Hike Information
Hiking Mt. Rinjani is no easy feat! It requires stamina and mental endurance. That being said, thousands of adventurers summit Mt. Rinjani each year to experience the spectacular views that if offers. While this trek is not long, it is important to be prepared. Even if you are simply hiking to the crater rim, it’s important that you bring the correct gear for this trek. If you plan to summit Mt. Rinjani, you will be reaching 3726 meters. This means, even in the hottest points of the summer, it is can be freezing at the summit. Hiking Rinjani means you should have the appropriate clothing.
Clothing & Gear
It terms of appropriate clothing, you could be hiking in the hottest and coldest of extremes. The start of the trek is much closer to sea level that the summit, and can bring the hottest of Lombok weather. Hikers often start out with short sleeve shirts and even shorts through the beginning stages. As you climb in elevation, the weather slowly gets cooler. The weather on Mt. Rinjani can change (and will change) at a moments notice. When the clouds roll in, the sun disappears and it becomes considerably cooler. For this reason, it’s important to bring a long sleeve shirt or cool jacket. When you are sweating from the heat, and then the clouds come in, your sweat chills you very quickly.
Lombok has an average temperature of 26-28°C. Keep in mind that in general, the temperature drops about 6°C every 1000 meters you rise in elevation. This means the crater rim could be 14-16°C, and the summit 2-3°C. This can be significantly different depending on the rain.
If it rains, you need to be prepared. A rain jacket is absolutely necessary for this trek because without it, your experience could be miserable. We do provide ponchos, but nothing beats having your own proper rain jacket. Some people also like to have waterproof boots or shoes incase of rain, however many hikers prefer to have breathable hiking shoes. Either way, it’s important that you have good treads on your shoes because the ground is often loose and sandy. Good treads go a long way on this hike!
When you get to the crater rim and stop moving, your body will immediately cool down. You may want something comfortable and warm to wear for your evening at the crater rim, as well as something to sleep in. It does get cold at night, but not as cold as the summit. Extra socks, long johns, knit hat, or a hoodie are things some hikers like to have.
Some people hike without hiking poles, but we personally think they are a game changer for this hike. Using hiking poles correctly can increase a hikers distance more than 10x. They are especially important for the descent as they can lessen the impact on your knees significantly. We highly recommend having hiking poles that you are comfortable with. We do offer hiking poles for free, but realize that these are used by countless hikers and are not as good as having your own that you are comfortable with. They are inexpensive, and incredibly useful. Oh, and monkeys hate hiking sticks…remember we told you that.
Some hikers like to bring gloves for a couple reasons. The obvious reason is that it can get cold at the summit, but equally important is to avoid calluses on your hands from your hiking poles.
Other important items include: Sunscreen, bug spray, moleskin (for blisters on your feet), ibuprofen, electrolytes, small snacks, or anything you might take on a normal hike. Remember that your water and food is all carried by the porters, so that is a considerable amount of weight off of your back.
Health & Safety
Safety is our priority when hiking Mt. Rinjani. Your guide is a trained professional and is constantly looking out for the safety of our customers. However, this is still the wild outdoors, and dangerous things can happen. Lombok is prone to earthquakes, which in-turn can cause mudslides. It’s important to follow your guides advice if he/she decides the continue on a different path or advises against certain sections. We are constantly updated with trail conditions from the countless porters on the mountain and do everything we can to assure our customers a safe trip.
Insurance
While insurance is not required to go on this trek, it make be something you should look into. Indonesia’s health care system is notoriously expensive, and having peace of mind may make your trek more enjoyable. 2-3 day hiking insurance plans are incredibly reasonable.
FLIGHTS & TRANSPORTATION
Getting to Lombok is easy! There are ferries from Bali & Gili Islands, as well as centralized airport. We even offer a private speedboat for passengers coming from the Gili Islands. We provide transportation for your entire package, which includes pick up from the ferry/airport, dropping you off at our homestay & eco resort, and getting you to your next destination.
