Mount Bukit Raya (Gunung Bukit Raya)

2,278 m (7,477 ft)

Just getting to the starting point of this trek is an entire journey in itself, taking about 2-3 days. The climb up the mountain and back down again takes 3-5 days, and the return back to your international airport of choice, another 2-3 days. In total, it takes 9-10 days to complete Bukit Raya. Shorter if you are exceptionally fit, get lucky with excellent weather and/or get your permit in advance. 

The trail is 46 km (28.6 mi) long there and back, 23 km (14.3 mi) one way.

The terrain on this trek consists of dense jungle, damp soft ground underfoot, muddy portions, boulders, and mossy tree trunks covering the trail. The National Park wherein you’ll be trekking boasts many species of animals such as birds as well as flowers, and over 800 species of plants. 

Day 1 (of hiking):

The first day begins on a wide dirt road that is muddy and slippery when it rains. This road also gets steep and narrower after about an hour of trekking. It takes 2-3 hours on foot to get from Rantau Malam (where most trekkers start the hiking part of their journey) to Korong HP/ Koronghape, the starting point. In the dry season, hikers can take an ojek for this part, which takes about 40 minutes.

At the starting point, hikers enter the thick jungle and rainforest. Most of the trek up is completely covered by a canopy of trees, but after half an hour of trekking, you’ll find a brilliant view of the surrounding mountains, like Bukit Baka, and the rest of Bukit Baka Bukit Raya National Park. The terrain is typical of a jungle, including damp leaves underfoot, as well as roots and mossy old tree trunks often lying across the trail.

After about 1.5-2 hours (3 km / 2 mi) of trekking from the starting point, the trail joins another walking path and you’ll be 20 km (12.4 mi) from the summit. From here onwards there are signs demarcating the way up to the summit every 100 m (328 mi).

There are Pos’s (or rest stops) along the trail. It takes about 6 hours from the starting point to get to Pos 5 (Hulu Rabang). Here there is a stream and a flat area where you can set up camp for the night. This first day doesn’t contribute much to altitude, but you’ll get some good distance in.

If you keep going you’ll find a waterfall 200 m (656 ft) from Pos 7 (Linang), which is also a great place to set up camp. 

Day 2:

From Pos 7 to the base of the peak is about 5.5 km (3.3 mi). It will take the whole day (roughly 6 hours) to get to Pos 8 (Soa Tohotung) where you can set up camp for the second night. The camping spot is a bit off the trail, but your guides will lead the way. Here you will also find a stout, mossy pillar demarcating the boundary between Central Kalimantan and West Kalimantan.

Day 3: 

It will take you 3-4 hours to reach the summit from Pos 8. On this stretch, the trail gets very steep and overgrown with vegetation. Here you will be required to climb on your hands and knees, over rocks, and up boulders, to reach the summit. It is slow-going to cover ground on the summit stretch, but there are some lovely views on the way. 

The view at the summit is obscured by trees and vegetation, but you can catch a glimpse if you climb a tree or gain height by other means (climbing on a friend’s shoulders for example). There are two shrines at the summit as well as a couple of signs. 

The descent back down to Pos 7 (Linang) goes back down the same way and will take about another 4 hours. Some may go down further and camp lower down the mountain to shorten the trek on day 4.  

Day 4:

On day 4 trekkers will continue the rest of the way back down the mountain and return to Rantau Malam via Korong HP (the starting point). This takes about 10 hours from Pos 7. The terrain on the way down is the same, though you’ll need to beware of slipping on the steep sections if the ground is wet.

This region has a tropical climate and the temperatures are generally uncomfortably warm with high humidity for most of the year. The average temperature year-round is 27°C.

Late August would be a good time to go for dry, very slightly cooler, clear weather. However, keep in mind that it may mean either extra trekking or fare for transport over the last section of the dry riverbed before the proper start of the trail at Korong HP. This is because in the dry season that last section of the river before the start of the trail is dry and the boat cannot traverse it.

The hottest period of the year is from early April to late August. The average daily high temperature in this period is 32°C. The hottest month of the year is May with a daily average high of 32°C and a daily average low of 24°C. 

The very short cooler period of the year is from mid-December to early February. The average daily high temperature in this period is 31°C. The coolest month of the year is January with a daily average low of 23°C and a daily average high of 21°C.

There is a lot of rain throughout the year. The dry season is between early May and mid-October; August being the driest period with an average of only 10 days and 160 mm of rain in the month.  The wettest month of the year is December with an average of almost 20 days and 301 mm of rain in the month.

You will need everything a person needs to go camping and trekking for 4 days in the jungle. You should also coordinate with your guides beforehand to determine who will be responsible for the food as well as everything needed for cooking.

Some particularly important things to take are leech socks, a water purifier bottle, insect repellent and lots of sunscreen. Be sure to include a spare pair of socks for when yours inevitably get wet. 

A first aid kit that includes treatment for leeches, and fever medication is also a must.

Serawai is the last big city where you can stock up your major supplies before you take a 4-hour boat ride to the starting point. However, there are some small stalls/warungs in Rantau Malam just before the start of the hike as well if you need anything basic.

The trail itself has water at many of the Pos’s, and at most of them, a flat place to camp. Pos 3 particularly, has a stream for drinking water and Pos 4 has small pools during the dry season. There is minimal water at the summit, and it needs to be boiled to make it safe for drinking if you do find any.

You’ll have to take all of your own food.

At least a guide and a porter are necessary for this trek. It is also technically mandatory for foreigners to take at least two people with them up the mountain; two guides/porters, or one guide and a park official/staff member.

Bukit Raya can be found on the border between West and Central Kalimantan, on the Island of Borneo, Indonesia. The peak is located within Bukit Baka-Bukit Raya National Park. 

To get there one can either make their way from Pontianak or Palangkaraya, both capitals of their respective provinces. Most trekkers, however, go via Pontianak on the West side, as this is the side from which the Rantau Malam/Korong HP trail starts. 

The most reliable route is as follows: One can fly to Pontianak from wherever they are coming from (most flights are from Jakarta), and from there catch a flight or a 9-hour bus to Sintang. From there you’ll need to make your way to Nanga Nua, which is about 30 minutes by road, and charter a boat or a speedboat to take you to Serawai. If you visit during the dry season, you can drive to Serawai instead if you prefer. This is where trekkers get their documents evaluated and their permits. Rantau Malam is another 4 hours by boat from here. In the dry season, the boat can’t make it all the way and you’ll need to get an ojek/ motorcycle taxi for the last 15-20 minutes of the journey.

Not many people attempt to climb this mountain, (less than fifty each year) and those who do, have to face up against leeches, days of slogging (often in the rain) and the sicknesses that can arise from being bitten by the wrong kind of creepy crawly. For these reasons, your main concern surrounding safety will be coming prepared physically, and mentally. Make sure you are fit, go through the proper channels, hire a guide/porter, and take the appropriate precautionary medication and gear.