LIFE

Mountain Climbing for Life

Executive summary by darmansjah

The path climbed relentlessly. Continues to climb, endless. Shortness of breath, energy drained. No wonder the hill climbers call it "Mount of Regret". That is perhaps to regret the 'sins' of the past because of lack of vigorous physical exercise, original tex by Ahmad Arif and Agung Setyahadi

Flops sandals, Marahidun (50) runs without pause. Two baskets of food weighing 30 pounds that she endured as not to burden. The man from the village of Lawang Sembalun. East Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, it passed us gasping at the "Mount of Regret" on the slopes of Mount Rinjani.

Syaifudin (30) also flops sandals and carrying a basket of groceries. Just like Marahidun, nimble foot movement like a young deer. It's fast and without pause.

Both porters are rushing to get in the mail stops in Plawangan Bemablun to prepare meals. With a sigh, we asked what the menu that day. "Vegetable usual" exclaimed Syaifudin, leader of the porters. The habit he had served overseas climbers make the man who can not read or write is called the menu vegetable stew with mixed language, English-Indonesian.

Brought many tools, including inflatable boats, climbing terrain that heavy and long, clean water to the difficulty of making a very important role of the porter. Dutch botanist, Zollinger, which was recorded as the first climber to Rinjani in 1846, also rely on local porters. However, he eventually intention to cancel the summit due to run out of clean water.

Climbing next to the Rinjani are always rely on porters. Geological Survey volcanologists from (Bandung City), Kama Kusumadinata who climb Rinjani in 1969, also rely on local porters. With a four-member climbing team. Kusumadinata local porters carry eight, including one from Senaru adat. "Those people are hard to walk," said Kusumadinata.

The climb to Rinjani in the past must be accompanied pemangku adat. "Climbing the mountain is also accompanied by stakeholders because Rinjani is still considered a sacred place," said Marahidun, who became a porter since 1989. Initially, he became Head porter because Hamlet was ordered to accompanySembalun Mustiadi U.S. researchers who want to examine the flora and fauna of Rinjani.

At that time, not many people around Rinjani is a porter. Residents prefer to be a farmer. Sembalun Berjaya as a producer of garlic. "People climb Rinjani was more to find a cure or be imprisoned," said Syaifudin.

Travel path

Until the 1990's, looking for porters at the Rinjani is not easy. In addition to the difficult terrain, not just anyone dared to hike there. Mount Rinjani is a sacred mountain for local residents. Ascent also time consuming because it must open scrubland along the way.

Climbing the more severe after the River Padabalong until Plawangan Sembalun. Track continues to climbwithout mercy. Routes to Plawangan Sembalun known as "Hill Regret".

However, on the eve of the 2000s, farming at the foot of Rinjani on the skids. Since then, many people switch professions to be porters. "At that time, we got paid Rp.2500 (US$0.27) per day. If you spend a day's wagescould get 50 kilograms of rice, "said Marahidun. Wages were very large compared to the time construction worker or peasant wage of only Rp. 200(US$0.022) per day.

Over time, the route to Mount Rinjani is becoming more popular, especially for foreign climbers. The peak, in 2009, the number of foreign climbers reach Rinjani 8455 people. The number of climbers in the country reached 1668 people.

The need for porters has increased. However, wages as a porter is much smaller than in the 1990s. Now, as aporter, Marahidun paid Rp.100,000(US$11) per day, equivalent to 20 kilograms of rice (in 2011).

ATM residents

Although the provision of working as a porter to shrink, the job remains a pedestal. Porter wages far greater than the wages of a motorcycle, which averages about 30,000 per day, or farm laborers, who got 15,000 per day.

Agriculture increasingly promising. "If planted even loss" Syaifudin said.

"Our ATM(Automatic Teller Machine), yes, on this mountain," said Rahidun (22). Rahidun back to Sembalun and a porter in early 2011 after go abroad for eight years in Sabah, Malaysia.

Now, residents live for  Rinjani mountain to climb. "If there is no Rinjani, we can not eat now," said Syaifudin." said Syaifudin.

 

 However, knowing the season was so porters. During December and January, at the Rinjani climbing laneclosed due to rain and storms into the season. In those months, the porters usually choose to work asmigrant workers in Malaysia are so out of Rinjani. "The money paid will be paid separately tekong (Such work provider requesting the return) I use the waste brought to work in Malaysia," he said. "That bluff-months ahead, our ATM on the mountain is closed."