The Point of Success
3,805 m or 12,484 ft — the elevation of the highest active volcano and the highest peak in Sumatra is known to be the Mount Kerinci. Reaching the apex, standing on the crater, witnessing the sunrise and overlooking the panorama of West Sumatra on top of its vertex point were my ultimate goals on this journey.
My boyfriend and I drove straight to Padang from the city of Indonesia — Bukittinggi. That was our origin when we embarked in the bus to reach Kersik Tuo. It was the village at the foot of Mount Kerinci. And it took us 7 hours before we arrived in Kersik Tuo homestay.
On the next day, we started our journey to Mount Kerinci. Een as our guide picked us up from our hotel and we went to the starting point of our climb. The very beginning of our trail was easy with a lighter dense of the forest. Later, I had known it to be the Shelter I.
Moving on our way, the steep was getting uneasy due to the higher slope of the trails adding the big and wild roots of the trees around. We still have to hold, grab and swing over the roots sometimes, for us to go over to the next step. At 3,056 m or 10,026 ft by 15:00, we set our tents as we were guided to stay and rest in Shelter II.
At exactly 2:00, we carry on climbing to the summit while we left some of our stuffs in our tent. From our shelter heading to the peak, it doubled my struggle. I almost gave up, but I cannot, since we both aim for the sunrise. Then later on, the steep became strenuous as we were only walking on the volcanic rocks. Een and my boyfriend were ahead of me. Every time they took their steps, the rocks and the gravel were blown down to me by the high and strong wind because the area was openly wide and the vegetation trail was over.
Finally, we made it to the top even before the first light. When it went up, I was totally overwhelmed and satisfied forgetting the weariness I felt. Then, I remembered the moment I almost stopped climbing, for I never thought it would be as hard as that. If I did that, I might not have seen the perfect sunrise I could ever count in my life. There was a deep realization after which taught me a great lesson, that I need to believe and keep going in my journey without giving up, for the best is yet to come.
