Sunrise Hike to Mt. Bromo

Mount Bromo is not only Indonesia’s most iconic mountain but also the most hiked by travellers. At 2,329 m (7,641 ft) above sea level, it cannot even claim to be Java’s highest peak. That distinction belongs Mount Semeru (3,676 m or 12,060 ft) which stands imposingly in the background, like an older  brother watching over his sibling. 

So what is it about Bromo that makes people want to climb it? The adventure, the danger, the curiosity – these are some possible reasons. In any case, the stunning views from the summit are enough reason to go there!

The name Bromo is the Javanese pronunciation for Brahma, the Hindu god of creation. The Tenggerese inhabitants found here are one of the few significant Hindu communities left on the island of Java. The Tenggerese claim to be descendants of Roro Anteng and Joko Seger and the story goes like this:- 

Majapahit Princess Roro Anteng and her husband Joko Seger fled marauding Islamic forces, ending up at Mount Bromo. They established a new kingdom, naming it Teng-ger using parts of their respective surnames.

The Kingdom of Tengger prospered and Hinduism flourished, but the couple was unable to produce any children. In desperation they prayed and meditated for many days on Bromo. Finally, the crater opened and the almighty god, Sang Hyang Widhi, promised that they would have many children provided that their last-born was sacrificed back to the volcano. 

After producing 25 children, however, Roro and Joko could not bring themselves to sacrifice their last-born, Prince Kesuma. A dreadful eruption of Bromo followed and Prince Kesuma was swallowed up by the crater. Kesuma’s last words coming from inside the crater were that he had to be sacrificed so that the rest could stay alive. He asked that an annual offering ceremony be held on the 14th day of Kasada. 

This unique and sacred Yadnya Kasada festival started by Kesuma’s brothers and sisters has been organised annually, and passed down the generations until today. It is held on the 14th day of the Kasada month (12th month) of the Tenggerese calendar. During this colourful festival, offerings of fruit, rice, vegetables, meat and even livestock are thrown into the crater. 

At 3:30am, we were standing in the cool darkness at the base of Mount Bromo, ready for the climb. The whole place was pitch dark and eerily quiet. I had expected to see more climbers, but we were the only ones around at that time of the morning.

My headlamp proved to be ineffective in the vast blackness of my unfamiliar surroundings. I treaded carefully, afraid that any loose rock would cause me to slip and roll down. We were so focused on navigating our way up the craggy slopes that we didn’t notice anything else around us – until our guide told us to stop awhile and look upwards. It was a brilliant night with hundreds of diamonds across the sky!

After two hours, we finally reached the top, which was not too bad in my book, considering the number of photo and rest stops along the way. I found the hike to be quite challenging but the changing kaleidoscope sky, the silent silhouettes from faraway mountain ranges and stone structures, the floating clouds – made me forget my tiredness and aching feet.

In order to arrive at the mouth of the caldera we had to climb a rather steep stairway of 253 steps.

At the top, I found myself at the rim of Mount Bromo looking straight down at the smoking caldera. There was a sense of triumph and elation that I had managed to make it this far – to be standing on the summit of one of the most active volcanoes in Java. (Bromo’s most recent eruption was in 2016.) I stared down at the bottomless black hole for some time, mesmerised by its sheer size and sulphur emerging from its fiery depths. Surprisingly, there was no smell of sulphur in the air – only a low howling sound from deep below calling me to come closer. I started to feel slightly dizzy and turned my attention to my surroundings.

Dangerous beauty.

Mount Bromo’s narrow ridge allows just enough space for only one person to pass at a time.

Some words of caution if you are reading this. The concrete pillars lining one side of the ridge are set too far apart to act as effective safety barriers. I must admit that my knees started to go a bit wobbly after standing at that narrow ridge for some time. An accidental slip would mean a dramatic entrance into either the smoking caldera or one-way ticket to the bottom of the stairway!

Looking at the Sea of Sand and Savanna from the volcano crater.

Boiled eggs and coffee for breakfast under a makeshift tent set up at the base of the stairway.

A Tenggerese man selling flowers for throwing into the crater.

Horse rides to Mount Bromo are an alternative to hiking

After a simple breakfast at the base of the stairway, we made our way down the volcano and walked across the Sea of Sand where our Jeep was waiting.

We checked out of the homestay to embark on a 6-hour drive to Banyuwangi for our next adventure…but not before making a detour to Madakaripura Waterfall.

East Java: An Ojek Ride to Rogo Wulan

At one o’clock in morning, our Guide came by in a Jeep to bring us to some remote location to catch a Bromo sunrise. As the vehicle pulled out of the driveway on to the main street, I noticed that there were hundreds of Jeeps parked bumper to bumper on both sides of the road. Probolinggo was wide awake and bursting with life in the wee hours of the morning. What a big difference from the quiet town we had visited earlier that evening!

