The Largest Acidic Crater in the World - Ijen Crater

Mt. Ijen 2.799 mdpl

     I take a one day adventure to Ijen Crater, because my mother won't let me do a night trip to Ijen. I was wondering to see the incredible blue fire, that only exist in Iceland and Banyuwangi. The best to see blue fire is at 3 in the morning. But it was rainy season, and i didn't get permission from my mother and I start hiking in the morning without camp first at night. Flew from Bandung to Surabaya by plane, and accompany my mother on her seminar in Jember. We took 4 hours driving from Surabaya to Jember. 

     In the second day we went to Bondowoso at 5am from Jember, fortunately we only take 2 ours to Bondowoso from Jember because it's usually takes 3 hours. And the road from Bondowoso to Paltuding takes about 2 hours driving, with pine forest as the scenery along the way. We don't need to use Jeep because the road is already paved, we use our rented car from Surabaya (Daihatsu Terios). From the place where we park our car, we need 2 hours walking to reach the crater. There's only one route to the top so you won't lost, and there's also a lot of people too.

      We reached the top around 11 am, unfortunately the fog is so thick and makes it hard to take pictures and also hard to walk because we barely see the road. Wearing mask is the most important thing beacuse the fog is poisonous if we stay there for long time. Actually my mother, father and my little brother stopped in the hill behind the crater and i'm walking alone to the crater. I was planned to go down to see the crater closer, but it's not allowed cause of the fog. It's almost noon when we reached the top so all the miners that brings tens of sulfur from the carter are not there. Only some workers that have another livelihood as sulfur carver selling their work. We have to go back to the parking area before 14.00, because the fog will be really thick and we can't see the way. And also at noon the fog make us hardly to breath. 

         People said that at night, the weather are really cold until it reach 2 degree celcius, but at noon i still can survive by only wearing 1 layered sweater. Maybe because i keep moving, but my little brother still freezing. I go back to the parking area around 11.45 and arrived at 12.45. Yes because it's faster to go down, but still be careful because the ground is slippery. Don't worry because the track is safe, and ramps. If you planned to see the blue fire you better to came to Paltuding one day before you start hiking, build a camp there. They allowed us to build a camp in the field near the parking area. Or you can stay in the car until it's 12am and you start hiking to the carter. There will be a lot of miners working at night, and you have to give ways for the miners. They usually carry 80-90kg of sulfurs from the carter. 

Mountain is not a trash can, please bring back your trash