a perfect form of exercise where one enjoys the challenge, and stays fit at the same time. The demands of the sport will also improve your body’s strength and endurance.


• Mountaineering offers great nature exploration. Enthusiasts find their love for the outdoors satisfied through mountain Climbing, bringing them close to greeneries and the wild life. Furthermore, the journey to the top and the sight from the peak of the mountain displays nature’s beauty at its finest.


• Mountaineering develops several skills and values such as readiness to face a problem, alertness, patience, self reliance, and team work. Mountain Climbing can be seen as a reflection of real life where you have to work hard to reach the top—which is your goal. Discipline is stressed as a very important virtue in every Mountaineer.


• Mountaineering is also a great activity to establish camaraderie among your fellow Climbers. Climbing is a fun-filled adventure that is enjoyable to share with the companionship of other enthusiasts. Team work and sensitivity to others’ needs form a strong bond within your team.


• Mountaineering is a great form of relaxation. Although the activity may be strenuous, the physical demands take you away from your everyday routine and worries. The beautiful environment removes away the stress you’ve accumulated from your work and from living a fast paced life. Mountaineering is also a great escape to the hustle and bustle of city life.

The joys of mountaineering are results of perseverance and dedication. The exhausting process of Climbing to the top of the mountain rewards every mountaineer with a feeling of achievement. Want to be on top of the world? You may start your adventure by learning about the different Rock Climbing Techniques.

Mountaineering History

The History of Mountaineering goes way back to the time when no one had the technology and the skills to write about them yet. Because of that, we are left to surmise what the early Mountaineers did, the technology that they used, what motivated them to climb, or if they even thought of doing it. Therefore, this section will only focus on the recorded History of Mountaineering . We hope that they would give you some idea of how intrepid explorers dared to climb mountains, “because it is there,” if we were to borrow George Mallory's words when he was asked why he wanted to climb Mount Everest.

What is now one of the most revered sports was inspired by non-sporting purposes of early humans such as the building of altars for the Mountain spirits, erecting of watch towers for country sites, and making meteorological or geological observations.

Today, Mountaineering is a popular sport, hobby, even profession of walking, Hiking and mountain climbing on either rock (rock-craft) or snow (snow craft). It is frequently undertaken for the thrill of reaching the summit.

The achievements made in the sport are no mean feat. They require a lot of physical, mental and even logistical preparations if one aims for a successful climb. Aside from popularizing the sport, mountain expeditions also contributed to a lot of scientific studies. Below are some of the highlights in the Mountaineering world:

• 1874 - Grove, Gardiner, Walker, Sottajev and Knubel reached the summit of the highest mountain in Europe: Elbrus.
• 1913 - Karstens, Harper, Tatum and Stuck reached the summit of the highest mountain in North America: Mount McKinley also known as Mount Denali.
• 1953 - Norgay and Hillary reached the summit of the highest mountain in the world: Mount Everest in Nepal.
• 1985 - Dick Bass reached Mount Everest and became the first person to reach all of the Seven Summits. Please read Seven Summits for more information.

But not everyone was born for the rough terrain. Mountaineering, a practice handed down by the hunters and workmen of the ancient communities, requires high technical and gymnastic abilities. It is therefore important to be well-trained and climb mountains that are within your level of experience. The most expensive equipment can never compensate to your experience so make sure to build your experience up first before anything else.

Hiking, a more gentle component of Mountaineering, is walking on unspoiled mountain trails with the intention of exploring and enjoying nature. What used to be man’s mere familiarity with mountain treks in the spirit of the hunt is now a leisurely, even therapeutic activity.

The term “Hiking” is used by all English-speaking countries with variations in different regions. Australians, for instance, use the term “bushwalking” while the English simply call it “walking.” Overnight Hiking is specified as “backpacking” by the English while New Zealanders call it “tramping.”


