ediosite: October 2016

A few years ago I coincidentally met Mr Shariman Said at Mamak tmn melawati after I coincidentally met his pals at tabur west. One of them is abg Zain Kbs. Ok to be specific after I was being late to follow hacam program with mk. I arrived at 7something, they all have gone. Serve me right! I start solo then I met abg Zain after he'd seen me alone. So thats how I met abg Zain. A friendly and a polite uncle.

As a beginner, to hear they chit chatting on hiking was a very big fear factor for me. They are seriously talking about hiking outside from Malaysia. Especially Nepal,Japan,Africa and Indonesia. You can imagine me that only used to hike tabur and bukit saga sitting and trying to act as otai they are.

We end up our teh tarik session with adding fb and contacts number.

Time flies. I see Mr Shariman continue updating his log. Make me jealous. Then he add me to nex group. One of the post that was really2 make me angry is the ABC post. I cant found that post after I tried scrolling down. But still can remember that icy rocky mountain awesome view. This is shit. Make me thinking all night all the day. How am I to follow them? It was like an ambition.

One day in 2015, I cannot tahan anymore.haha forgive with rojak words.almost every week seeing abg Shariman bakar line. I blindly make a ground deposit to abg Shariman after a short fb chat followed by a Mamaks session on the same day. I decided to follow him to mount semeru,east java, indonesia after considering my budget and because of ranukumbolo, a high attitude lake located in the mid way of Mt semeru track and also because of oro-oro ombo, a secret lavender garden look a like located behind the ranukumbolo. Some local name it Ranum or Danau Kumbolo.

Ok now I already make a fool decision after reading some blog about Mt semeru difficulties. How come a beginner like me are going to deal with that?

17/05/2016
The day was come. We depart from klia2 to juanda airport, surabaya. Flight delayed few hours so our plan to see blue fire volcano at kawah ijen was cancelled. We touch down at surabaya arround 8 pm then we went to Malang to take a nap rest.

19/05/2016
I skip the 18th because it was a leisure day plus they are too sophisticated to describe the beauty of penanjakan bromo sunrise moment and the mandakaripura waterfall. You may check out from the photos.

After breakfast at ranupani, me, abg Shariman, Nenek Kebayan, Catcher kak d, Mohd Akram begin the hike. It was my first time carrying load with my 70L rucksack. I worried I cant. Fortunately before this I have make a bit squat exercise. So I think it was help my back and shoulders.

Almost at every check point we found warung serving fresh watermelon, water and snacks. We quite regret carrying 3L water bottle and energy drink. Trust me, every checkpoint you'll stop for watermelon. The locals call it semangka. We make friends along the way and say 'semangat' everytime passing. I not so sure why. But it was like an official tagline maybe to keep hikers mentally motivated as it means.

We reach at ranukumbolo arround 2pm. It was late since we are planning to head off to kalimati campsite, final campsite before summit attack. We target to reach at 12. Well thats because of semangka warung and maybe the slow pace. We discuss our plan while having our tapau menu.

After ranukumbolo we head off to kalimati. To reach kalimati should pass penanjakan cinta, oro-oro ombo,cemoro kandang, jambangan. The local believe that a love wish may come true if one pass penanjakan cinta by not looking back, their wish will come true. We found that one single gentleman Mr akram in our trip not turning his head back. Hehehe. We understand you bro. Its hard to make one love us, but it will be very hard to maintain the love after you get someone. Trust me.

The next photography session is at oro-oro ombo. The purplicious lavender garden look alike. But that time the flower was not fully rises. The flower actually is not lavender, it is wild flower named similarly to brazil.(can Google yourself)Our track friend pink hikers told us that the flower was damaged after the re-open of track. Almost 5000 hikers enter the track after the track was closed during April because of a quite dangerous eruption.

