Rinjani volcano, Lombok

The sun is blazing, sunglasses, the sound of waves, a blue sky on the wide horizon and shorts – that was two hours ago. A dark road among high mountains, fog or maybe clouds are drifting over the trees and enveloping the surrounding range and jungle. The asphalt is wet and slippery, cold and dark, the humid air and twilight are causing anxiety. A winding road that no one drives at this time of day.

The road up has been winding for an hour now, and now it will finally go down. On the ridge, a view below on a flat, dark land with rice fields and a noisy town in the middle. Loud prayers from mosques echo among the mountains.This valley feels kinda eerie, especially after dark. After the chill vibes of the coast, you really notice it. It lies in a closed ring of mountains, all green with lush vegetation on the slopes, this is the only access to Rinjani.

A short descent to Sembulang Lawang, the village up close is exactly as it was announced. Women in hijabs on their heads, some of them also covering their faces. You can hear prayers much more clearly than on the hill at the entrance. A potholed road completely unlit after dark and gray buildings right next to it. Tarpaulins by shops hang in chaos like assortment on wooden shelves. Heavy traffic, loud, old, rusty scooters screech without lights in these holes. A high mountain, a characteristic conical shape of a volcano is probably on the right but you can’t see it in the dark.

Rinjani is 3700m above sea level, the mountain range next to it is also high and slightly diminishes its rank, but it is still dominant. The town of Sembulan Lawang, from which there is the best access to it and from which the trail begins, is located at an altitude of 1300m. At this altitude, you can feel a completely different climate than in the lowlands not far from here.

Sembulang Lawang is not a touristic, picturesque town from a postcard, normal life goes on there, the characteristic loud noises from the mosques give this place a unique character. It is surrounded by beautiful rice fields, and beyond it, mountains as dark as it is.

The view of Rinjani is from a dozen or so hard-to-find viewpoints. They are led by narrow, overgrown paths, and you can forget about marking the trails. The peak of the volcano is usually wrapped in clouds, it can be visible in the morning, less often in the evenings. There is a lake up there, trekking can be one or two days with an overnight stay at the top, it is demanding and possible only if the weather is good, preferably with a guide. This is a demanding route, alternatives are shorter paths such as Bukit Pergasingan or the elevation and viewpoints in the center of Sembulan Lawang called Bukit Selong, Bukit Pal with a trekking of a dozen or so minutes. Driving from the south we pass the Taman Wisata Pusuk Sembalun viewpoint, it is on a ridge with a nice panorama of the town but the volcano is not visible from there.

Rinjani is not for everyone, the town can be scary, the area is cold and dark even during the day, the mountains are harsh and the sounds are a bit terrifying. Being here gives you a strong experience, it is a reality separated from the rest of the island hidden among the mountains and clouds.