What is the Mount Rinjani trek like?

Rinjani is the second-highest volcano in Indonesia and the trek to its crater rim, lake and summit is the main reason many travellers come to Lombok. It is a serious multi-day hike, not a sunrise walk.

The routes

Senaru, on the north side, the traditional route through rainforest to the crater rim.

Sembalun, on the east, the usual summit route: open grassland, then a long ridge, then the summit push. Most summit treks start here and finish at Senaru.

Torean, less used, steeper, direct to the lake.

Aik Berik and other southern routes, newer and quieter.

The standard itineraries

Two days, one night: Sembalun to the crater rim, camp, sunrise at the rim, descend. No summit, no lake.

Three days, two nights: Sembalun to the rim, camp, summit push at 2am, then down to the crater lake and hot springs, camp, out via Senaru. This is the classic and the one most people do.

Four days: the same with more time at the lake.

The summit push

This is the hard part. You leave camp around 2am in the cold, and climb roughly 1,000 vertical metres on loose volcanic scree where each step slides back. It takes three to four hours up, and it is relentless. The last section is a slog that breaks a lot of people.

Sunrise from 3,726 metres, over the caldera, the lake and the sea, with Bali's Agung on the horizon, is the payoff. Then you go back down the same scree, which is fast and brutal on the knees.

The honest rate: a significant proportion of trekkers turn back before the summit. Fitness matters, and so does altitude, which at 3,700 metres is noticeable.

What it costs

Typically 1,500,000 to 3,500,000 rupiah per person for a three-day package, including guide, porters, food, tents, park fees and transfers. Cheaper packages mean fewer porters, worse food and poorer equipment.

Guides and porters are compulsory and locally organised through the park and trekking operators.

What you need

• Fitness. Hill walking fitness, not general fitness. You will climb well over 2,000 metres in total.
• Proper boots, broken in, with ankle support. Not trainers on the scree.
• Warm layers. The rim at night is near freezing with wind. A fleece, a shell, a hat and gloves.
• A head torch for the summit push.
• A sleeping bag, usually supplied, and a mat.
• Water, carried and resupplied by porters, plus salts.
• Sun protection. The exposed ridge is savage by mid-morning.

When to go

April to November. The park closes in wet season, usually around January to March, and closures also follow volcanic activity, landslides and earthquakes. The area was hit by major earthquakes in 2018 and routes have changed since.

Check the current status before booking flights, because the park does close and operators will not always volunteer that.

The ethics bit

Porters carry enormous loads in flip-flops for modest pay. Tip properly, do not overload them with unnecessary gear, and choose operators who pay and equip their crews decently. Carry your own rubbish out; the mountain has a litter problem that porters get blamed for.

If Rinjani is too much

Sembalun day walks in the foothills, with the same landscape and no camping.

The Senaru waterfalls, Sendang Gile and Tiu Kelep, a half-day from the north coast.

Mount Batur in Bali, which is a four-hour round trip rather than three days.