Today, Mountaineering is already a multi-billion dollar industry which has spawned numerous websites, trails, and equipment are marketed to meet the lures of the sport. Aside from the monetary component, this activity is already popular and continues to become more popular among the younger generation who do it to appreciate and commune with nature more. They are the ones who will continue writing the History of Mountaineering until every mountain in the world has been climbed.

What is Mountaineering?

Written by: anagonzales

Mountaineering, otherwise known as Alpinism in Europe, is the sport, profession, or recreation of Climbing or going up mountains. It is a more challenging form of hiking; where one have to trek on higher altitudes. Although the toughest, this outdoor activity is also the most fulfilling.

There are many reasons why enthusiasts engage in mountain Climbing. This sport challenges an individual’s capabilities and skills; plus it is also a great way to be one with nature. Mountaineers also find Climbing as a form of relaxation and exercise. But the most common purpose of people who go on Mountaineering even when the activity can be strenuous and dangerous is the reward of having a view of the rare and wonderful sight they will savor when they reach the summit.

There are three basic forms of Climbing, which depends on the track condition. First of these is Rock Climbing, or rock-craft, which is very popular among amateur Climbers. This form of Mountain Climbing involves rocky slopes and avalanches. The second form of Mountaineering is the Snow and Ice Climbing, or the snow-craft, which is more for expert Climbers. This is a much dangerous Climb because it involves routes with glaciers. Special gear and an understanding of snow and ice conditions are very important. Lastly, mixed Climbing combines the rocky and icy routes of the first two Mountaineering forms, making it the most difficult. The hazardous track one will have to face in this Climb requires the mountaineer to have enough training and experience.

Although injuries and accidents are common in Mountaineering, an enjoyable Climb is still possible. Problems could be avoided through preparations, proper training, and good physical condition. It is also best to Climb mountains in groups, as one could lend a hand to the team when something unexpected happens. Moreover, experience is still the best teacher even in mountain Climbing. Other than that, joining Climbing groups and reading books and articles on Mountaineering are also very helpful to begin your adventure.


This site will give you information on Climbing techniques, tying knots, camping and outdoor living, appropriate Mountaineering gear and apparel, Climbing calls, and Mountaineering navigation skills. After equipping yourself with these important Climbing knowledge, you are now ready to go on top of the world!

GEORGE MALLORY

Mistery Pendaki Pertama Mt. Everest

Awal tahun 2004 ini kembali muncul perdebatan mengenai First Climber on Everest. Apakah betul George Leigh Mallory (38) dan Andrew “Sandy” Irvine (22) telah mencapai puncak Everest pada Expedisi tahun 1924 itu.? Dua puluh delapan tahun lebih awal dari pendakian Sir Edmund Hillary bersama Tenzing Norgay yang saat ini masih tercatat sebagai pendaki Everest pertama (1953). Saya sendiri selama 3 tahun ini selalu menceri berita paling akhir mengenai keputusan final yang mungkin bisa merubah catatan sejarah pendakian manusia di puncak tertinggi dunia itu.

George Leigh Mallory memimpin team ketiga dari Inggris Raya bersama partnernya Irvine dan photographer Noel Odell pada 6 Juni 1924 berlabel nama The British Expedition 1924. Dengan membawa botol oxygen Asparratus cadangan mereka mendaki di musim moonson yang terkenal sangat berbahaya. Setelah dua hari pendakian, Odell yang memang tinggal di base tertinggi sempat melihat mereka mendaki pada sisi utara Everest, tapi pandangannya lalu terhalang awan dan cuaca yang selalu berubah-ubah. Itulah saat terakhir mereka terlihat hingga akhirnya hilang di telan salju abadi Everest.

75 tahun kemudian tepatnya ditahun 1999, Thom Pollard dari Everests Speakers Bureau mencoba memaparkan bukti-bukti kuat yang didapat dari Mallory & Irvine Research Expedition (MIRE 1999) dan meneliti posisi terakhir saat duo Pendaki Inggris tersebut hilang. Sejumlah geologist, ahli sejarah, pendaki serta sherpa terbaik turut tergabung dalam misi ini.

