The Mystic Mountain
Carstensz Pyramid sits in the isolated easternmost Indonesian territory of Papua (formerly Irian Jaya), it is to the west of Papau New Guinea – these combined Papua territories form the 2nd largest island on the planet (after Greenland). Carstensz, or Puncak Jaya as it is locally known - is the highest mountain in the Oceanea and Australasian continent, standing proud at 16,023ft/4884m. It is one of the popular seven summits, and “the most technical” of the 7, given its big rock wall in the approach to the summit.
The route has a steep granite wall with sharp, glove-tearing rock. Only a few hundred people have climbed Carstensz mainly due to security issues or political instability, and because of logistics nightmare of moving supplies and equipment in a dense and remote jungle frequented by lowland tribal men. It is a wet and cold climb in snow and rain with a tricky vertical rock wall climb leading to the peak. Compared to Montalban rocks (in Philippines), this is “rock climbing at high altitude”, and it requires a day of multi-pitch climbing. It is one of the last two (2) mountains near the equator with disappearing glaciers (the other one is Kilimanjaro).
Different tribes used to occupy and roam the jungles of Papua, most of them used to practice voodoo rituals, and cannibalism! The look and feel of the place brings you back to those mystical jungle feel of those King Kong movies, somewhat lost in time or simply back in the stone-age. For climbers, this is an adventure in the last remaining frontiers of our planet, and a rare chance to visit the mystical mountains of Papua.
Carstensz Pyramid sits in the isolated easternmost Indonesian territory of Papua (formerly Irian Jaya), it is to the west of Papau New Guinea – these combined Papua territories form the 2nd largest island on the planet (after Greenland). Carstensz, or Puncak Jaya as it is locally known - is the highest mountain in the Oceanea and Australasian continent, standing proud at 16,023ft/4884m. It is one of the popular seven summits, and “the most technical” of the 7, given its big rock wall in the approach to the summit.
The route has a steep granite wall with sharp, glove-tearing rock. Only a few hundred people have climbed Carstensz mainly due to security issues or political instability, and because of logistics nightmare of moving supplies and equipment in a dense and remote jungle frequented by lowland tribal men. It is a wet and cold climb in snow and rain with a tricky vertical rock wall climb leading to the peak. Compared to Montalban rocks (in Philippines), this is “rock climbing at high altitude”, and it requires a day of multi-pitch climbing. It is one of the last two (2) mountains near the equator with disappearing glaciers (the other one is Kilimanjaro).
Different tribes used to occupy and roam the jungles of Papua, most of them used to practice voodoo rituals, and cannibalism! The look and feel of the place brings you back to those mystical jungle feel of those King Kong movies, somewhat lost in time or simply back in the stone-age. For climbers, this is an adventure in the last remaining frontiers of our planet, and a rare chance to visit the mystical mountains of Papua.
________
(To-date, there has been no recorded Filipino climb on this mountain. If successful, this puts a new Pinoy mark on the highest mountain in Australasia or Oceanea, and brings us closer to the 7-summits dream.)
