Mount Tambora (Gunung Tambora)

2,850 m (9,350 ft)

The entire trek is 41 km (25.5 mi). It takes 2 days and 1 night to complete, with the option of staying an extra night on the way back down the mountain on the second day. The starting point to the summit takes roughly 8-9 hours if you choose to hike all the way up on the first day.

The trail up to the summit is reasonably challenging but not more than what a fit person can handle. The hike doesn’t require any technical climbing. The general terrain includes rainforest, coffee plantations, soil, rocks, and grass.

Day 1:

On day one you’ll follow the well-maintained path through coffee plantations and lush tropical rainforest. The slope on this section is still gentle. You’ll stop for lunch at Pos 2. After this, you’ll keep going until you reach Pos 3, at 1,600 m (5,250 ft) above sea level, where you’ll camp for the night.

Day 2:

From Pos 3 onwards the slope gets steeper and steeper. The path is still surrounded by the rainforest. Towards the summit, you’ll reach Pos 5, at 2,630 m (8,630 ft) above sea level, where there is a plateau.  From here it is just the summit stretch. Once you reach the summit you’ll have a full view of Tambora’s 6 km (3.7 mi) wide caldera.

The weather in this part of Indonesia is hot year-round, with temperatures ranging between 21°C and 33°C (70°F and 91°F).

The best time to climb Mount Tambora is probably from May to August – especially the month of August since this is the month when there is the best combination of conditions: clear skies, not much rain, and relatively comfortable temperatures, ranging between 18°C and 27°C  (64°F and 81°F).

There is a monsoon season from December to March. Tambora National Park, the park wherein Mount Tambora is located, is closed from December to the end of February for this reason. This time of year is also muggy and overcast.

The dry season is between May and October. During this period it is a bit cooler.

You’ll need good hiking shoes, a torch (as you’ll likely be hiking in the dark to reach the summit for sunrise on day 2), warm clothing, and a waterproof windbreaker. 

You’ll only need to take camping gear and the associated equipment if you are not going with a tour agency or if your tour agency doesn’t provide this.

There are 5 Pos’s (or rest stops) and 4 places where there is drinking water available on the trail. You or your porter will need to bring food, though. There are ablutions at Pos 3 and shelters at Pos 1, 2 and 3.  Pos 1 and Pos 5 are suitable areas for camping, however camping at Pos 5 is prohibited as it is too close to the rim of the Caldera.

It is possible to do this trek without a guide. However, it would be best to go with a guide if you are a first-timer as there is more than one trail up the mountain and it could get confusing if you are not experienced in navigation. 

There are many tour agencies available for this trek. You’ll probably want a porter as well, which the tour agency will arrange.

Mount Tamboro can be found on the island of Sumbawa, which is east of Lombok in Indonesia. A flight to Sumbawa Besar (the second biggest city on Sumbawa) from Jakarta takes 3-4 hours.

The starting point of the hike is in Pancasila village. You can get there by taking a ferry from Lombok if you opt not to fly to Sumbawa Besar, and then using public transport for the rest of the way.

If you book a tour through an agency, they usually arrange the transport to the starting point.

Tambora is not a crowded mountain. While this is great if you prefer to avoid crowds, it does mean that it is safer to stick with a guide and preferably a group, particularly as it is a multi-day hike.