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Mount Penanjakan (2700 m) is the perfect point to see Bromo sunrise and the landscape of Tengger Semeru National Park. Bromo is one of the several eruptive centres in the Tengger caldera, which means that all the craters are surrounded by one big crater. Standing in the view point you can also see the nearby village covered with clouds. The sunrise over the landscape of Tengger Semeru National Park is one of the most stunning moment in my travels. It was covered by a fog, which slowly passed off and denuded the beauty of the craters. On the left side of the view there’s Cemoro Lawang which started to be visible after the fog dispapeared.
Hiking alone Mount Penanjakan view point
Of course you can choose the easy way (asphalt road) to get to the view point – jeep tours. They take you directly to the view spot. At that time I was with my friend Nati and we decided to climb the view point on foot. It is possible to do that although most people take a tour guide. I guess one path to the summit is pretty easy and obvious for the most part. We decided to choose the steep path, which is not popular and you need a lot of climbing. There is a local tour guide who takes people to the top following this overgrown path. The small path to the top is not too visible but it’s possible to do it alone. We did that – two girls in the middle of the night climbing a jungle track to the summit 🙂
You just need to wake up very early and start your trip before 2 am. It takes at least two hours to reach the view point and the feeling is great to get there on foot. It’s good to have warm clothes with you as the temperatures during at night can decrease to only few degrees. The temperature increases very quickly from the morning but remember you start you walk in the middle of the night and climb the mountain. Always carry a big bottle of water with you. Going back you can take the asphalt road, which is a little long but with stunning views. At the end you reach the desert (sand sea) in the middle of the biggest crater and walk along the volcanoes to reach Cemoro Lawang. It’s a long walk but it’s stunning.
Climbing Mount Penanjakan - try non-touristic trail
Climbing Mount Penanjakan was quite difficult for us. We did reach the summit at 4.30 just before the sunrise. After two hours of climbing we were quite tired and sweaty. There was a huge crowd on the view point. I think there was about 200 people who just got off from their jeeps and cars. They were all oddly starring at us! I think we had really red faces and looked like wet chickens. But there are no words to describe how wonderful you feel that we manage to do this completely alone, using a non-touristic trail. It’s adventurous and fun! This is what I love most in my travels.
Hiking Mount Pananjakan - how to prepare?
- Bring quite warm clothes – jacket, long trousers and trekking shoes! It gets cold during the night and it’s getting warm after the sunrise (so wear also a T-shirt).
- Take at least one bottle of water with you – it’s a hiking trail.
- Bring head light.
- Don’t forget to have your travel insurance. I bought it before the travel and it was valid for whole Asia. Perhaps it’s possible to buy it in Indonesia, it’s best to ask any local travel agency or a tourist guide. The hiking trail we used might be a home for wild animals.
- Have some snacks if you plan to walk back to Cemoro Lawang through the sand desert.
- Take your camera as the view is stunning. You might need sunglasses as well.
