There’s Nothing More Fun than Being at The Top (Part 2)

The paintings made by Hal Wichers on 1937 depicting the landscape, face Merbaboe mountain. The beauty of this 5th highest peak in the whole Java Isle has been famous for a long time ago. (source: geheugen van nederland)

Just like the titled so this was my 2nd summit that I've conquered ;) Its began when Mas Dimas wishes once He ought to succesfully climbed the mountain, and not so long after that I've seen a posters on my campus explained about Pendakian Massal (eng: mass climbing) upon the Merbabu mountain, the 5th highest peak in the whole Java Isle, organize by FEPALA, a student mountaneering club of Economic Faculty of UNDIP. Inviting another, then I got a company, consist of Kuni, my organization pals and Aji, my college pals.

Me and my team posed in the village of Wekas,
 the last village in the climbing lane to the peak of Merbabu.

On the morning of November 2nd, 2013, me and Aji walks from His dorm after got a breakfast to the assembly point before we picked up by trucks (sounds riddiculous eh? But its common here ;)) and met Mas Dimas and Kuni as well. Over there I met with Kuni's friends Deny, also my juniors Mamos and Rilo, the boy who before it once we met up on the campus bazaar events while we together participated.

The trucks starts to roll, and the journey to the Merbabu just began. Pretty hot during the trip, ya now I know the suffering of the soldiers during the war. The committee said its almost 47 participant and together with the committee, the total of this "challenger" would be 70. Some of the committee had already in the Merbabu ground camp, to prepared the accomodation to the participant. Around 12:15, We arrived at Wekas, the last village on the climbing lane to Merbabu. Got our lunch and also got a break before the climbing starts.

Right on 3.00 pm, the journey to conquered the Merbabu peak begin. Related to my unwell condition, because of couple days before it I was suffering for cold, and a night before it I even cant sleep properly. Thus, felt exhausted quicker than normally, made me always walks far behind the groups. Damn, but its true, its still the begining, the journey still far away, Mas Dimas and Aji always give the motivation, to always move and not to got rest frequently. Theoretically, a lot of rest, there will be more exhausted you'll felt, but ya, I just cant stand anymore at that time. 

through the storms, the visibility
not more than 5 meters

After three hours of walking, then I arrived in the 2nd post of Merbabu Climbing lane that used as camping ground. I'am the last man who arrived, and the sky already dark. A bread and a cornets curing my hunger, and a bottle of fresh water made me felt "alive" anymore. Me together with Aji, Mas Dimas, Rilo, Mamos and Dani become a one group and after choosing the tent, we prepared our equipment to cook but later we decided to sleep firstly and cook later, considering the queue from another group to used the stove. Our tent, its said normally enough to used by five person, but when we used it, only four of us, could occupied it. Then, Mas Dimas choosed to sleep outside the tent using  His sleeping bag. But then in the middle of the night, the storms struck the camp, and I saw the lightning blazing and affraid of the rain would falls down, I ordered Mas Dimas to moved inside and made us more likely a salmon inside the sardinnes can.  

Pretty cold on that nite, because its so windy, and we forgot our dinner. a bad start, because at 02.00 am we woke up and prepared to climb the peak of the mountain, in hungry condition! Only couple of bread we ate and we begin to climb to the top. The lane were so hard because of dominated by rocks, still I was the last man in the group. All of us want to catch the sunrise in the top, but for me it doesnt important at all related to my bad condition. There I realize why this mountain loss of many lives, because of the tracks were so dangerous and challenging. Near the peak there's a lane called Jembatan Setan (eng: the devils bridge). A rocky mountain that need an extra consentration to passed it.

Taking picture together in midst of storm at the
peak of Merbabu mountain .

Arrived at the peak of the Merbabu mountain in the height of 3412 mdpl on the 6:30 am I just could said "Alhamdulillah". I give a several toast to Mas Dimas, because finally we made it, conquered the peak of Merbabu and for Him, this was His first mountain to be climbed. Here in the top we wanna celebrated it with got our breakfast because of we havent got our dinner yet. But poor us, the gas can leaked thus set the stove into fire. Our chance to got our breakfast gone away, but its not only stop on it. Unluckily the storm struck again and made our way back not easy, and Kuni's wounded in the middle of the way back until its need to be evacuated by the stretcher. 

All of that is only the way to proof how strong are you. Later all of that could be handled of. Just like the wise man said "the show must goes on". In the hunger condition finally we could reach the camp and ate our "most delicious noodles" on our lives, and Kuni successfully evacuated. And at 3:00 pm, time's to go back to the village before transported back to Semarang, we had to move slowly becouse of Kuni condition, also the rain falls down made the way slippers, even severals time I got slipped and fallen. But we made it, we reached Wekas on 7:15 pm, because of the spirits and faith amongs the team. At last, inside the truck on the way back, I just realized not to be afraid facing the problems, there's people around who always support us, and thats what a solidarity stands for. Still, there's nothing more fun than being at the top! :)