When I moved from Holland to Indonesia in the mid-eighties, I had no interest in hiking at all. Holland is a cycling country; Germany, Austria and Switzerland have cable cars to conquer mountains in leisure. Why then start climbing volcanoes in Indonesia, the world’s most volcanic country? If I say the prosaic adage: “Because they are there!” then this is only half the truth. During my first year in Jakarta, I suffered from many bad colds because of blasting air conditioners in the office. Something had to be done to bolster my immune system. Fortunately I came across JavaLava, an informal group of like-minded hikers, which was “founded” about 1975 by two Dutchmen and one Scotsman. And indeed by hiking to the tops of Indonesian volcanoes, my health improved and I am still doing it today.

The longest hikes in JavaLava take three days on one volcano, usually on long weekends with camping on or near its top. Nothing is more beautiful than experiencing a sunrise after having spent a freezing night in the tent. Night frost is not uncommon, even in tropical Indonesia, and, as the sun rises fast near the equator, the chilled body looses its stiffness in no time. And nothing is better than having a hot cup of tea in a serene and breathtaking place. The toughest are one-day hikes of more than eight hours. On average we climb 300 m in altitude per hour. This means 1,200 m up and down in an eight-hour hike. This is not everybody’s cup of tea only fit bodies will enjoy it.