Jenazah Mallory ditemukan pada ketinggian diatas 27.000 kaki, membeku di bebatuan beberapa ratus meter sebelum puncak dari jalur utara. Di sekitarnya terdapat peralatan lain seperti Vest Pocket Camera (Kodak), Altimeter, Jam tangan, Pisau, Tali panjat, Botol oxygen dan Kacamata salju. Semua benda itu dikumpulkan lalu dianalisa secara teliti, sayangnya Team MIRE ini tidak menemukan rol film yang telah digunakan karena diduga Mallory terjatuh saat pendakian turun hingga mengalami patah tungkai kaki dan luka dikepala. Bukti kuat lainnya adalah kapak es milik Irvine yang ditemukan tahun 1933 serta beberapa kertas memo untuk Capt. Noel Odell, rekan satu teamnya yang terakhir melihat Mallory dan masih hidup sekarang. Melihat buku catatan pribadi yang masih utuh disaku Mallory, para peneliti semakin yakin bahwa Mallory telah menaruh foto istrinya Ruth setelah mencapai puncak seperti yang dituturkan sebelumnya kepada Odell, namun posisi ditemukannya Mallory yang tetap dirahasiakan.

Ekspedisi besar ini, akhirnya menjawab misteri pendaki pertama Everest serta pengakuan langsung bagi pendaki sekaliber Mallory. Eric Simonson Team Leader MIRE 1999 mengatakan “Mallory can from this day forward rest in peace” disertai senyum mengembang tanda keberhasilan Teamnya..

Seperti menjadi jawaban dari legenda kata2 Mallory “Because it’s ther

REINHOLD MESSNER

Climber, writer, photographer and European parliamentarian, Reinhold Messner was born in Brixen, South Tyrol, Italy, on 17th September 1944. He grew up in the Villnöss Valley in the Dolomites and later studied at the University of Padua.

He has been one of the world’s most outstanding mountaineers for twenty years. In the course of about one hundred trips in the mountains he has chalked up many first ascents and was the first to climb all the world’s 8000-metre peaks. He lectures throughout the world, makes documentary films, contributes to well-known specialist magazines and supports the preservation of the last wildernesses.

Contrary to modern adventure performers, Reinhold Messner never went after records; instead, he is interested in being exposed to nature in landscapes hardly touched by man, and in travelling with a minimum of equipment. He followed Mummery's "by fair means" on Nanga Parbat, Nansen's "call of the north" to the ice packs of the Arctic and crossed the Antarctic via the South Pole after an idea by Shackleton. Opposing his travelling on foot to the possibilities the age of communication has to offer, he does without any expansion bolts, oxygen masks and satellite phones - an anachronism, true, but one that preserves an inexhaustible source of experience in the wilderness.

He has written more than 40 books, which have been translated into more than a dozen languages. Between his journeys he lives in Juval Castle in South Tyrol where he runs a museum containing a considerable collection of Tibetan art, and a hill farm using organic methods. In addition, he continues to write books and develop museum projects.

On Everest Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler were the first to summit without the use of bottled oxygen. Reinhold Messner was the first, and many will argue the only, to ever solo Everest on Aug 20, 1980 via the North Col/North Face.

Mt.ARJUNA

MOUNT ARJUNA

The name of Arjuna came from wayang, the Hindu's Story of Mahabaratha. Arjuna is the third sons of Pandawa who like to concentrate to gods in the top of some mountains. Once open a time, Arjuna sit and make meditation on the top of a mountain. Months after months he still stay and make the mountain he is sat rise up, higher and higher. Human who make strong meditation can produce a great power, can defeat nature even gods.

The Power of Arjuna Meditation make "Goro-goro" some very big disaster. Earthquake, flood, hard rain on the hard dry seasons, peoples get sick in the morning and die in the evening. The crater of the Mahameru Mountain where the kingdom of the gods stay "Jonggring Saloka" boiled. All of the Gods get panic.

