After another shocking sleep on the gravel it was "morning time" 2am, set to finish the climb to the sumit. Apparently this was set to be a horrific climb, with two steps forward and one back up this sandy terrain...
Halve way up with the lights of Lombok and Bali in the distance...
Imagine heading down to pure gym and setting the step machine on the highest level for four hours inside an industrial freezer, that's halve the pain. Imagine going on a marathon and then once you finish you swim the chanel with one arm. The cold was unbearable. Not to mention the heights and edges, go one metre off track in the pitch dark and your off the edge, falling to your death. Apparently this has happened to quite a few tourists who simply collapse and slip from exhaustion. Or imagine trying to climb a rock slide with a broken leg and a hangover.
This was duke of Edinburgh PLATINUM style, cramming a five day treck into one.
These were just some of the thoughts going through the groups heads on the greuling four hour climb.
And all this with Wolfe Parkinson White Syndrome, probably one of the few of not the only to climb Rinjani with it!
The pain over, this is why we do this... You are greeted with a cracking sunrise looking over the whole of Lombok, Bali and all of the Gilli islands...
View of the lake and volcano...
Me and me mates drink on the reg. Proper English Geezers. 6am beers.
Naked at 3,726 meters, it's got to be done...
What's worse than climbing mountains? DESCENDING mountains. Not great if you suffer from I growing toenails. Cheeky go pro shot through the lava flows...
Max's second edgy shot hanging from a ledge. I say second because the first one gave way, causing him to slip and almost fall a long way down. Despite being warned, this was true Max Lee style, trying to kill himself in whatever he does. Even walking down the beach something may happen!
This was the path we climbed, in the dark when we ascended. People weren't joking when they did two forward one back. A break was needed every 50 steps.
Another edgy shot of the sheer steepness, don't complain next time the lift doesn't work to the fith floor!
The journey down to the crater rim took another two hours, then it was time to fill up on some pancakes. Ten minutes later we were off again climbing down the steepest path for a further two hours, walking poles would've been ideal. Unfortunatly we couldn't stop to take a photo it was that steep! After this fee were greeted by "flat" land, a relief for the feet. It felt like heaven.
Almost there, a final treck through the rain forest...
And finishing by the rice fields.
Well Mt. Rinjani, you are a massive bitch! This was definatly the hardest physical exercise any of us and the group had ever done, words can not describe it. You killed us. And why did we have to pay £75 for this pain? For this money making shot...
Massage time. Two masseurs please.
I don't know why your mum and RNT have a problem with this. We climb up volcanoes bollock naked every day of the week in Bridport!
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand you could be rehearsing for a remake of YMCA!!!!
All the beys Unc xxx
best.......
ReplyDeleteOh Yeah Unc Crive, thanks for encouraging them!!!!!!!!!!!! God knows what they will get up to next!! I didn't know there were volcanos in Bridport??!! must have missed that one!!!
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