A Trek to Kawah Ijen – the Blue

12
A Trek to Kawah Ijen
- the Blue-Fire Volcano Crater
4 - 10 February 2015
Chong Hon Yeng - T&O
Here we go again, 16 of us
embarked on a trek to Kawah
Ijen, located in the Banyuwangi
Regency, easternmost end of Java
Indonesia. Kawah is Indonesian
for crater.
K
awah Ijen is a stratovolcano
(made up of hardened lava)
that sits at its highest point
at 2799m. The active volcano is
famed for the phenomenon of
the blue flames and the world’s
largest acidic crater lake and
turquoise-coloured water.
A panoramic view of Kawah Ijen crater lake with turquoise-coloured water and sulphur fumes oozing out of the cracks. The lake is
about 960m by 600m with depth of 200m and contains water so acidic that it can dissolve clothes and human flesh. The pH of the
water is measured to be 0.5.
Kawah Ijen is also known for its rich sulphur deposits and the labour-intensive sulphur
mining operation. Local workers carry up to 80kg of sulphur-laden baskets through the
ridiculously steep and dangerous paths for about 3km and get paid a measly Rp1,000
($0.10) for every kilogram of load. It is immensely difficult work and the miners are often
poorly equipped against the fumes and elements. Tough life indeed!
A worker with 80kg load.
Faizal lifting half load of
sulphur-laden baskets.
Hapizal posing with a
full load.
We had arrived at Banyuwangi – a transit city for
traveller to Kawah Ijen – a few days earlier. Half of the
guys were on another challenging cycling excursion
and the other half on a leisurely journey to Teluk
Hijau, a virgin bay with pristine crystal clear water.
Our Hard Trail Riders getting ready for another
challenging cycling excursion.
All geared-up and ready to go
On the day of the trek, we set off at one hour past midnight in five all terrain vehicles
to Paltuding Base Camp. The Forestry Conservation Office at the base camp is the
meeting point for all trekkers where everyone should register and pay an entrance
fee before the trek. All of us were geared-up, eager and ready to ascend in the
wee hours, hoping to see the magical blue flames before sunrise. But alas, we
were held back by the conservation office due to the heavy sulphuric smoke at the
crater. Permission was finally granted for ascend at about 4 am.
The trekking route from the base camp to the rim of the crater is about 3km. It
seems like a short distance but one has to gain more than 530m in altitude – an
equivalent of climbing more than 170 storeys of a building. The steep uphill route
follows a well-trodden pathway which twists and turns for about 2.5km to a rest
house. The ascent was grinding and merciless where every step taken was felt. It
was arduous and most of us were panting very hard. We were dripping in sweat
by the time we got there. From the rest house, it was another 1km of winding but
relatively flat path to the side of the volcano. You will know you have arrived by the
smell of sulphur fumes rising from the crater lake. Faizal, the fittest among us and
Afiq, our friend, were the first to arrive at about 6 am. Both of them continued from
the crater rim to descend another 300m down the steep path to the lakeside and
to witness the sulphur mining operation. The rest of us were contented to view the
breathtaking sight from the rim. The famed blue flames, which we were there for,
eluded us that day. The blue flames are actually sulphuric gas emerging from the
cracks at up to 600°C will self-ignite when in contact with air and start burning.
Although we missed the blue flames and sunrise, we were all completely in awe
and mesmerised by the landscape before us. We persisted and made maximum
effort to the summit and it rewarded us in a way we cannot imagine of a place
better than this one! Where can we go next?
Teluk Hijau – Green Bay.
Zainal, Joffri, Zain, Zul, Razak, Afiq and
Harrison at midpoint.
Ye! From Sie Y S
and Khair.
Me, Sie Y S, Ibrahim, Mazlan, Zainal and Lim K A at the rim of the crater.