Back to the story, between the cemoro kandang and jambangan there is pine forest to pass. The single gentleman,akram was far leaving us behind. The day was getting dark. I was alone behind the single boy. The slope was not so challenging. But the sorrow feeling was make my adrenaline pump faster. You can imagine walking at dusk lonely in the pine forest with middle height bush. Sometime I feel like there were something watching me behind the bush alley.

A few hundred metres before I reach jambangan checkpoint, I heard some one calling me, "uii."stopped "Ui ui"that wat 3times uii. I saw a lady wearing orange windbreaker on my back. Seem like a kak d Nenek Kebayan. But I cant convince myself it is her. So I continue hiking till I reach jambangan checkpoint. Then after I stop. Yes it is her. Thanks god. Now I got accompany to kalimati base camp. An this time we met an uncle wearing jubah and serban. Its weird but as long as he can speak it is okay. Maybe he went to kalimati to perform prayer as imam.

After arround one hour slightly descending, we reach kalimati arround 8pm. Wait for kak b and abg Shariman then set up tent, having dinner and try to sleep at 15degree celcius. I cant sleep at all. Not because of the coldness, but because of other hikers are chit chatting each others.

20/05/2016
At 1am we hike up to mahameru summit. It was like a dumb being here early in the morning. I cant forgive my self at this time. Abg Shariman keep motivating and pushing me.

The forest part done. Now only left the botak part. The footdeep sandy rock with almost 60 degree ascending I guess. Once step forward,will be once step to backward. That will need a lot of force to hike up. The local gave tips to step on the footstep that left by previous hikers. Yes it works and will save a lot of energy.

I follow the bujang(single) boy pace, while others are behind. I dont know what kind of lung he had. My breath and heart are rapidly working but his face look so relaxing and innocent like watching football and enjoying some kuaci.

We stop and take five few times then I surrender by not following him anymore. I nearly sleept during take five. If not maybe I cant share this story.

I enjoy my pace and sometimes look back. Just alone enjoying the sunrise and finally managed to reach the summit arround 8am. Took me almost 8 hrs for 900metres track(estimated). The tired feel,the dumb feel,the unforgive feel was completely dissapear. We are served with 360degree panoramic view with some carpet cloud view. Also clearl view of Mt Arjuno Welirang. Its tougher than Mt semeru based on chit chat with other hikers. Well maybe next trip will be the Mt arjuno.

We gather among Malaysian hikers and Indonesian. There was 7malaysian including us. Enjoy the winning drinks, snacks,ciggar and some photo sessions. It was a day that we feel an independence day of malaydonesia.no difference at all among us. Like they said "kita serumpun".

Then we ski-down descending back to kalimati. I was a bit nervous then they left me far behind. I make it faster to catch up them and suddenly I fall and rolling like a durian fall at dusun slope. Luckily I managed to stop it. Otherwise maybe again I cant text this story.

After reach back at kalimati, we all are served by our master chef with specialious soft rice with tuna in cup.hehehe. Credit to kak b. Yes we enjoy it kak b. Especially kak d.huhuhu

Ok we pack back to set up tent at ranukumbolo campsite. It was a lazy move since we had reach the top of mahameru. We arrived on time and managed to get the best spot for the sunrise. That night I can sleep but sometime I heard the background gamelan music far far away.huhuhu. That sound actually from the other world(local told me). Only me and kak b Nenek kebayan heard that sound.

21/05/2016
Sunrise at ranukumbolo
Trust me, you will not regret with this. Really worth it. After the sunrise session and some self satisfaction pose we enjoy our last breakfast and share with other hikers. Then we pack up and shoot back to ranupane.

I was proud for challenging my self and able to do it.
I also proud accompanied with otai that always brush me when they found I make wrong. They also a good teacher,supportive and willing to make family although by just met at klia2.
I also proud with nex. Its not a group of hikers. It is a friends,family and community.
I also proud to be Malaysian. (not political)

We are same, we are born to be Malaysia. So where it will be for the NEX trip?