Garut is one of the cities in West Java that has a variety of interesting tourist attractions. Not only famous for its hot water tourism, Garut also saves the tourism potential of waterfalls, traditional villages, beaches, and mountains. Moreover, its location is not too far from Bandung, making Garut as an alternative for many tourists to fill vacation time.
In Garut, Mount Guntur is one of the favorite natural tourist destinations of tourists, even local residents themselves. This active volcano has a charm that will make visitors amazed by the beautiful nature. So, it's no wonder if this mountain becomes a destination for adventure climbers on weekends, in addition to Mount Papandayan and Mount Cikuray.
The specialty of Guntur Mountain
For those who want to find alternative climbing in the Garut region, Mount Guntur can be the right choice. This mountain has various attractions that make many climbers curious to come. Here are the features of Mount Guntur that you should know:
From the summit of Mount Guntur you will be presented with a variety of beautiful scenery. One of the sights that you can enjoy is the crater formed by a massive eruption in the past. The eruption then gave rise to volcanic historical traces in the form of a broad stretch of two deep caldera.
The two caldera are Pangkalan Caldera to the east and Gandapura Caldera to the west of the mountain. Although not yet as popular as the caldera on Mount Rinjani and Tambora, the beauty of the two caldera in Guntur Mountain and the cool mountain air can make your climbing moment more memorable.
Mount Guntur is the name of a peak from a row of fire mountains. At its peak, there are several cones of mountain peaks that form large and lined groups starting from the northwest to the southeast. The highest peaks are Masigit Peak, followed by Guntur Peak, Parupuyan Peak, and Kabuyutan Peak.
Peak 1 or the Thunder Peak is a vast savanna which is used as a camping ground for climbers. From the top 1, you can enjoy the sunrise with a backdrop of views of Garut City, Mount Cikuray, and Mount Papandayan. Peak 1 is even more special because it has a wide crater that you can visit.
Interestingly, there are quite unique sights in the 1st Peak of Guntur Mountain. Wild boar roaming for food in each climber's tent can be your photography object. Make sure you don't store items outside the tent so as not to attract the attention of wild boar to disturb.
The next peak is Puncak 2 or Kabuyutan Peak which is marked by the presence of a GPS Monument from volcanologists. At this peak, the scenery is more beautiful. You can also see Peak 1 which is filled with tents of climbers and the crater of Mount Guntur on Peak 1 clearly when the weather is clear.
Uniquely, on the peak of Parupuyan there is soil that emits sulfur fumes. The land feels hot, so it is used by climbers to warm the body. While Peak 3 (Parupuyan Peak) and Peak 4 (Masigit Peak) do not have a sign or monument. The two peaks located east of Guntur Mountain also offer beautiful views.
The view from the top of Thunder Mountain was so charming. One of the most favored views of climbers is the color of the sky at sunrise. At dawn, you can watch the perfect sunrise moment from the summit. Panorama will be more beautiful when the sun's position is higher. You will see the silhouette of Mount Papandayan, Cikuray, and Mount Ciremai during sunny weather.
Guntur Mountain is in Tarogong Kaler District or 7 kilometers from the center of Garut City. This volcano which has an altitude of 2,249 meters above sea level is often called "Semeru Mini" because it has the character of a sand and gravel track like Mount Semeru.
Medan climbing Guntur Mountain is known to be heavy because it does not have many trees, so it looks bald and barren. In addition, this mountain has a steep slope and the stability of the land is classified as unstable, so it is prone to landslides. Therefore, many climbers do trekking at dawn, afternoon, even night because the weather is not hot.
To get to Guntur Mountain, ordinary climbers pass the official route via Citiis. The hiking trail found by Frans Junghun is the easiest. According to various sources, Frans Junghun was a German climber who had climbed Guntur Mountain in 1837.
If you choose the Curug Citiis route, you have to go to Kampung Citiis, Tarogong Kaler. From the center of the city of Garut, go to the Tarogong area to find the Tanjung Gas Station or RM. Typical Raja Sate of Garut. Tanjung Gas Station is often used as a meeting place for climbers who want to go to Citiis base camp. At this gas station, there is a road that leads to Citiis Village. You have to use a motorcycle taxi to travel.
From the base camp in Kampung Citiis, you can continue the journey to Curug Citiis through the location of the former sand mining Citiis. Continue to meet the water pipes on the side of the road. Follow the pipe through the shady forests and fields belonging to the residents until you find Curug Citiis. Curugini is often used by climbers as a place to rest while enjoying the clean and cold water.
From Curug Citiis, the terrain towards Post 2 and 3 will turn into a steep uphill with a contour of sand and rocky land to reach the upper Citiis waterfall. After that, you can walk leisurely through the sloping path and through shady and savanna forests with brownish weeds. This ramps will end when you arrive at Post 3.
Upon arrival at this post, you are required to report to the guard post for security, as well as re-registration. Post 3 is a camping ground for climbers. Climbers are now forbidden from camping at the summit because of the many cases of accidents that occur, such as being struck by lightning, falling down, and being hit by rocks. In this post, you can find rivers with clean water that can be used to refill water logistics.
Usually, climbers start trekking to Peak 1 before dawn to catch up with the sunrise. However, the terrain that was passed to reach the summit was very heavy. The sandy track with a slope of about 45 degrees makes footsteps heavy. Towards noon, the heat made many climbers choose not to continue to Peak 2, 3 and 4.
If you want to try going up to Peak 2, you need about 30 minutes on foot from Peak 1. The track is not too steep compared to the journey from Post 3 to Peak 1. In addition, there are two paths you can choose, namely the left lane with views of the mountain crater and the right lane with views of Masigit Peak.
If you want to continue the trip to Peak 3, you have to go down first from Peak 2, then go back up the hill that became Peak 3. Meanwhile, to get to Peak 4, you need stronger stamina because of the more steep path.
Facilities and accommodations in Guntur Mountain
Facilities that are officially provided by the manager are not yet available in the Guntur Mountain area. For those who want to climb through Curug Citiis, you still have to take care of the administration for climbing at your own base camp. Meanwhile, if you want to stay overnight, you can rent a resident's house around the initial post.
Hiking routes via Curug Citiis tend to be safe because they already have clear tracks. You will not be thirsty during the trip because you will find a source of clean water for the logistics needs of the climb along the way, such as rivers and waterfalls. So, it's no wonder that Mount Guntur became one of the favorite mountain climbers.
Entrance ticket prices and operating hours
To enter the mountain area, you will be charged IDR 3,000 per motorbike and IDR 5,000 per car. While SIMAKSI entrance tickets (letters of entry into the conservation area) are IDR 15,000 per person. The ticket includes insurance, entry fees and camping fees.
If you come using a private vehicle, prepare more money to pay for parking around Curug Citiis base camp area. The fee is IDR 10,000 per vehicle, whether motorbike or car.