Bethara Guru, the king of gods send Semar and Togog his two brothers to make a wake Arjuna. But Arjuna is very strong can not be woke. Semar and Togog decide to cut the mountain, they became two very big giants as big as the mountain and cut the mountain. The mountain where Arjuna make meditation is called mt. Arjuna.

FROM TRETES

We can climb Mt. Arjuna either form northeast (from In Tretes Through Mt. Welirang), from east (from Lawang) and from west (from Batu-Selecta).

From Surabaya, take a bus direction to Malang and get off in Pandaan. There is a Market here, then take a mini bus to Tretes. Tretes is a tourist area. It has a tourist' forest where we can find a beautiful waterfall called 'Kakek Bodo', and a camping ground. Tretes has cool climate and many hotels and inns to rest comfortably.

We can start climbing both Mt. Arjuna and Mt. Welirang, start from Basecamp in Tretes. Trekking towards southwest for about 4 or 5 hours, we can pause and spend the night in abut for people looking for sulfur stores. Here we can have water for cooking and take a bath as the water is inabundant. Everyday, about 20-30 workers look for and bring the sulfuric stores to Tretes.

In next morning we can start climbing forward to Mt. Welirang, or turn left to go directly to Mt. Arjuna. Climbing from the hut to the peak of Mt. Welirang, we will pass pure casuarina forest along the stony path. We can reach the peak Mt.Welirang after walking for 3 or 4 hours.

Bellow the peak of Mt. Welirang, there is a crater blows up sulfuric gas. If we want to go to the peak Mt. Arjuna, just walk down 10 minutes southwards from the peak Mt. Welirang. The forest to pass is casuarina trees, through one ravine and a track between Mt. Kembar I and Mt. Kembar II. Close to the peak of Mt. Arjuna, we will pass a place called "Pasar Dieng', the height of which nearly the same with the peak of Mt. Arjuna. There are many stones there, some of which are neatly arranged like a fence with a plain around. It will take ten minutes to reach the peak of Mount Arjuna, from the plain. It will spend about 6 to 7 hours, to reach the peak of Mt. Arjuna from Mt. Welirang.

The wind blows strongly in the peak of Mt. Arjuna, with temperature of 5 - 10 °C. Mostly in the evening, we can enjoy the very attractive view towards Surabaya, Malang, Batu, Pasuruan and the north the sea with the shirring ship lamps.

Mt. Arjuna peak is called 'Puncak Ogal-agil', or 'Puncak Ringgit'. Camping in the peak, the morning after we can go down east side to Lawang. We will pass through tropical forest and bush and came to north side of Wonosari Tea Plantation. Climb down towards Lawang is the shortest route, compare with return route through Mt. Welirang (Tretes). It will spend about 6 hours to reach Lawang from the peak.

FROM LAWANG

Hiking Mt. Arjuna from Lawang is simplest route. Lawang is easy reach both from Surabaya or Malang, and we can directly reach the peak of the moun from this route. To start climbing from Lawang, we take a bus going to Lawang (about 76 km), from Surabaya. Start from Malang, we can take a mini bus or bus to Lawang (about 18 km). From Lawang, we take rural transportation to Wonorejo village (about 13 km). Start trekking towards Mt. Arjuna from this village, we go to the Tea Plantation in Wonosari village for about 3 km. In this village, we should report to PHPA staff about the journey also preparing water.

Climbing about 3 or 4 hours through the Tea Plantation, we will reach 'Oro-oro Ombo' camp area. We will pass through a dense forest called 'Lali Jiwo', and then a grassy plain, before reaching the peak. It will sped for about 6 or 7 hours to reach the peak from the camp area. Close to the peak the track is more strenuous as it is steep, and we will find a stony garden, Another way to reach Arjuna is from Batu through Selecta, west side of the Mt. Welirang. Batu is tourist resort which has hot spring coming from Mt. Welirang. Its ' weather is like Tretes'.

