Mount Merapi

2,930m (9,610ft)

The most popular Mount Merapi summit trail is a 4km/2.48 mi trek and stretches from New Selo to the summit. This is called the Selo Trail. A seasoned hiker might take just around 4 hours to scale the height, but an inexperienced climber would require at least an hour more than that to do the same.

There is also another trail called the Kinahrejo Trail on the south of Kinahrejo, which has molten lava flowing down the slopes of the mountain in some sections. For this reason, authorities consider this trail extremely dangerous and recommend avoiding it altogether.

With an elevation of 700m/2296 ft at a 45-degree angle, this volatile Indonesian volcano is a tough hike with steep slopes, so be ready for a challenging vertical slog with the occasional scramble.

The path has several different sections and switches from roads to rocks and roots to sand.

The Selo Trail is more commonly followed, being the one that’s further away from volcanic activity. The hike starts from the New Selo base camp which is about 4 km/ 2.48 mi from the summit.

You’ll walk up first along open farmland and then through a forest that can be thick in places. The most difficult part is the last section before the summit, as you may need to scramble over sand and loose rock. As difficult as this loose sand is on the way up, it is the easiest thing to navigate while coming down, since every step you take will sink into the dust bringing you down even further.

The Kinahrejo Trail is on the southern slope of the mountain and starts at the lava stream 200m/656ft east of the memorial museum. If there is volcanic activity going on, you may see molten lava flowing down the slopes of the mountain in some sections. This trail is also usually closed as it is considered too dangerous.

The weather in this part of Indonesia switches between the dry season from May to October, and the rainy season from November to April. This renders May-October the best time of the year to climb.

Despite how pleasant the weather may be when starting your trek, climbers must be prepared for remarkable drops in temperature at night, even going below 10°C (50°F) closer to the summit. Usually, trekkers prefer to begin the hike at around midnight to be able to reach the summit before sunrise. Some also attempt daytime hikes, but they are more dangerous given the sulphuric gas emissions that pick up in the day.

A good pair of shoes and warm clothes should be sufficient for most climbers. Considering how steep this trek is, however, hiking poles are recommended for those with bad knees.

At the trailhead, you will find a registration kiosk, toilets, food and potable water.

Along the trail, there are rest stop shelters, such as huts, pavilions, etc. but no food or water is available. If there are streams or springs along the way, they will likely be sulphurous and may not be fit for drinking.

A guide is not required by regulation, and the trail is easy enough to follow. Porters are a matter of preference for this hike.

Yogyakarta airport is the nearest airport and is around 30 kilometres from the volcano. One can hire a taxi from Yogyakarta to Selo. It should take about 2 hours to reach Selo and another 30 minutes to reach the base camp in the New Selo parking lot. Taxi drivers might be willing to wait for you to complete the hike and bring you back once you’re done – talk to them beforehand if you’d like to keep that as an option.

As Mount Merapi is one of the most popular hikes in Indonesia, there is no fear of being left isolated or stranded. Even so, the hike is best done in a group if you have the option to find fellow travellers to accompany you. There are no special risks for women on this trail.