Rising Up on Rinjani

by Jun Hao Lim (Singapore)

Making a local connection Indonesia

Lying east of popular tourist hotspot Bali sits the quaint island of Lombok, a lesser-known treasure. Upon descending into Bandar Udara International Airport, Mount Rinjani, Indonesia's second-highest volcano, can be seen towering over the island at 3,726m above sea level. Climbing the volcano is no easy feat, with the trek up to its crater rim stretching a total of 7.9km coupled with a vertical height of 2.64km. Scaling the summit is even more arduous, with an additional distance of 10.4km from the crater rim. But this is what lead trekker Razikin, 24, does for a living. “(In a week), I climb 2 to 3 time,” said the young Indonesian who’s been working for Hajar Trekking the past 6 years, leading adventurous toursists up the mountain's stony peaks. [The Porters] To qualify as a lead trekker, one usually serves as a porter first, carrying water, food, and an array of cooking supplies for both themselves and the tourists who have signed up for the hike. This typical load usually weighs between 25kg and 35kg. Mr Razikin shared that some locals become porters during their teenage years, and the majority are from less fortunate families. Despite the inability to afford proper hiking equipment, these porters would still go ahead with the ascent – in flip-flops. By the end of the journey, their feet are usually covered with painful blisters. “Many people cry, it’s so hard,” he says, recounting his experience. Porters are only allowed to lead a group hike after a few years of service, but those with a stronger command of English and can communicate with foreign travellers better tend to be promoted faster. Mr Razikin, for example, was promoted after a year. [A Volatile Job] Mr Razikin knows his job is unpredictable. For 3 months a year, Mount Rinjani is closed for hiking due to safety concerns. This closure can be prolonged when natural disasters strike. After Lombok braved two deadly earthquakes and landslides in 2018, hiking trails on Mount Rinjani were closed for almost a year as the National Park Agency and the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation assessed the safety of trekking routes up the volcano. Most recently in October last year, the national park was closed for 2 weeks after a forest fire broke out near the summit. With the eruptions of New Zealand’s Whakaari (White Island) last December and The Philippines’ Taal Volcano in January, these heightened volcanic activities have also deterred some travellers from visiting active volcanoes. This is bad news for the likes of Mr Razikin, who counts on volcano tourism for a living. When the trails are closed, Mr Razikin and other porters will have to find work elsewhere, such as on Bali. “(In Bali), I work in restaurants, massage parlors,” the 24-year-old said. He can make an average of 1.5 million rupiah (US$109.60) a month from the odd jobs, but that’s “not enough” to sustain his family. In contrast, if he leads a 2-day, 1-night tour up Mount Rinjani, he makes 400,000 rupiah (US$29.20), receiving another 400,000 rupiah in tips. If he makes 3 such trips a week, he can earn 2.4 million rupiah, or close to US$700 a month. [Still Hopeful] As such, Mr Razikin still prefers his job as a trekking guide despite its risks. Having a dangerous job is better than producing no income. “Lombok is so quiet, not many people have jobs,” he said. “I’m very lucky.” He’s now in the process of building his website and working towards being his own boss. “This is a family dream,” he quipped. When the national park re-opens in April, Mr Razikin hopes to show thrill-seekers the way to the volcano summit again.