From Kediri or Malang we can take mini bus or bus to go to Batu and then continue to Selecta by mini bus. Selecta is one of many tourist spots in Batu, lying in 1,200 m above the sea level. In Selecta we can spend the night in hotels or inns.

The next morning by mini bus, we continue our journey to Kebonsari village. We have to prepare sufficient water before the journey as we will find no water on the way to the peaks.

We start climbing from this village, through vegetable garden and path leading to the northeast, passing tropical forest. Along the way sometimes we can see the peak of Mt. Arjuna. Trekking for about 5 to 6 hours we will reach the saddle of the mountains. Connecting the peaks of Mt. Arjuna and Mt. Welirang, the saddle is located in the southwest side of Mt. Kembar I. From this saddle, we will spend 1 or 2 hours to reach Mt. Welirang by taking the left way To reach the peak of Mt. Arjuno, we shall walk 4 or 5 hours rightward from the saddle.

GOA JOMBLANG

Angkernya Gua Jomblang

Bukan perkara mudah untuk mencapai dasar gua vertikal sedalam 40 meter. Tetapi bagi mereka yang bernyali dan menyukai tantangan, tentu hal ini menjadi keasyikan tersendiri. Orang yang awam dengan gua vertikal harus mendapat kursus SRT (Single Rope Technique), yaitu teknik menuruni dan menaiki medan vertikal dengan lintasan tali, karena hanya dengan menuruni tali, gua seperti ini dapat ditelusuri.

Tali dan alat pengaman yang akan digunakan untuk menuruni gua harus dipastikan benar-benar dalam keadaan aman. Memang terkesan ribet tetapi sebenarnya itu adalah prosedur standar yang mesti harus dilakukan. Benar-benar kegiatan yang beresiko tetapi mengasyikan. Gua Jomblang yang mempunyai mulut gua cukup lebar ini terletak daerah Semanu, Gunung Kidul, Yogyakarta.

Di dasar gua terdapat hutan kecil yang cukup lebat. Sebuah fenomena yang menakjubkan karena lingkungan sekitar Gua Jomblang adalah tanah kapur yang tandus. Dari dasar gua perjalanan dapat dilanjutkan memasuki lorong Gua Jomblang menuju Gua Grubug. Sebuah gua vertikal yang mempunyai rongga yang besar dengan mulut gua yang kecil. Gua ini mempunyai sungai bawah tanah dengan debit air yang cukup besar. Tepat pada jam 12 siang, mulut gua akan membentuk tiang cahaya dari sinar matahari yang masuk tegak lurus ke dalam gua. Benar-benar pemandangan yang sangat indah dan spektakuler.

Menuruni Gua Grubug memang lebih menantang karena caver akan menuruni gua dengan tali yang berputar-putar setinggi lebih dari 50 meter. Kedua gua ini memang mempunyai kisah yang menyeramkan karena menjadi tempat pembantaian aktivis PKI di tahun 60-an. Selain itu sampai tahun 90-an di Gua Grubug masih ditemukan mayat korban penembakan misterius yang sengaja dimasukkan ke dalam gua. Diduga mayat-mayat itu adalah para penjahat yang sudah tidak mempan lagi dipenjara

MOUNT.LAWU-3264 mdpl

Location and access Mt Lawu lied between Central Java and East Java. You can access from both ways which require hitchhiking and local transport.

From capital of Indonesia Jakarta takes train/flight to Solo (Surakarta an hour flight) then bus to Tawangmangu. From here either you’ve wait for another transport cross the border to East Java by hitchhiking with vegetables van or motorcycles (ojek) to Cemoro Sewu/Cemoro Kandang.

From Surabaya (East Java) takes bus to Maospati (20km from Madiun) then align with mini bus to small town Magetan. From here takes local transport to the famous lake Sarangan. Wait until you’ve got the other transport to Cemoro Sewu.

