her plot : Peak of God

Mt. Semeru, 3676mdpl

This is an example of my letter permit

This highest mountain in java has million beauty that's never fade. I'm not an expert in hiking mountain, and i have no experience at all. But Mt.Semeru has made me challenged. It may sounds crazy because this is my first experience, but nothing can drag me down. I was the only girl in the team until we met our guide, I went with 4 of my school mates, my brother, and 2 of my friend's siblings. Because i haven't got my legal identity card (I was 16 yo that time), so I was required to make parents letter permit, that signed by my parent on stamp. Because i'm still an high school student, we take free time after our finals in second year. We start our journey by taking Matarmaja train from Cirebon to Malang, it cost Rp115.000,- for economic class. We leaving Cirebon at 17.00 WIB and arrived in Malang at 06.17 WIB in the next day.

When we arrived in Malang, we met our guide in front of the station and heading to Pasar Tumpang by public transportation (angkot). And continue to Ranu Pane with Jeep, it cost around Rp500.000 for one way.

We start walking from Ranu Pane to Ranu Kumbolo at 16.00, and arrived around 21.00. We decided to build tent and take sleep instead, because we still have another long journey next day. In the morning we take a really quick breakfast, and taking pictures in the side of the lake, we didn't permitted to swim in the lake. But we still allowed to only clean up our body in some areas.

We continue our journey at 9.00 with 3 hours hiking from Ranu Kumbolo to Kalimati. We have one more night stay in Kalimati, before we went to the top of Mahameru.

As we arrived in Kalimati, we build tents and take a rest. Saving energy for the night, preparing needs such as water because the water springs in Kalimati are far from the camp. After all the stuff packed we take an early sleeping, we will start hiking at 00.00. Wake up at 23.00 wearing sweater, jackets, layered socks and pants because it's really freezing outside. We have to keep ourself warm, or we will dead by freeze. Before we leaving Kalimati we did a little warm up, because the hillside are about 45 degree and covered by sands & rocks. Commons climber can reach the top by 6 hours walking, but we arrived at 6.30 am. The weather are still freezing even the sun has rises, so we quickly taking pictures before we got frozen.

We go back to Kalimati around 7.30 and arrived around 10.00. Yap, it's easier to go down than to the top we need 6 hours to the top but only need around 2 hours to go down. A little reminder don't forget to bring glasses, because I got an infection in my eyes because of the dust and little rocks slipped in my eyes. That's why there's a picture where i am covering my eyes for about a day. And even it's easier to go down, but it's more dangerous. My friend got slipped by a little rock, because he is in a rush that makes he rolled from the hill. Fortunately he still fine, even he got so many scars in his face, and a little lame but nothing is broken so he needs a stick to help him walking.We take a little rest in Kalimati, before we leaving and go back to Ranu Kumbolo. We have one more night to enjoy beautiful scenery in Ranu Kumbolo. We leaving Kalimati at 12.00 and arrived in Ranu Kumbolo around 15.00. We take a really long nap here before we go home next day.

Enjoying the night in Ranu Kumbolo with billion stars in the sky, cold weather, the smells of woods, night dews, a hot milo and chit chat with friends. We pray together with a really wonderful scenery in front of us. And that's what money can't buy.

It's really sad to leaving Semeru with all the greatest stuff and go back to the real world as a student. But the destination of hiking a mountain isn't the top or the summit but it's to go home safe. So in the 4th day we leaving tp Ranu Pane and heading back to Malang. Even our adventures stop but our friendship won't. We stay in Malang for two nights in motel around the station, before we go back to Cirebon by train.

Tips :

* Before planning to go hiking a mountain, make sure you really want it from the heart or your passion. Because the most important thing is not your body capability but it's your mental. The spirit you have can make your body even stronger than usual.

* YOU STILL NEED EXERCISE. Take a routine jogging at least a week before you go.

* Another important thing is permission from your parents. I'm such a lucky one because my mother was an expert mountain climber and she support me. And that's how i got a lot channel to Adventure Association.

* Mountain is not a trash can. Bring back your trash, save God's creatures.