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Maros, Indonesia (Headquarters and Home Base No. 1)
Tagari, Balusu, North Toraja (Home Base No. 2)
Contact: Dalle
(WhatsApp and Call)
A challenging hike in Mount Kandora
Lat. 3°07'27.0"S | Long. 119°53'21.0"E
Mount Kandora is a mythical mount said to be the spot where Tamboro Langi', one of a to manurun (founding ancestors of Toraja), descended from the sky. It's a rocky mount that offers hiking and climbing path, from an easy-going one to a very challenging track that requires ropes.
In early March 2018, Jalan Jalan Toraja founders decided to try those tracks. We departed from Tagari, Balusu at 7.30 am and reached Tengan, Mengkendek at 9 am. The entrance to the first climbing point was obscure: it is beside a tongkonan (Toraja traditional house) that's being rebuilt by two carpenters). From them, we got to know that the trek we were about to climb is the second-most challenging of all the available trails.
The climbing track seen from the base.
The entrance to climb track is just beside the tongkonan.
The track proved to be tough. Dalle, the Jalan Jalan Toraja's tour guide who is an experienced mountain climber, felt that he needed to be extra cautious when choosing which rock to step and grip.
After close to 2 hours climb, we reached the top of that hill. But it wasn't the peak of the mount. To reach the mount's peak, one would have to cross a thin passage of rocks formation (refer to the photo below). It was too dangerous since we did not bring any rope or harness.
The thin passage of rock formation.
View from the highest spot that we could reach.
Knowing that the peak was unreachable from this path, we descended after enjoying 30 minutes of cool air breeze at around two meters square plot of rocks, the only flat surface near summit. It took us around 1.5 hours to reach the base. Immense feeling of relief felt upon touching ground. However we were dissatisfied upon failing to reach the peak. We decided to try another possible trail.
The other track is on a different side of the mount. We reached the starting point of that track in 30 minutes by motorcycle from the first climb point. Since it was the time for lunch, we ought to fill our stomach first. We saw a humble wooden abode nearby and asked if they could make us a simple lunch. The two boiled eggs from Tagari would be a perfect companion to any food they served (we were really hungry!).
Once ready, we entered the track. We met Ne' Kelvin (Ne' is a local term for a grandparent), a local farmer who finally agreed to help us cutting the tall grass that covered the long-lost track. He told us that no one climbed from this path for some years. He added that 30 years ago, a German climber named Gunther installed a ladder in a cliff somewhere. Despite the time-consuming and tiring journey, we finally found the ladder.
The forest that we need to pass through.
Ne' Kelvin (left) with Dalle, Jalan Jalan Toraja's tour guide.
Nek Kelvin opens the path using parang (machete).
Warning signs for the ladder.
The ladder was installed by Gunther, a German climber.
It was already 5 pm when we saw the ladder. We decided to stop the path opening since the thick grass was just too much. During our descend, we took a picture of The Statue of Jesus in Buntu Burake and stopped halfway at an abandoned hut. There, we shared our foods with Ne' Kelvin. It was a good day for us!
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