Mt. Puncak Jaya

Mt. Puncak Jaya (4884m)

GETTING TO PUNCAK JAYA (Helicopter Rescue Squad)

Co-ordinates are S 04°04.733, E 137°09.572. The normal way to reach the mountain is a six day 67 km trek through the jungle from the village of Ilaga or Sugapa which is reached by a light aircraft from the town of Nabire. The height gain is 4000 metres during the trek and is quite strenuous requiring good balance on the fallen trees and along the trail which is heavily forested. Accommodation is in tents or in caves along the way, and it is common to experience tropical rain showers. Carstensz Pyramid stands out like a great fin of rock rising out of the jungle and its first sight has attracted many emotional reactions for climbers emerging from the dense undergrowth to be faced with such a dramatic sight.

It is the only one of the Seven Summits to involve technical rock climbing and therefore members should have suitable experience with ropework and abilities up to Severe. In particular are several notches on the summit ridge which involve a dramatic Tyrolean traverse.

CLIMBING ROUTE ON PUNCAK JAYA( Helicopter Rescue Squad )

The normal route is the one that Heinrich Harrer opened up, which ascends a 600 metre wall; it’s imposing and sheer with the bottom half being easily angled and the final top section very steep. The rock is clean and sharp but the wall itself rarely presents a problem. Initially the grade would be a VDiff (UIAA III) with the top at VS (UIAA V). There are fixed ropes in place below the ridge and along the jagged edge to the summit. The crux of the climb is an overhanging wall (VS, UIAA VI) that can be crossed using the fixed lines and jumars or by setting up a Tyrolean traverse.

The whole summit day is about 12 hours and involves scrambling on sharp rock in the dark up narrow chimneys and gullies until you reach the summit ridge. One would expect a range of weather including rain and mist and wind, possible snow showers or potentially clear skies with great views from the top. Temperatures on the summit are often well below freezing, and Base Camp can be 12 degrees Celsius. The descent involves rappelling or abseiling down the fixed lines.

HISTORY OF PUNCAK JAYA( Helicopter Rescue Squad )

The word Carstensz is often mis-spelt but the peak is actually named after the first European to see the mountain whose name was Jan Karstens. He was a Dutch seafarer who in 1623 brought news back to Europe about a snow-covered mountain on the equator (actually 4 degrees South of it).  At the time he was not believed, a similar story to the first European to see Kilimanjaro. Nowadays the peak is also called Puncak Jaya which translates as Victory Peak and is popular name among Indonesian communists.

It was Austrian climber Heinrich Harrer who in 1962 became the first mountaineer to climb Carstenz and his book about the climb and life in Papua called ‘I Come From the Stone Age’ was a best seller. His story and eventual fate was depicted in the movie ‘Seven Years in Tibet’ starring Brad Pitt. A few years later in 1971 Tyrolean mountaineer Reinhold Messner climbed Carstenz as part of his Seven Summits odyssey which he successfully completed in 1986.

GEOGRAPHY OF PUNCAK JAYA ( Helicopter Rescue Squad )

It’s geographical location is to the west of the central highlands and the Sudirman Mountains. Rather poetically, it belongs to the legendary Snow Mountains, so named because of the snowfall that commonly falls above 400 metres.  At 4884 metres it is the highest mountain in Australia and Oceania, collectively known as Australasia and, depending on your interpretation of a continent, it is one of the Seven Summits. The definition is still a point of debate because it depends on whether one considers a continent geographically or geologically. If New Guinea is regarded as part of the Australasian continental land mass then Carstenz is indeed the highest. Either way it is a significant expedition and far more challenging than Kosciusko.

Excluded

• International flight to Nabire via Jakarta or Bali
• Travel insurance covering cancellation and medical/evacuation
• Excess baggage on flights
• Personal climbing and camping equipment
• Personal expenses
• Indonesia entry visa fee ($US25/Person)

Please note that the permits for this expedition are expensive and difficult to get, and we will require payment of this trip three months in advance in order to process the paperwork. Permits come from the main government offices in Jakarta, and regional administrative offices in Jayapura and local offices in Sugapa itself. The government does not give refunds for permits that are then not used for whatever reason so it is therefore important to have cancellation insurance in place.

PAYMENTS

A deposit of £1,500 is required on booking to secure your place and we ask that the remaining balance (trip price minus the deposit) is paid in full 12 weeks prior to your departure. When you book with us you’re given your own secure online account which you can access 24/7. Through this account you can edit your booking, add flight, health, insurance and dietary details and also make interim payments. We make payments as flexible as possible and you can choose, if you wish, to pay a bit off your trip fee whenever it suits you.

Key Information

• Duration21 days
• Challenge Strenuous
• Altitude4884m
• Comfort Camping
• {ContactUs}