Bromo Volcano (Gunung Bromo)
Mount Bromo is one of East Java’s famous landmarks, with people from all over the world coming here to make a pre-dawn climb and watch the sunrise over the crater of the active volcano.
General Information
Tenger Caldera is located in the Bromo Tenger Semeru National Park, in the center of East Java. Bromo is one of the peaks of the massive caldera, but it is easily recognizable as almost the entire summit has been blown away by the eruptions and puffs of white smoke continue to billow out of the crater. Inside the caldera, also called Laut Pasir (“Sea of Sand”), is a 10 square kilometer area covered with white fine volcanic ash. Compared to the abundance of emerald green valleys all around, this vast ash desert makes an eerie impression.
.Members of the Tenger Buddhist ethnic group inhabiting the highlands of East Java gather on the fourteenth day of the month of kasada at the crater of an active volcano, throwing annual offerings of rice, fruits, vegetables, flowers, livestock and other local products, asking for blessings from the supreme deity Hyang Widi Waza.
.According to legend, the ceremony dates back to the time of the Majapahit kingdom during the reign of King Bravijaya. The queen gave birth to a daughter, Rara Anteng, who married a young Brahmin named Jaka Seger. They fled from Majapahit to the east and founded a new kingdom. It prospered, but the king and queen were unhappy because they had no children. They decided to climb to the top of Mount Bromo and beg for help. Touched by their prayers, the gods assured them that they would have children, but demanded that the youngest child be sacrificed. When the twentieth child, Kesuma, was born, the god of the mountain became angry because the king and queen were not honoring the terms of the treaty. They were forced to throw the child into the crater of the volcano. After that, the king willed his family to hold a sacrificial ceremony on the slope every year.
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In addition to the traditional easy ascent of Bromo, many experienced trekkers go for the ultimate challenge, namely the conquest of Semeru volcano, the highest point of Java. This task requires a good physical preparation and three days, but will reward you with an unforgettable experience of a lifetime. For its realization it is necessary to go from Surabaya by bus to Malang, and from there to the village of Tumpang (Tumpang), where you can rent a jeep and go up to the lake Ranu Pani (Ranu Pani), from where the actual climb begins. If money is scarce and you have plenty of health, you can go from Tumpang to Gubuk Klakah by bemo and then walk 12 km to Jemplang with an overnight stay, and after that – another 6 km to the same cherished lake. The way is not close, but volcanic beauties are given in horse undiluted doses. By the way, you can reach Jemplang from Chemoro Lavang, from the Bromo side, in 4 hours (12 km). There is a tiny village with an RNRA office attached to the lake, where you have to check in and pay 3,000 Rp for entry. For lodging there are a few small gesthouses with minimal facilities and a cafe. Nights in the highlands are very cold, so a warm sweater is vital. From Ranu Pani, the trail to Semeru Crater begins. It is important to remember that the volcano is active and not to go off the beaten track. Usually trekkers climb to the crater lake Ranu Kumbolo (13 km, 4 hours), from there to Kalimati (3 – 3,5 hours), and then to Arcopodo (2 hours on a rather steep ascent), where it is necessary to spend the night. There are only three hours of hard climbing left to the goal, and it is better to start at night so as not to miss the grand dawn on the “roof of Java”. In clear weather, which is usually in the dry season from April to October, from here you can see the opposite shores of the island, hundreds of kilometers apart, as well as neighboring Bali! All the agony and difficulties will be forgotten at once, there will be only delight and lines from Vysotsky: “Only mountains can be better than mountains, on which you have not yet been…”
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Transportation
There are tourists getting to the foot of Bromo directly from Bali and major cities in Java on tourist minibuses. Tours are bought from hotels and travel agencies. The rest of us usually arrive in Surabaya and then transfer to a bus to Probolinggo (2 hours, 20,000 Rp) or a slow economy train (5 hours, 18,000 Rp) for amateur concerts and plenty of cockroach hunting. There are shuttle buses (2 hours, 15,000 Rp) from the local Bayuangga bus station to Chemoro Lawang. Those arriving in Probolinggo by train first take the shuttle buses to the bus station and there join their bus companions.
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Those wishing to climb Semera from Tumpang village usually travel from Surabaya to Malang by bus (2 hours) and then take many mikiolet shuttles to the coveted village, where they hire a jeep, often by sharing (about $30).
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