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Peering into an active volcanic crater
Climbing Mount Bromo in East Java, Indonesia.
Named after Brahma, the Hindu god of creation, Mount Bromo is still active. It last erupted in 2016.
It was a very different trek to one we have accomplished on Merapi (Climbing Merapi) just a few days earlier. The climb up Bromo is famous for its spectacular sunrises as well as the opportunity to peer over the rim of the crater and into the heart of the volcano- hopefully without falling in. The trek is managed without a guide. There is a proper path for much of the way and enough likeminded tourists to be able to follow the bobbing procession of torches in the predawn gloom.
Laura and I left our beds just two hours before sunrise, giving us sufficient time to make the journey to the top and enjoy the view.
After the trials of climbing Merapi this was much less of a physical challenge. It was about enjoying the aesthetic experience and communing with nature.
As we followed the procession of torches and first glimpsed the monstrous shadow of volcanic rock, reaching out to the heavens, it seemed a perfect example of Burke’s sublimity, possessing equal measures of terror and beauty.
The steep climb to the summit, although a decent workout, was aided by the well trodden path and…
