Look’s around

Speaking about camping and mountain climbing activities, Gede and Pangrango Mountain is the main icon in West Java. Gede-Pangrango is the only most often climbed mountain in Indonesia. Although the rule has been made as strict as possible, the mountain is visited by ±50000 climbers per year. The two mountains include in Mount Gede Pangrango National Park which is inaugurated in 1980. To restore the habitat, it’s usually closed for the climbers in August and between December-March.  To reduce the natural damage, some climbing routes were made. Since April 2002, Gede-Pangrango National Park applied booking system (3-30 days booking before climbing is a must). The number of climbers is limited 600 climbers per day.

Administratively, the National Park includes in 3 regencies: Cianjur, Bogor, and Sukabumi. The park area (15.196 ha) includes Cibodas and Cimungkat Natural Preserves, and Situgunung Natural Tourism Object. The area consists of several mountains, viz. Pangrango (3.019 m), Gede (2.958 m), Gumuruh (2.929 m), Masigit (2.500 m), Lingkung (2.100 m), Mandalawangi (2.044 m), and some other small mountains. Gede Pangrango is one of the highest rainfall places in Java Island (up to 3000-4200mm/year in average). The average temperature varies from 18ºC at Cibodas until 10ºC (or <5ºC at night) at the peak of Gede and Pangrango Mountain; with 80%-90% humidity. The best periode to visit the park or to climb is at dry season between June-September.

Mount. Gede Pangrango National Park can be reach via 4 gates. Cibodas gate (Cianjur) is the main entry gate and located near the park central office (±100km from Jakarta, 89km from Bandung). Gunung Putri gate (Cianjur) is near Cibodas and can be reached via Cipanas or Pacet. Situgunung gate (Sukabumi) is 15km from Cisaat, Sukabumi. Selabintana gate (Sukabumi) is the most difficult route and was closed because there’re some landslides.

Besides the wealth of flora and fauna, this national park has also the wealth of natural tourism object potency. Natural recreation activities in this area are climbing, camping, photographing, walking and watching panorama, and admiring natural phenomena. The beautiful panorama can be enjoyed in some views around Situgunung, Selabintana, Badogol, Gunung Putri, Cibodas, and views from the mountain peaks. Not less than 20 waterfalls exist in this area, such as Curug Sawer, Cibeureum, etc. There’re 3 waterfalls at Cibeureum Waterfall Complex, viz. Cibeureum (30m), Cidendeng (25m), and Cikundul (20m). There’s sort of spagnum/red moss (Spagnum gedeanum) in this area which is Pangrango endemic. The interesting natural phenomena are the wetlands: Telaga Biru (the blue lake contains blue algae), Rawa Gayonggong (the unique panorama of sulphur-contained marsh with mountain forest background at 1400m height), and Situgunung. There’re some cauldrons at Mount. Gede’s peak, viz. Kawah Ratu, Kawah Lanang, and Kawah Wadon, where the interesting geological attraction and typical vegetation around the cauldron can be seen.

There’s ±51ha-wide savannah covered by the whitish Edelweiss at the south of Mount Gede’s peak called Alun-alun Surya Kencana, where camping ground with 40 tents capacity is provided. There’s also such savannah called Alun-alun Mandalawangi (3ha) at Mount.Pangrango’s peak. Kandang Batu and Kandang Badak (2220m) is the location for camping and plants/animal observation. Cibodas Hot Spring (2150m) is not far from Kandang Batu, where the climbers usually take a bath while resting.