Mt Rinjani 2019 Trekking Information
Mount Rinjani, the 12,224ft / 3726m volcano that dominates Lombok’s skyline is usually open for trekking between April and January (it’s generally closed for the monsoon months of January, February & March). During the season people climb to the summit of Mount Rinjani via two approved routes, one starting in Senaru and one in Sembalun. Climbing to Mt Rinjani’s summit from Senaru is usually done in 3 days / 2 nights (as you go via the crater lake, danau Segara Anak); climbing to the summit from Sembalun usually takes 2 days / 1 night, as it is a quicker, more direct route.
2018 Lombok Earthquakes
Indonesia is located at the meeting point of several tectonic plates; the Eurasian Plate, the Australian Plate, the Philippine Sea Plate, and the Pacific Plate. For this reason, the region is one of the most seismically active areas on the planet, with many Indonesian islands being formed from historic volcanic eruptions. It’s unique location and geological history has blessed Indonesia with some truly remarkable features – dramatic mountains, rich fertile landscapes, and beautiful un-touched beaches. Earthquakes are not uncommon – they happen every few days throughout Indonesia, although for the most part they go un-noticed as they happen deep within the earth’s crust.
In 2018 Lombok experienced a series of stronger than normal earthquakes that resulted in damage to buildings and some roads. Most of damage was in north Lombok, with the South largely unaffected. Due to landslides in Gunung Rinjani National Park BTNGR (the Mount Rinjani National Park authority) decided to restrict access to the mountain until routes are deemed safe. These restrictions are still in place.
Latest Updates…
TNGR (Balai Taman Nasional Gunung Rinjani) are currently waiting for the end of the rainy season before they formally assess the trails up Mount Rinjani. The mountain will remain closed until declared safe by BTNGR. Any trekking company found to be operating whilst the mountain is closed will be fined, and equipment confiscated.
Lake Segara Anak, Mt Barujari & the distant Rinjani summit
Opinion & Options
Based on information given to us by BTNGR, the trek up Mount Rinjani to Senaru Crater Rim (Plawangan Senaru, 2604m) will be open from 1st April (although numbers will be controlled by an online ticketing system). At this point in time BTNGR are uncertain as to whether the summit & lake routes will be open by 1st April. BTNGR will also be cracking-down on un-licensed operators, and anyone who leaves rubbish on the mountain. A system of logging all consumables taken into & out of the park is to be implemented (apparently).
What we suggest…
If you wish to climb mount Rinjani in 2019 you can book a Senaru Crater Rim trek (or other package) with us. If the summit route is opened you can easily change your booking to one of our Rinjani summit packages.
As the local economies in Senaru & Sembalun are heavily reliant on tourists trekking mount Rinjani, we hope all routes will open this year. But if they are not, there is still lots to see and do in North Lombok. Rinjani Dawn Adventures are running some new sightseeing and trekking packages to support our guides and porters, and continue our earthquake relief work. Please visit our packages page to find out more about our “I Love Lombok”, “Lombok Explorer”, “Senaru Discovery” & Bukit Pergasingan packages.
If you have any further questions, or would like to book a package, please do so through our website booking and inquiry portal here. If your inquiry is of a more general nature, please contact us at rinjanidawnadventures@gmail.com
We look forward to seeing you in 2019 for an awesome adventure!
