Loose volcanic gravel coupled with frustration is the big challenge of summiting Gunung Rinjani, the second tallest active volcano in Indonesia. At 3,726 m, not a frightening height, it is the fifth tallest mountain in Indonesia. The three tallest mountains are all in Papua province.

We have made what we thought was adequate preparation but the mental challenge was what was most crucial. We had been training weekly at Bukit Timah Hill, and did a few endurance treks, in addition to two treks to Gunung Belumut and Gunung Lambak in Kluang, Johor. We did staircases during the weekdays too. At least I tried. This physical training was all necessary but the desire, the determination to summit was the crucial piece that was the crown of all preparations.

The trek began with pleasant grasslands and rolling hills, cloudy and misty weather and some drizzles. The hills gradually became three steep uphill climbs to reach the Sembalun crater rim where we set up camp, ate, rested and prepared for the final ascent to the summit at 2am the next morning. This was outside my comfort zone – living in tents. Most of us used wet wipes to clean ourselves, changed our clothes and used a miner’s torch to pack ready for the ascent. I slept soundly to my pleasant surprise.

We woke at 2am but preparations, breakfast and getting all geared up caused a delay and we started at 4am. It would be too late to catch the sunrise. I did not mind. I planned to trek at a pace I am comfortable with. I do not mind reaching the summit after sunrise. And so it was that I reached the summit with my wife and three other friends at about 12 noon.

What was supposed to have taken us 3 hours took some of us 8 hours. Of course along the way we took in the sights, the sunrise, and the scenery and took numerous photographs. The journey was to be enjoyed and there was no prize for the fastest. The toughest stretch was a 1 km slope of loose gravel to the peak. This took us several hours. It looked so near but it took so long and so much out of you. It was one long,  frustrating plod. Three steps forward, two steps back. The incline was about 60-80 degrees. The ground was soft, and the gravel was loose, and our feet kept sinking backwards. It was frustrating till the very end. However, you see others ahead of you, and some at the top, and talk to some on the way down, and that encourages you to keep going.

Lord, strengthen my legs and my hands. Guide my feet to solid ground. Bring me to the summit. Help me to get up there. With patience and endurance, my wife and I got there and were filled with relief that the worst was over, and we made it to the summit. We were the last group to be there – we took our photos peacefully and quietly. Setting your heart to reach the top was vital. The rest was God’s grace and moving step by step in the right direction.

We started on 28 April (Monday) and ended on 1 May (Thursday). We stayed three nights in tents in the mountains. The first and second night we stayed at the crater rim: Plawangan Sembalun. It overlooked the beautiful Segara Anak crater lake. On the third night, we clawed our way to Pos III along the Senaru route and camped there. There we spent the last night and looked forward to the short trek back through the equatorial forest back to civilization and the Villa Ombak Hotel Resort on Gili Trawangan.