After leaving the main street, we found our 4WD vehicle racing side by side with other Jeeps across a dark, open space which, I later found out to be the Sea of Sand. By and by, our Jeep broke away from the others, took a left turn and started up a narrow winding road. I knew we were driving along the side of a mountain as I could see a trail of moving lights making their way up from its base. Our journey lasted for about forty minutes as we passed a number of random food stalls along that stretch, with dozens of Jeeps parked on the side. Just seeing the sheer number of vehicles along that lonely stretch of road got me wondering if we would need to fight our way for a spot to catch the sunrise. As if he read my mind, the Guide reassured me and said, “Don’t worry. We are not going to the same place as them.”

Our Jeep didn’t stop for a break like the rest but continued on, leaving the other 4WDs far behind. Further at the top, I saw the tiny lights flickering erratically in the distance and concluded that we had finally arrived at the viewpoint. It turned out to be a waiting area for a few hundred motorcycles!

We remained inside the Jeep while our Guide went to talk to a tall man who wore a helmet with the rest of his face completely covered with a scarf, exposing only his eyes. I hope he doesn’t turn out to be a terrorist, kidnapper or suicide bomber, I thought to myself.

Our Guide returned and asked us to get down from the Jeep, adding that each of us would be taking an ojek (motorbike taxi) for the final leg of our journey to the hidden viewpoint. As luck would have it, he turned to me and told me to ride with the masked man.

Being the only female among a sea of ojek in the dead of night in the middle of who-knew-where, I was not in a position to pick and choose. I meekly climbed on to the pillion seat and tried to look as nonchalant as possible – which wasn’t easy. I felt very tense, never having really ridden on a motorbike, let alone with a stranger to an unfamiliar place. While I was deliberating on how all that camera gear was going to fit on the narrow seat, my ojek rider, in a first sign of friendship, ordered me to hand over my tripod bag to him which he immediately slung across his chest. Then we were off into the blackness of the unwelcoming forest.

I can now see why this hidden viewpoint that we were heading towards is not known to many, except for the locals in that area. The narrow dirt trail cutting across the formidable trees is just wide enough for the wheels of a motorcycle to pass. It is therefore not accessible by car, 4WD or horse. Hiking is also out of the question as the desolate off-track covers a distance of 7 kilometres. I had to brace myself for an extremely bumpy ride caused by deep ruts left behind by motorcycle tyres. It didn’t help that it had rained earlier, and my rider had to exercise extra care in manoeuvring the bike as the trail had become muddy and slippery. As the bike moved along, we had to keep lowering our heads to avoid being hit by jutting branches and leaves.

The ojek ride was akin to watching a 3D movie, except that I was not the spectator merely going through all the action-packed bike stunts from the safety of a room. This was the real thing. If my rider lost control of the bike and skidded, I would go down together with him. It was a good thing that the darkness of the forest camouflaged the uneven track which was carved close to the sides of the hill. One wrong move would have sent the both of us plunging down to the black sand below. One learning point derived from this experience is that if you close your eyes long enough and imagine you are somewhere else, some of the fear will go away!

We were about 30 minutes into the journey when the ojek slowed down and came to a standstill. It took me a few seconds to come out of my trance-like state to realise that we had reached the summit of Rogo Wulan!

Hurray! Still alive and in one piece! 

I got down and walked gingerly towards the cliff’s edge in front of me. The entire place was still shrouded in darkness. I tried to make out the silhouette of Bromo but with no success as the night and  sea clouds blocked my view of the valley below. Nevertheless, I started to set up my tripod and camera in anticipation of the moment when the sun’s rays would entice Batok, Bromo and Semeru out of their dark blanket.

Gradually, I sensed a change in the sky. The sea clouds had begun to evaporate and the blue of the night was overtaken by a mixture of yellow and orange hues. Once again I strained my eyes for a sighting of the volcanic trio but saw nothing!

“You are not at the right spot,” said my ojek driver. “Come with me. I will show you.”

He led me away from the others, past some bushes and tall dry grass until we reached another spot overlooking an unlit side of the valley below. This time, however, I could make out the faint silhouette of all three volcanoes standing out from the dark grey surface. And then, everything happened very quickly. In a matter of seconds the sun had ascended above the horizon, extending its rays over the land and lighting up Bromo Crater along with her two other friends. It was a breathtaking sight – a humbling moment and such a privilege to see the mountains, grasslands and sandy plains of Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park come alive and ushering in a new morning.

The three ojek riders

Photo taken with my smartphone.

