soul journey: merapi

sunrise from pasar bubrah

So volcano, we meet again and this time was not a motorcycle trip again. It's a hike, damn, yes it was true six hours walk man. So it was nine of us, divided into two team, the fast new school express and the slow old school express.

Basically over and under 30 group. The only fast express over 30 was our mountain guide Badu, that saturday it was his 3rd hike in that week.

the summit

We left city of Jogja by 7pm that evening and reached the town of Selo by 9pm. We registered our name and group in the last village that was nearest to the volcano, which also act as first base camp for the hiker. The basecamp was good, that place is also used as radio tranceiver and one of the monitoring bases to observe Merapi volcano activity, the status was active normal, safe for hikers to reach the summit crater.

pasar bubrah

Our hike was started at 10.00pm, Badu our mountain guide lead the way on ward to the first mountain post. Bloody hell the first route that was still in form of an asphalted road is very steep, it's heavy. After leaving the asphalted road we entered steps of farm fields, farmers grow tobacco and cabbage in this area.

The steps were acceptable (for an old dude like us) in this area, upon leaving the farm area the path getting extremely steep again. The new school express gain the upper hand of leaving us, while the old school express stayed relax, chatted, and joke a lot along the way. While the new school walk in meditation silence. Surprisingly for us it was aunt widi (the youngest in the old school express) always lagged behind even behind the oldest uncle alejandro, come on dude you are no longer babe, you are dude for us.

aunt widi and her niece riris

We stopped at several places not just at those four resting posts, overall it was 6 hours hike. We left our beloved aunt widi in the small cave at kendit the rocky area not far from pasar bubrah the last post before summit. Because her tiny ass was slowing us all down, she got vertigo and her feet blistered from the stupidly moron cat walk with uncle alejandro to jatiningsih couple days earlier.

3 stooges

Then we reached pasar bubrah, an open field with volcanic stones as far as we see. Pasar bubrah literally mean mashed up market, it was believed as the market of the spirits in the mountain by the locals. We rest a while there before summiting for sunrise. It supposed to be an hour final hike to summit, at 4.30 we hike again but it was the hardest hike. We were already exhausted by the long hike, and in this final route the path consist of sands and loose gravels, the climb was very very steep we need to use hands, our feet kept sinking to soft sands, really drain our energy, I was the last in our train party. And there were herds of bules tourists stampeding toward the summit.

We finally started to leave the hell of sands steps and reached rocky part. But one of the new school express hit the wall, could not continue anymore, uncle alejandro and me had to rush her down to pasar bubrah for safety reason

badu the mountain guide

Then we chilled down under the setting moon and the rising sun. It was all hell broke freeze. We were just too lazy and tired to re-hike for the summit.

Enjoying the majestic sun rose and gave us all warmness. We waited for the new school express to descent then we made hot chocolate and instant noodle in pasar bubrah. Rest even nap in the stony path.

We came down at 9am and reach the Selo by 12noon. Headed back to Jogja for grilled pork, it was heavenly wicked end. I will do just do it and do it again. And in the next day morning of July 22nd, Merapi got small eruption, it was raining volcanic ashes.

moron family, video by pius badu