Last May (2011), I was tempted to explore a route from the mountain lake “Situ Gunung” , 1200 m above Sea level, near Cisaat- Sukabumi, by spooring Wild animals tracks, to the summit of Mt Gede, 2958 m above sea level. I was assisted by my nephew Ian Wongkar and 3 other locals from Situ Gunung. We started from the waterfall Curug Sawer (an hour easy walk from Situ Gunung), crossed a bamboo bridge and followed the ridge along the eastern bank of the Cibunar river towards North-east.
When Fransz Junghuhn ascended Mt Panggrango-(3019 m,) for the first time in 1834 he surprisingly spotted a pair of Rhinos grazing by the waterhole at Mandalawangi-(3010 m). During that time he was also following Rhinoceros tracks the most easy access to reach the summit.
I’ve studied an old Map drawn by Frans Junghuhn in 1836 (attached).
You can clearly see a ridge leading to Mt. Gede, it only crosses one tributary unnamed river to the Cibunar from the Alun-alun (Surya kencana )
We don’t bring any navigation equipment like compass, altimeter or GPS, except a new Edition Digital map, (quiet accurate except some of the names were misplaced); the trekking was mostly based on experience and instinct only. Just like wild animals travelling we don’t cut the forest and tried to leave as minimal as possible tracks along the way.
It took us 14 hrs traveling to reach the rim of Mt Gede Crater; there we took an hour break before dawn so that we can take pictures, then we go ahead to the summit.
Where have all the Edelweis bushes gone? It’s probably gone due to the Global warming, it disappeared from Pasir Halangrug and around the summit of Mt Gede, within less than 40 years only .
See Where Have all the Edelweiss Gone Part 1
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