Gunung Gede: A Hike into one of the oldest tropical reserves in the world

300 days ago
	Throughout my year in Jakarta, I have on clear day seen a peak off in the distance. It is of course volcanic in nature and stands like a sentinel looking over the majority of west java. So intriguing was this mountain, that a rallied a few friends together to go for a hike to the summit. Our plan was to sleep till 10 or 11, and then start the hike up the moutain. I set up hammock and got a little rest, however Charly and Josh were not able to sleep. Around 9:30 we went to get a cup of coffee and then start the hike. The mood in the town was relaxed, but still fairly lively for a small village. Initially the trail was hard to find, but once on it, it was veyr hard to get lost. The forest closed around the trail and the experience was as if we were walking through a canyon. You could only see a small glitter of starlight directly above. The trail continued up the mountain at a fair pace. Around 5 km after the start of the trail, we came across a sight that made us all think that we were dreaming. The trail ran directly adjacent to a series of cascades coming down the mountain. That alone would have been beautiful, but as the water had been heated by the volcano which were were ascending there was a surreal steam gushing out from everywhere. Our flashlight beams turned solid through the mist, penetrating not more than a few meters. The heat was relieving, as the temperature outside this sactuary was rather cold. Many hikers had set up tent nearby the hot water falls, as the valley the waterfall fell into was quite warm. We trudged along, anxious to reach the top before sunrise. The hike was wearing us out, and the volcanic gasses were making us feel light headed. Eventually the lack of sleep caught up with us and we all jsut crumpled in the middle of the trail for a power nap. Josh got a bit of rest, but the cold made Charly and I attempt ot build the second fire of the night. We were desperate for fire starter, so we searched our pockets for any combustible trash. When I pulled out the insurance forms that they had given us at the park office, we tempted fate and consigned them to the creation of a fire. Ah well, what was the worst that could happen? After our failed attempt to make a fire (the humidity just made it impossible to get anything to burn) we continued on our way. After a few minutes of walking, the trail to a ninety degree turn and started up a cliff. Damn! We had just burned the insurance... that must be an omen! Charly was hesitant, but we all persisted, seeing it as the only option. The climb wasn't so bad, but your light did fade to black when you shone it down the cliff that we had just climbed. As our ascent came to a finish, the sun was rising and the ache and pain of the upward climb started to fade and be replaced by the satisfaction of knowing that we had reached our target. Oddly enough, many people were at the top, having come up the previous day and spent the night in tents. the view was amazing. You could see both oceans (not well, but still enough to get the gist) and the other mountains in the area. The huge crater below the summit was fuming and creating rather large clouds. To the North was Gunung Gede's brother, Gunung Pranggango, which is 50m taller, but it treed at the top so not really good for the views. We spent a while up there just taking in the scenery and warming up. The return hike down was wonderful. The first leg actually gave our arms a good workout as the trees were small enough to grip and so we controlled our speed and reduced stress on our knees by swinging like monkeys from tree trunk to tree trunk. Our goal was to book it down to the waterfall and then take a nice hot bath there. You could feel the decomposition in the forest. the humidity was pleasant, and the dense forest was covered with moss. It looked like the place of magic, with the early morning light shining through. Once we reached the waterfalls, I first took a shower in a very chilly mountain fed waterfall, then moving along to the hot springs. Along the way we stopped in a tepid river which was a mix of groundwater and volcanic water. I would have loved to follow the stream as it wound up the hills from waterfall to water fall, but we had more pressing matters on hand. The final set of waterfalls were actually too hot to immerse in, so we created seats from rocks and jsut got the backsplash from the falls, with the occasional dip into the water to get really hot. It was rather emotional; sitting in front of a large hot waterfall looking out through a curtain of steam onto a wonderful valley. Despite the amazing view on the summit, this was the highlight for me. Following out relaxing break at the hot springs, we took to the trail with zest, racing down the remaining kilometers of the trail with the determination to get to the car. By the time we reached the car the hunger pangs had subsided and we put our fatigue on hold as to get home. All of us felt amazingly exhausted, yet satisfied that through this tortuous manner we were able to reflect on the values which we hold dearest and the things we take for granted.