Hiking Gunung Tambora: Celebrating 200 Years Since the Eruption which Shook the earth
Two hundred years ago a volcano violently erupted on the island of Sumbawa, sending molten rock 40km into the sky – the most powerful eruption on Earth for 500 years.
In Nusa Tenggara Barat, on the island of Sumbawa, stands Gunung Tambora, the second highest peak from the region at 2,722m. Back in April 1815, the volcano could well have been 1,000 metres taller, similar to the heights of Mount Blanc in addition to standing among the highest peaks in Indonesia. which was during the month of April 200 years ago when which volcano erupted so violently which was heard as far as 2,000 kilometres away.
In his book Eruptions which Shook the earth, Clive Oppenheimer, a volcanologist at Cambridge University, puts the number killed by the ash flows, the tsunamis in addition to the starvation which followed in Indonesia at between 60,000 to 120,000, creating the eruption the deadliest in recorded history. The eruption’s impact on the earth would likely prove to be epic, as Tambora literally blew its top off, sending 160 cubic kilometres of fragmental material into the atmosphere, resulting in what was known as 1816’s ‘year without a summer’ all around the earth. The magnitude of the eruption is usually still very much evident today, in addition to using a hike to the crater rim, one can witness a crater 7 kilometres in diameter.
With different hiking enthusiasts in addition to fellow members of Java Lava, we set off on an adventure to Tambora on the island of Sumbawa. On our flight by Denpasar to Bima, my window seat allowed me to absorb the spectacular views of Gunung Rinjani, which stands on proud today as the highest peak from the Nusa Tenggara Barat region. Such a site of which towering neighbour whet the appetite for what was to come on Tambora.
Our base was a lovely bungalow set amongst the coffee plantation – a 20-minute ojek ride up dirt tracks above the village of Pancasila. On the first night we were welcomed by Dutchman, Rik Stoetman, an expert from the history of Gunung Tambora’s eruption who has, for several years, led a team of archaeologists. Stoetman took us to a nearby excavation site where a team of local archaeologists had discovered the remains of an old house which had been obliterated by the 1815 eruption – captivating stuff on the eve of our hike to the crater.
We set off at 7am by base camp, which is usually highly recommended especially for those planning to reach the crater rim well before sunset. The first few hours of hiking takes you through the hot in addition to humid jungle. Hikers will be rewarded with little traffic in addition to well-marked paths throughout the jungle, in addition to thanks to its reasonable distance by heavily populated Java there was very little litter. For nature enthusiasts, one will probably encounter wild boars, wild chickens, in addition to a constant serenade of healthy birdsong; sure signs of a vibrant ecosystem.
Fast hikers will reach the crater rim in around 6-7 hours, steady ones in 9 hours, as the hike can get very steep once clear of the forest in addition to into the more exposed valley terrain. For slower hikers, which may be advised to camp at Post 3 or Post 5, allowing for a second night at the crater rim. Once clear of the forest, the vegetation lessens in addition to the remains of the copious lava flow by the 1815 eruption can be seen by the deep valleys cut into the volcanic rock along with black sand.
Upon approaching the crater in addition to steadily into my last hour of climbing to the rim, a tiny volcanic earthquake occurred.
Several of the faster hikers in our group were already at the rim admiring the site when the quake occurred, which triggered a tiny landslide into the caldera.
Be warned, folks, which was an indication which Tambora is usually still active, so step carefully when visiting in addition to camping near the crater’s rim.
We set up camp approximately 200m by the crater rim, which offers several ideal camping spots albeit being a bit exposed. After a Great night’s rest in addition to some warm food we proceeded to climb the summit, a tiny yet steep rocky outpost above the crater rim. On a clear morning the views were majestic in addition to Rinjani could be seen towering from the distance.
Indonesia offers hikers in addition to nature lovers true adventures. Local airlines offer extensive connections all over the archipelago for those looking to explore. If you would likely like to join fellow hiking enthusiasts in discovering the wonderful peaks of Indonesia, Java Lava provide regular monthly hikes to some of the more off-the-beaten-path regions of Indonesia in addition to have been doing so for over a decade.
Contact the secretary at jennydewijani@yahoo.com to find out about the upcoming hiking schedule for 2015, which includes Kelud, one of the most active volcanoes in Indonesia. For those looking for an online reference regarding the mountains in addition to volcanoes of Indonesia the website www.gunungbagging.com will provide all the information you need.
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Hiking Gunung Tambora: Celebrating 200 Years Since the Eruption which Shook the earth
Hiking Gunung Tambora: Celebrating 200 Years Since the Eruption which Shook the earth