Ijen Plateau, located at the eastern end of Java, near Banyuwangi, is probably best known for its beautiful cratershaped lake. No wonder it is a favorite destination for tourists, and especially for ardent hikers. But not many of us know that Ijen is also the site of Indonesia's largest sulfur mine.
Where To Start
Travelers can reach Ijen Plateau from Bondowoso via Sempol. This comfortable route is especially suitable for those who travel by car and prefer an easy hike. From Sempol to the guard post in Paltuding- the gateway to Ijen Plateau-you ride 14 kilometers through scenic coffee plantations. But don't rely on public transport, since there isn't any. With luck, though, you can hitch a ride on the coffee truck which comes by just once a day. From Paltuding, there is no other way but walk the three kilometers to the crater.
For hiking freaks like my friend and me, the approach from the east was more appealing than the usual route via bondowoso and sempol. We could have taken a bemo (motor pedicap) from banyuwangi to licin and gone on to jambu, where we were to begin our hike. But as we were coming from surabaya, we decided to go straight from surabaya's ketapang bus station to jambu, and start off there.
On To Paltuding Post
The first seven kilometers from Jambu was a relaxing stretch. We walked on an asphalted road lined with tall trees. It was very much like strolling in the Bogor Botanical Gardens. The next seven kilometers of the trek changed to a wide dirt road. From the villagers we met along the way, we learned that the road would be paved soon, making it possible for motor vehicles to drive all the way up to paltuding.
We arrived in Paltuding before noon. Sipping steaming hot coffee, we rested at a food stall run by a man dressed in army uniform. He was also in charge of selling entrance tickets to the crater lake at Rp.10.000 per person. Shortly after our arrival, we were enjoying our lunch sitting on a log in front of the post. We watched villagers struggle with their burdens of pikuls, while groups of domestic and foreign tourists came and went from the crater.
From our log seat, we had a breathtaking view of Mount Raung to the south. The pleasant surroundings and cool 16'C temperature make Paltuding a perfect stop for hikers before continuing to the crater. According to our guide book, we should expect the temperature to drop to 5'C near the rim of the crater at night.
The man at the Paltuding post advised that we spend the night there. However, we decided to climb straight to the top and camp there for the night, because we wanted to see the sun rise the next morning. Having had enough rest and food, we started off on the last 3 kilometers leg of the hike. At 04:30 P.M. we reached the top, welcomed by a stunning afternoon view of Ijen Plateau. At approximately 2,800 meters above sea level and set among walls of sheer rock, Ijen's sulphurous crater lake is truly a dazzling sight. The view we had of the surroundings stretched over a million square meters. We had to close our eyes and cover our nose every time the wind blew, because a thick cloud of acidic smoke from the crater would come our way. But the scenery was so captivating that we did not care.
At around 5:00 P.M we started to look for shelter for the night. After first checking from which direction the was blowing, we pitched two ponchos on a spot least exposed to the wind. Before darkness set in, we had gathered enough wood for a fire. Soon we were huddling close to the fire, savoring its warmth. Apart from a sudden draft of wind every now and then, all around us was peace and quiet. No words could describe our feelings-being surrounded by such incredibly beautiful scenery, illuminated by a full moon and millions of stars. As the guide book had said, the temperature did indeed drop drastically. But warmed by the fire and layers of warm clothes, that night we slept like logs.
Dawn welcomed us with an even more spectacular view than the one we witnessed the day before. Dominating the whole surroundings, the sunrise created an atmosphere of magic, casting the dark shadow of Ijen's peak upon the western rim of the crater. We had our cameras ready to capture every motion of the sun's rays slowly encompassing the entire mountain top. From our spot, we could hear the muffled voices of men going down to the crater. It was only 05:00 A.M.,but the villagers had already begun their work in the sulfur mine.
The Ijen SulfurMine After a lot of photo takes, we had a quick breakfast and were on our way down to the crater to look at the works in the sulfur mine. A narrow path took us to a corner at the bottom of the crater, where the sulfur rocks are molded. Molten sulfur spouts from an installed pipe. As the hot liquid runs into a pond, workers mold the sulfur into various small sizes before it hardens to stone.
At present, the sulfur from the mine is transported on foot by carriers, all of them men. Each carriers a load of one pikul-a basket filled with sulfur rocks ranging from 60 to 80 kg-up to the rim of the crater wall and then down to the last weighing post on the mountain slope. The rocks are then loaded onto a truck to be transported to a factory near Banyuwangi. One man can carry only one pikul a day, for which he is paid Rp.5000 per kilogram (at the time, over a year ago)
Much too soon, the time came for us to say goodbye to Ijen. We took a last fleeting look all around us, and at 8:00 A.M. we were on our way back, hiking at a leisurely space. This time we didn't meet any tourists. The people we came across were all villagers-whose living depended on Ijen's sulfur mine.
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