Dean Geomatics

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Bukittinggi – a taste of the Minangkabau cultural landscape and two volcanoes

April 24, 2011 by Andy Leave a Comment

After climbing Kerinci, we had a great time in and around the mountain resort town of Bukittinggi. We had a bit of R&R and did some “normal” tourist stuff, before our legs recovered and we were tempted again to head off the beaten track to climb Gunungs Sago and Singgalang.

Based on a recommendation from a traveller in Kersik Tua, we stayed in the great Kartini Hotel. It’s kind of caught in a time warp, but is clean, has hot water and we took the great top floor room. The staff are friendly and serve up a decent simple breakfast. For the fives times daily call to prayer, the place literally vibrates from the speakers from the mosque opposite. Part of the fun in Bukittinggi.

Posted in: Hiking, travel Tagged: Sumatra

West Sumatra – Kerinci

April 24, 2011 by Andy 2 Comments

Kerinci, the highest volcano in Indonesia, has been demanding to be climbed for a few years, and we finally did it. We flew from Jakarta to Padang, and then had Pak Subandi and his driver from eponymous Subandi Homestay pick us up for the 7 hour drive to Kersik Tua in the picturesque Kerinci valley. The drive itself is not as brutal as it sounds, and after climbing out of the Padang coastal plain the scenery is very nice – in particular around the Dibawah and Diatas lakes.

Arriving at Subandi homestay after dark, we had our first taste of Ibu Subandi’s delicious home cooking (best tempe in Indonesia?) and got an early night. Kerinci doesn’t require an early start, so we had a pleasant breakfast and from Pak Subandi’s front porch looked at Kerinci towering above the valley and sending lots of gas up from the crater.

Posted in: Hiking, travel Tagged: Sumatra

No view and no summit – Gunung Butak

April 4, 2011 by Andy Leave a Comment

The season got off to an in auspicious start with a rather wet and misty trip to Butak, where we failed to reach the summit and did not get a view.

The hike was a little more challenging than expected, partly because of the wet weather, but also because the trail was very overgrown in places. We were lucky to secure the services of 4 excellent porters in the local village, who hiked at a good pace with our bags while also wielding their machetes to clear the overgrown trail. Their money was well earned!

Posted in: Hiking, travel Tagged: East Java

Gunung Gede and Gunung Pangrango

November 28, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

A week after getting back from Flores, we grabbed our chance to bag Gede and Pangrango, two volcanoes that are located close to Bogor. We had intended to climb during the fasting month of Ramadan when the paths and campgrounds would be quiet, but the whole park was closed for “restoration” work. We hoped the park would be quieter after Ramadan as it was getting late in the season.

Posted in: Hiking, travel Tagged: gunung bagging, West Java
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