Merbabu Solo Trekking

Last month, I go hike up at Merbabu. My intention was to have exercise, because the next month I would go to Rinjani. Because it was incidental, I decided to do it single man by myself. So, the night before, I rent a tent from a outdoor equipment rental near my ex-campus. It was a 2-person tent, for emergency if there were any fellow hiker that badly need, but primarily because the rental place didn’t have any single-person tent.

Then I prepared the logistics for 2 days, the eating utensils, and my other gears. At first, I want to bring my 600D and the tripod, but I think it would make my carrier unnecessarily heavier, and it was an exercise trekking, so I think I didn’t need that camera. I planned to do day trekking, which is I never done before, I always do night trekking with my friends. And I planned to have nasi bungkus as my lunch and dinner.

On D-Day morning, I woke up late, I woke up at 7 a.m, it was supposedly I have arrived at Selo at 6 a.m. So I toke a quick bath and check my carrier if there was something left. Then I went to Selo with my motorcycle. I stopped several times to have a breakfast, buy a match, several snack, and buy my lunch. I decided to not buy the dinner yet, because I think again that it would not good again if I store it too long on my bag.

I arrived at Selo Merbabu at 10.30 a.m. Then I registered on the basecamp. There are three basecamp, I choose the lowest basecamp, but I suggested the highest camp, because you will conserve your energy more by saving some walk. There were 3 fellow hiker from Jakarta, that just arrived from Selo Merapi, and they planned to hike up this afternoon. So I ask if I could joined them, and we decided to hike up at 11 a.m.

When I departed from Jogja, the sky was clear and there was no sign of rain. But that noon, the rain was coming, but it just a little, so we started our walk. The Selo Merbabu trek is a forest trek, and less steep than the Wekas trek in the early stage. We arrived at 1st post by 2.30 p.m. We have our lunch there. I shared my penyetan rice, and my fellows shared their instant noodles and coffe. We continue, and the walk is slowly, since I wasn’t in a hurry, and once again, it was just an exercise.

We arrived at 2nd post by 4 p.m. Start from here, the forest start to reduced, and the savanna start to be seen. The trek difficulties also increased. We arrived at the savanna hill at 5 p.m. My fellows decided to camp there. But I decided to continue the walk, since there are many other hikers. Finally I arrived at the last savanna by 7.30 p.m. I build my tent there, along with other hikers that I meet on the trek. They are also UGM students, and also from MIPA faculty.

At there, already there were many tents, and we decided to make our tent not too far from them. I make my dinner with an instant noodles and a glass of milk. Then I sleep inside my sleeping bag in my tent. I woke up at the middle of the night because of something wet hitting my face, realizing it was raining and my tent weren’t have a flysheet cover! So the whole night I was praying that the rain would not go any harder!

And in the morning, I had to face that my tent has become a waterpool. And my whole gears were wet. So I decided to go back down, and not to the peak. After a breakfast, I pack all of my gears and give my logistics that still left to fellow MIPA hikers at the front of my tent. After a little phototaking, I started to trek down at 8.30 a.m.

On the way, there are so many tent at the savanna, I realize that they arrived after me. Merbabu has become a crowded hotel last night! The trek also badly plowed by the hikers. I knew that they hike up under the rain, so its like plowing a rice field! But I could go down quickly, and before 12 o’clock, I have arrived at the basecamp. And the basecamp was very crowded also. The campsman tell me that there were 200 people hike up last night. What a number!

Then I started my motorcycle, and I arrived to my home at 3 p.m after I return the tent to the rental. And I decided to wash all of my gears that afternoon.

There are many lesson learned from this solo trekking. The most important, prepare all of your gears carefully, and all should suitable with all possible weather. And you must know the route well. In my case, I have learned that Selo is rather easy track, so I dare to do it alone. In solo trekking, all of the things done by yourself. So, what decided your lives here decided by yourself. But, the good side, you could always choose your own timing. Normally, I always left behind by my friends when I go hikking at the mountain, because I was too slow. But here, I didn’t feel that I was left behind by anyone, because I went alone, and everything could be fine.

Yeah, it was my very first solo trekking. I have my experience here, in any case there is something happened in the future.