Guides and Porters
Since the mountain quite easy climb so you might not need for porters or guides. But if you never climb on these area better take a guide who willing to take care of your needs. Most of them are farmers who will persuade you take the best route. As I said stick with the track as you need to protect these area from unnecessary misadventure. Mt Lawu is not part of any National Park so there’s no such organisation to maintain the main track. But indeed there are clubs or several people organise themselves to keep an eye, especially during busy season. Cost of porter/guide might different but you can expect as much as Rp50,000 for a day (locals class) or US$20 for whole trek (price based from Rob)

When to climb
You might find that better to climb in dry season (March-September). The rainfall in these area pretty high, but largely people climb in anytime. There are several fires reported from these area so be vigilant if you do at dry season. Weekend is most of favor for locals. You might find that there are great numbers of hikers at one time. They might be pilgrimage who doing ceremony and pray for bless of Eyang Lawu (Prabu Brawijaya V-the King of Majapahit reign who refused surrender to the Islam influence). The busiest time to climb is during Islamic’s Syiah Holy Day (Asyura) when thousands people flock in to several sacred places around the summit of Mt Lawu.

Most of people started climb at midday to the Post IV, having a tent and rest there. It took normally 5-6 hours (slow speed). Then continued climb at the 3am in the morning to chase the sunrise.

Danger of Fumes
In the past few years there are report about people died in attemp of climbing Mt Lawu because of poison gas produces by active caldera. Please mind that even Mt Lawu is a dormant volcano but still have a danger on another side. Try to avoid spend too long on summit specially during rainy season when sulphuric acid gas can spread easily.

Things to carry
Water is essential. If you want spend night there you need tent and stove to cook. It will take 6-8hours solid walk so you might need 4-5liter each to secure. It’s better if you have salt or electrolyte type of drink that replace your body mineral straight away. Raincoat also important as the torrential rain may occur in the morning or midday when you up and down. Good shoes/boots will be an asset to make your walk more enjoyable.

Food and Drink
Food can be anything that easy to consume and have high calories such as chocolate, breakfast bar, dried fruit or fresh locals fruit. Guide/porters might prepare breakfast with rice, or boiled noodle with eggs. They are great but you might find that’s too heavy to start the morning. Ask them to take lots of roti tawar (bread) and carry selai (jam) with you. Drink can be coffe or tea but you might try something different like wedang jahe (ginger tea). Energy drink such as Red Bull (Krating Daeng) is not good for your body as they contains caffeine. You might feeling been boost but soon it’s gone you will end up pretty necked though.

Map and Information
There is no good map with good contour which easy to get for hikers. But you can see the hand written map on the Monitor Base. There are in Bahasa Indonesia though but you can guess how the track will go. Remember this track is easy to follow with well-maintained stone path.

Hiking Route and Distances
There are several routes to the top but this is description made by locals. Here is the route from Cemoro Sewu. The other route takes from Cemoro Kandang which less demanding but takes little bit longer. See Bob and Rob did the Cemoro Kandang this year 2007.

Cemoro Sewu (Monitor Post ) : Post I = 1.99km
Post I Wesenan : Post II = 2.00km
Post II Watu gedhek : Post III = 0.7km
Post III Watu Gedhe : Post IV = 1.2km
Post IV Watu Kapur : Post V = 0.3km
Post V Jolotundo : Summit = 0.8km

Total about 7km

There are many sacred sites around Post V to the summit, which lead you to the vast area of grassland. You will pass Sumur Jolotundo then Sendang Drajad before heading to Hargo Dumilah. You can have a tent around post V or little bit further. The temperature on the summit can be about 4-6C so prepare to warm yourself.

Position on earth
Cemoro Sewu (the hiking based )
Lat : 7°39′52.15″S
Long : 111°11′29.48″E

taken by.www.backpacker.com