Camping in Cibodas, and Trekking to Mount of Gede Pangrango
Despite being in my fifties, I still enjoy traveling. This time, I will be camping in Cibodas for one night. The journey to Cibodas, Cianjur takes about two hours. We arrived in Cibodas around six in the evening, and the sky was starting to darken. We immediately set up our tent at the Cibodas Camping Ground.
The night started to get cold, and the wind was blowing strongly. Hopefully, it won't rain. Once the tent was set up, we started to feel hungry. We took out the food we bought on the way, such as sausages, instant noodles, and chicken nuggets. We also set up the portable gas stove and lit the fire. First, we cooked the instant noodles and enjoyed them hungrily. After that, while savoring the gentle breeze, we started frying the sausages and chicken nuggets with a little cooking oil. We finished eating them one by one as they cooked. We also made coffee to refresh ourselves from the fatigue.
At the Cibodas camping ground, we were not alone. There were many tents standing when we arrived. Some came from various parts of Jabodetabek and West Java. There were even some who came from far away. Before we knew it, the coffee was finished, and there was no food left. Our eyes started to feel heavy. Finally, we went to sleep because we would start trekking to Mount Gede Pangrango at seven in the morning.
Yes, I want to conquer Mount Gede Pangrango even at this age. We woke up before dawn because of the cold, then lit the gas stove and boiled water to make hot coffee. For breakfast, we still had some slices of bread filled with butter, jam, and cheese.
Start trekking in the early morning
After breakfast, we started packing up and dismantling the tent to begin our ascent. We also checked the food supplies that were still in our backpacks. It turned out that there were still many unopened items, prepared for the climb until we returned down. At seven in the morning, we started walking, and after about five hundred meters, we reached the guard post.
After paying the fee at the Guard Post and going through the registration process according to the climbing procedure, we started walking slowly. Almost 15 minutes of walking on wet and slightly uphill rocky roads. I started to gasp for breath, not knowing how many more hours it would take us to reach the peak of Mount Pangrango. Because my breath was already weak and my legs were starting to ache, I took a rest every 11 minutes to drink the mineral water we brought.
We have passed Guard Post 2, and finally there is a junction between continuing to Mount Gede Pangrango and going to Cibodas Waterfall called Cibeureum Waterfall. The first Cibodas waterfall is Curug/ Cibeureum Waterfall. This waterfall is located in the forest area of Mount Gede Pangrango. Among all the waterfalls in Cibodas, Curug Cibeureum is the largest. To reach this waterfall, we have to travel about 2.8 km from the ticket booth. Although the distance is quite far and cannot be accessed by any vehicle, both four-wheeled and two-wheeled, its beauty is worth the effort we have to make. In fact, you will be fascinated and reluctant to leave the location immediately.
While holding my irregular breath and with my heart beating faster, I finally lay down on the rocks near the waterfall. I couldn't walk anymore. I rested on the rocks near the waterfall for almost thirty minutes, feeling unable to continue the journey. While enjoying the beauty of the Cibeureum waterfall panorama, I started to feel hungry and saw a small shop not far from where I was resting.
After finishing my meal, I started to think about not continuing the climb because my breath was already weak. My legs were trembling, and my heart was pounding. If I forced myself to climb the still far and high rocky path, I wouldn't be able to do it. I was worried about unwanted incidents. Finally, I decided to descend and not continue the climb.
Despite that, the road back to the Guard Post was not easy either. On the way, we often encountered hikers or visitors who wanted to visit the Cibereum waterfall. After a difficult journey, we finally arrived at the first Guard Post where we had registered for the climb.
Alhamdulillah, we made it safely!
Notes: Information for cheap hotels in Cianjur here
About of the mount of Gede Pangrango
Location and Physical Condition
The location and physical condition of Mount Gede-Pangrango can be seen from Sindanglaya in 1928. Topographic maps show the peaks of Gede (right) and Pangrango (upper left, mistakenly called Mandala Wangi) according to Junghuhn in 1855. The Gede crater was also painted by Junghuhn in 1856. Flora in this area includes the leaves of Dacrycarpus imbricatus, the mountain cantigi flower Vaccinium varingifolium, and the Javanese edelweiss flower Anaphalis javanica. The flora of the Gede crater also includes Selliguea feei ferns and Javanese edelweiss. Administratively, the Gede Pangrango National Park is located in three regencies: Bogor, Cianjur, and Sukabumi, West Java Province.
The topography of this national park consists of two twin peaks, namely Mount Gede (2,958 meters above sea level) and Mount Pangrango (3,019 meters above sea level). These two peaks are connected by a mountain ridge that resembles a saddle at an altitude of around 2,400 meters above sea level, known as the Kandang Badak area. Mount Pangrango, which is higher, has a relatively smooth peak, indicating that it is relatively young. Meanwhile, Mount Gede is lower but more active, with four active craters: Ratu Crater, Wadon Crater, Lanang Crater, and Baru Crater.
The highest point of Mount Gede is located above the edge or rim of the new crater, but this rim has been destroyed by volcanic eruptions multiple times. The older rim is the mountain ridge known as Mount Gumuruh (2,929 meters above sea level). The craters and peaks of Mount Gede are currently located in the extinct crater of Mount Gumuruh.
Flora and Fauna
The Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park is renowned for its rich diversity of flora and fauna. In this area, there are more than 870 species of flowering plants and 150 species of ferns. Additionally, there are around 200 species of orchids throughout the national park.
Out of the 68 rare mountain plant species found only on one mountain in Java, 9 of them are exclusive to Gunung Gede, and 6 out of those 9 species are endemic to Java.
One popular plant among mountain climbers and nature enthusiasts is the Javanese edelweiss (Anaphalis javanica), which thrives abundantly in the Suryakancana Field. However, there is also a closely related but less commonly found species called Anaphalis maxima, which is only found on Gunung Pangrango near Kandang Badak.
Furthermore, there are several other endemic plant species in this area, such as uwi Dioscorea madiunensis, jernang Daemonorops rubra, green betel nut Pinanga javana, and cardamom Amomum pseudofoetens.
The Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park also boasts a high wealth of fauna, especially in the lower mountain forest zone. Some rare, endemic, or endangered animal species found here include the Javan gibbon, surili langur, ajag dog, leopard cat, slender-tailed squirrel, mountain shrew, bats, flying squirrels, and rats.