Gunung Kerinci: the roof of Sumatra

Gunung Kerinci is the highest volcano in Indonesia and the highest mountain in Sumatra, a 3,805-metre cone that rises straight out of the tea plantations around Kayu Aro. On a clear morning you can see it from the coast, and from the summit, if the cloud allows, you can see the Indian Ocean in one direction and the plateau in the other.

The climb is not technical, but it is long. Most people do it in two days with a night in a shelter on the ridge, and the second day starts at two in the morning to reach the top for sunrise. It is one of the best things to do in Sumatra, and one of the most physically demanding.

The mountain and the park

Kerinci sits inside Kerinci Seblat National Park, the largest national park in Sumatra and part of the UNESCO-listed rainforest heritage of the island. The park protects tigers, elephants, tapirs and a long list of birds, and the forest on the mountain is dense, mossy and often dripping wet.

The mountain itself is a stratovolcano with a live crater. Eruptions are usually small: ash plumes, sulphur smoke, occasional incandescence at night. The park and the volcanology service close the trail when activity increases, so check before you travel and accept that the mountain decides.

The climb, day by day

The trail starts at Kersik Tuo, a village on the road between Sungai Penuh and Kayu Aro, at around 1,700 metres. The first day climbs through farmland and then forest to Shelter 2 at about 3,000 metres, where most people sleep. It is steep, humid and slippery, and the last section is more scrambling than walking.

The second day starts around two in the morning for the push to the summit, which takes two to three hours. The reward is sunrise over the crater and the whole of the Kerinci valley below. Then you walk back down to Kersik Tuo, which takes another four to five hours and is harder on the knees than the way up.

• Day one: Kersik Tuo to Shelter 2, five to seven hours.
• Day two: Shelter 2 to the summit and back, then down to the village.
• Take a head torch, warm layers and a mask for the crater smoke.
• Water is limited on the mountain: carry what you need.

Permits and guides

You need a permit from the national park office, and a guide is required in practice. Both can be arranged in Kersik Tuo, where several families run guesthouses and guide services, or through an operator in Sungai Penuh or Padang. Prices are not fixed, so agree what is included before you pay.

Porters can carry the heavy gear to the shelter, which makes the climb far more enjoyable. Tents and sleeping bags are usually available for hire in the village. Bring your own food or arrange it in advance: there is nothing on the mountain.

A guide costs more than you might expect, and the price should include the permit, the porters and the food. Ask what happens if the weather turns and the summit is closed, and agree on a fallback before you pay. Reputable guesthouses in Kersik Tuo will explain all of this without being asked.

Tea, Kayu Aro and the valley

The road up to Kersik Tuo passes through the tea plantations of Kayu Aro, some of the highest tea gardens in the world. The slopes are a deep, uniform green, worked by pickers with baskets, and the views back to the mountain are the best in the region.

Allow time for the valley before or after the climb. The villages around Sungai Penuh have traditional houses, markets and hot springs, and the drive from Padang over the Bukit Barisan is one of the great road journeys of Sumatra. Do not rush it.

Gunung Tujuh, a crater lake at around 2,000 metres, is the other walk in the area: a shorter, easier day hike through forest to a rim with a view over the water. It is a good option if the weather closes Kerinci, and a good warm-up before the big climb.

When to go and what to expect

The dry season, roughly June to September, gives the best chance of a clear summit. Even then, cloud can close in within minutes, and the mountain makes its own weather. The rest of the year is wetter and the trail is muddier, but the forest is at its best.

This is a serious hike at altitude. The air is thin, the nights are cold, and the descent is long. Train beforehand, carry more water than you think, and do not attempt the summit if the weather is turning or you are feeling the altitude. The mountain will still be there.

Questions people actually ask

How hard is the Gunung Kerinci climb?

It is long rather than technical. Day one is five to seven hours of steep, humid forest to a shelter at around 3,000 metres. Day two is a pre-dawn push to the summit and a long descent. You need decent fitness, warm layers, a head torch and a guide.

Do you need a guide for Gunung Kerinci?

Yes, in practice. A permit from the national park office is required, and guides and porters are arranged in Kersik Tuo or through operators in Sungai Penuh. Hiring a porter for the heavy gear makes the climb significantly more comfortable.