Mount Kerinci which is located at the border of Jambi and West Sumatera province has become a magnet for climbers since long time ago. With its title as the highest volcano in South East Asia and the highest mountain in Sumatera, the peak becomes a rendezvous spot for adventure seekers from all around the world, who are seeking volcano adventure along the Ring of Fire and exploring the natural beauties of the country.
Mount Kerinci which is located at the border of Jambi and West Sumatera province has become a magnet for climbers since long time ago. With its title as the highest volcano in South East Asia and the highest mountain in Sumatera, the peak becomes a rendezvous spot for adventure seekers from all around the world, who are seeking volcano adventure along the Ring of Fire and exploring the natural beauties of the country
The classic route for summiting the Kerinci peak is from Kresik Tuo village, Sungai Penuh, Jambi, but this time we decided to take the remote and tranquil southern Solok Selatan route, a newer path to the mountain through pristine tropical rainforest.
Our journey started with a scenic jeep ride from Padang Aro village, to hilly terrain with palm, corn, rubber and coffee plantations, which comprise a fascinating scene with shroud of mist as its background. As we entered the border of Kerinci Seblat National Park, the nice asphalt road changed into an off road and muddy surface.
The jeep struggled its way around the mud, but our driver displayed tons of confidence in his Ford Ranger and successfully passing the uphill, slippery terrain to the trailhead of Mount Kerinci.
The sky was grey and cloudy, when we started hitting the trail that afternoon. The scent of humidity rising from the dense rainforest floor and our surroundings. Minutes later, there were only little sun rays reached the ground because it was blocked by canopy of trees.
As we went deeper into the jungle, we were greeted by our little friends – the ruler of tropical forest, “leeches”. The existence of these little creatures is sign of healthy environment, pristine nature that still untouched by many disturbances.
Despite the high humidity, slippery and covered trail, and greeting from the leeches, the trek offers a wonderful hike that offers the ultimate rainforest adventure, such as: walking through unique terrain with many giant trees along the trail, crossing crystal clear river, hearing the sound of wildlife, experiencing clean trails and witnessing mossy forest at the upper mountain zone. This gives us chance to be fascinated by the scenery- the wildlife, plants and flowers – which makes this new route very special.
