Tambora Mountain – Sumbawa : Thrilling Enchantment I

Climbing mountain will be more exciting if we know the history, potential and the challenges of the mountain because each mountain has its own special characteristic, include Tambora mountain.

Tambora mountain located in Sumbawa island, West Nusa Tenggara. This mountain has a strong eruption history. Almost 2 century ago, April 11^st 1815, which is estimated to have more than 4,300 meter high above sea level have destroyed its one third body. Now, the height only 2,851 meter above sea level. It has a caldera, some parasiter cones named Tahe (877 m), Molo (602 m), Kadiendinae, Kubah (1648 m) and a crater called Doro Api Toi which is laid inside the caldera. The volcano belongs to Jazirah Sanggar, Bima, Sumbawa Island. It is situated in 8° 15' S and 118° 00' E.

The attract thing of Mount Tambora is its exceptional spectacular crater. Craters that formed as a result of the volcanic activities at the year of 1815 has diameter. The crater was formed by volcanic activity in 1815. The diameter is more than 7 km and the depth is more than 1 km. To climb up the crater or top of Tambora, you have to follow the climbing line start from Calabai to Pancasila village (+750m) and then wandering the northwestern slope. This village was located at northwest Tambora. was one of the initial point of climbing to the top of Mount Tambora.

Journey through Pancasila village from Bima city or Dompu city, You’ll see typical African scenery. Mountain range, hilly, dry land, yellowish brown sand with underbrush, and savanna field, just looks like Afrika. Even the scenery of the bay and beautiful beaches along the coastal trip in Sumbawa will add the amazing scenery.

Journey to The Mountain

If you start your journey from Lombok island, you can take a bus from the Bertais bus terminal (close to Mataram, Lombok Island) to Kadindi, Sumbawa Island. This is a 19-hr bus ride which includes 2 hours on the ferry between Lombok and Sumbawa. The bus ticket is 120,000 rupiah per person, and arrival time is about 5-6 am. There are departures every day, at the same time.

At the Kandindi bus terminal took ojek Pancasila. That was a short ride which cost 15,000 rupiah per person. To climb Mount Tambora you should report and a permit to the Village Head of Pancasila, or to the club where nature local people, K-PATA. In it you can get as much information about the ascent of Mount Tambora point before climbing. If you need a guide, you can use the energy from the K-PATA members have been trained enough and know the terrain of Mount Tambora. The guide will give you all the thing you need during the journey to Tambora; a porter, a tent, cooking utensils, and buy crackers, rice, coffee, sugar, noodles and water for a 2-day / four-person trip. The price of the guide was 200,000 rupiah and that of the porter was 175,000.

After leaving the village of Pancasila, you will travel through the paths wide enough that can be used by four-wheeled vehicles. In the left and right along the way, you go from the village of Forest Gate Pancasila is the coffee plantation area. Places of interest that you will pass at the beginning of the journey are a complex nation of worship Hindu Temples. In the complex of worship are equipped with public toilets and some rooms as a place of simple people who want to perform Hindu worship.

To arrive at the door of the Forest Village Pancasila takes about 2 hours. You can use ojek (motorcycle taxi); more quickly. Approximately only takes about 30 minutes. In the forest gate you will find several building of coffee plantation.

Then, after the Forest Gate, you will cross wide enough paths, and a sloping uphill. It was a former street car propelled the results of the wood in the forest Tambora. Throughout the trip visible paths that it is more plant bushes and reed. But also plant timber remnants of the green have begun to return. Understandably only logging company that operates the place has been closed since 4 years ago. Tambora forest was damaged and is now open for the little sprout start again. Until finally climb after about 1 hour coverage, you will arrive at 1st Post. In this place you can rest for a while. Source of water is approximately 10 meters on the left side of the road trails that form the flow of water from pipes who were inside the plastic drum which is also the source of water villagers at the foot of Mount Tambora.

On the journey to the next post, the climbing field character is not much different with the previous, still sloping, and uphill with a thick vegetation which quite humid. However, during crossing the paths you must be alert. Then you also have to be careful so that the tree across the forest is quite big because in some places, footpaths appear as fork. And after a travel of about 2 hours from the previous post you will see a simple wood hut. That means you have arrived at 2nd Post. As in the 1st Post, the there is adequate water resources, such as small river that is also located near the post.

For the next post, from 2nd post the climbing point is down to the creek. After crossing the point and then climb quite steep and sloping back to the forest vegetation, this is quite humid. If lucky, you can also find forest chicken along this path. You will continue through the paths that vary and a sloping uphill and must cross several fallen trees. Until approximately one and a half hours you will travel through the savanna area means the 3rd Post is not far. In this place there is also such a simple hut house and half the wall under the zinc. The area is quite flat and the surrounding area of about 15 people can be accommodating tents with a capacity of 3-4 people. Here, there is also the source of water located approximately 250 meters from the post. That is why this is the last place for overnight before climbing to the crater or the top of Mount Tambora on daybreak on the next day. Usually, climbing to the top is carried out starting at 01.30, or early days, as well as I do. To the top of the climber is usually only bring light supplies, the others left in the post.

Trip to the 4th Post after the previous post, you will find one of the uniqueness of Mount Tambora, called pulus forest. The plant leaf and stem full of thorns it is fine that will make your skin tingle and if the heat. To avoid use clothes that covers your body. Forest nettle to grow along the climbing route between the Post 3 with Post 4 can be taken about 30 minutes. The area is quite flat in the pine forest. In the journey to the next post, which also can be reached in about 30 minutes, the forest has begun to wane nettle and switch to grass vegetation and small trees. Some areas are more open. At the time the weather is sunny in the west you can see the scenery of Mount Rinjani, Moyo Island and Satonda Island. Post 5 in the area is quite protected from the wind because the trees cover. Here, there are also simple hut.

Then, climbing to the crater lip or peak again resumed. The zone near the top of the vegetation slowly changed from a type of plant trees and bushes. The uphill climbing routes around the serpentine groove some hill that feels longer. However, the scenery is beautiful and stunning you can see along this path. At the far appears that the peak of Mount Tambora colored brown and barren. Meanwhile in the West appear with ocean islands located around the island of Sumbawa. By the morning crowing sound of chicken sounded forest replication. Lip craters near the footpaths into the sand and have-stone. Once across the last set of pine trees, you will arrive at the sandy terrain of the area means the lips have been increasingly close. Until the end you will see phenomenal spectacular scenery. A giant crater spread widely before you.

The best time to hike on Tambora is in August, still dry season.