Mt Semeru, the highest mountain in Java island at 3,676 metres.

All six of us remained at Rogo Wulan Hill until it got too hot. Then it was time to make our way back down for breakfast. This time, however, the ojek ride was not as daunting as I could see my surroundings clearly. It took us only 20 minutes to reach the pick-up/drop-off point where our Jeep was already waiting.

A view of Bromo at the halfway point of Rogo Wulan Hill.

After spending a good three hours in the company of our ojek drivers, I felt rather sad to say good-bye to them. They turned out to be great company and had done an excellent job in bringing us up and down safely to Rogo Wulan. I must admit that despite my initial reservations about riding on a motorbike, this ojek ride turned out to be one of the highlights of my trip to East Java and the first thing I will always remember whenever I think of Mt Bromo.

One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.

-Henry Miller

**********

As we approach the end of 2017, I wish you all a joyous year ahead. May each day of 2018 bring new reasons to celebrate, travel and enjoy the company of those who mean the most to you. Thank-you so much for your support and dancing along with me over the years. Happy New Year!

Bromo Beckoning

Ever since I stumbled upon some images of Mt Bromo on the internet some two years ago, I had wanted to see this place for myself. However, no one else shared my enthusiasm for the trip so I shoved the idea in the back of my mind.

My interest in Bromo resurfaced after returning from my Mt Fuji trip in August of this year. The painful decision of having to turn back when we were just a pitstop away from reaching Fuji’s summit still haunted me and I badly needed a distraction to take my mind off the climb. On the brighter side, this episode in Japan boosted my courage and allowed me to come to terms with the fact that I would most likely have to travel alone if I ever wanted to go to Bromo.

I set about making enquiries, drawing lessons from my trip to Japan. Admittedly, it was rather liberating to plan my itinerary according to my wishes, instead of having to take other people’s preferences and interests into consideration. Since I was going to be in East Java, I decided to extend my trip to cover Ijen Crater as well.

During the final stage of preparation, an ex-colleague contacted me to say that he and another friend were interested to join me. This was good news as it meant that I would have some company after all, and the fixed costs could be split among the three of us.

The anticipated day arrived and we were met by our Driver at Surabaya Airport. After buying our prepaid SIM cards (which incidentally did not work after Day 2), we stopped by a roadside stall for a quick bite before starting the 3-hour drive to Cemoro Lawang  where we would spend the next two nights.

Thanks to our Driver who couldn’t differentiate between a trunk road and a racing track, we arrived half an hour ahead of time. Our Guide was already waiting for us and offered to give us a quick tour of the town before checking in to our homestay.

Cemoro Lawang is part of the Probolinggo Prefecture and sits in the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park. It is the nearest town if you want to climb Mount Bromo. Bordered by a group of mountains comprising Mt Semeru, Mt Bromo and Mt Argopuro with the beach lying on the northern side, the inhabitants comprise Javanese, Maduranese, Pendalungan and Tenggerese who practise their centuries-old traditions and customs to this day.

And then…as regular as clockwork, it started to rain!

Mysteriously beautiful even in bad weather.

The footpath from the main road to the to the women’s hut.

A walkabout around town was now out of the question. Fortunately, our Guide had Plan B up his sleeve. He brought us to the home of two old ladies who lived in a little hut in the middle of an onion field. At first, I was a bit hesitant about how they would react to strangers invading their home unannounced and walking on their earth-crusted floor with rain-soaked shoes. They turned out be really hospitable folk, giving us a glimpse into their lifestyle and allowing us to take photos of their home.

The hut is partitioned into two with the  front portion serving as a bedroom and kitchen at the back.

This wooden top serves as a bed, dining table and work space. An old transistor radio provides the only entertainment and link to the outside world.

There is no electricity or hot water. The inhabitants depend on natural light to fill the rooms.

The women go out to collect wood for fire after morning prayers. They usually retire to bed at 7:00pm.

After check-in, we all met up again for dinner at Lava View Hotel. This is supposed to be the best hotel in town but I found the service to be extremely slow, the menu overpriced and the food just average.

By the time we came out of the restaurant, the rain had subsided and temperatures had dropped drastically. I had not expected this part of the region to be so cold. There were two or three street vendors waiting outside the hotel entrance, trying to sell knitted gloves, scarves, balaclava and caps to customers and tourists coming out of the restaurant. Interestingly, many of the local residents in Probolinggo keep warm by merely wrapping a sarong round their shoulders.

Back in our homestay, we were advised to get some rest before heading out at 1:00am to a secluded viewing point to catch a Bromo sunrise. Unaccustomed to sleeping at 8:00pm, I stayed awake and waited for the seconds to tick away until it was time to hit the road for our first adventure.