Ardian
Tour Guide, Malang, Indonesia
| 3 mins read
Semeru Mountain is highest mountain on Java island, with an altitude of 3.676 meters and Semeru Mountain is a volcano. Like Bromo Mountain, Semeru Mountain located inside Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park (TNBTS). Semeru Mountain has a peak called Mahameru and a crater called Jonggring Saloka. Semeru Mountain is located in 2 regencies, Malang regency and Lumajang Regency.
Geographically Semeru Mountain has B type climate and rainfall 927 mm – 5.498 mm a year with total of rainy day 136/year. In the night untill dawn this area has temperatures from 3°C - 8°C, and 15°C – 21 °C at afternoon. Sometimes in some area in Semeru Mountain also experiences snowfall, this is between change of season, from summer to rainfall or rainfall to summer. Cold weather happened because fairly strong winds, and the coldest area is Ranu Kumbolo Lake.
To climb, Semeru Mountain has 2 hiking trails, first from Ranupane village that can be accessed from Malang regency and second from Senduro Village that can be accessed from Lumajang regency. But the most known route is Ranupane; this route still has 2 another routes, first is conventional route and second is Ayek-ayek route and both route is heading to Ranu Kumbolo Lake.
Legend of Semeru Mountain
According to a legend of the ancient religious book Tantu Pagelaran, which was followed by Javanese people with faith since the 15 century; the world had become unbalanced. To solve this problem Lord Visnu ordered other Gods to cut the top of Meru Mountain in India and move it to Java island. The Gods obeyed Visnu’s order and moved it, to place it in the western side of Java island. But Java Island became unbalanced, the west side drowned into the sea and the east side raised to the sky. Once again, Visnu ordered the other Gods to move the top of Meru Mountain to east side of Java. While moving this mountain, some part of this mountain dropped and the area became mountains from west side to east side of the Java Island. Those mountains are the Katong Mountain (a.k.a Lawu Mountain, 3.265 meters), Wilis Mountain (2.169 meters), Kampud Mountain (a.k.a Kelud Mountain, 1.713 meters), Kawi Mountain (2.631 meters), Arjuna Mountain (3.339 meters) and Kemukus Mountain (3.156 meters). After the great move, Java island was still unbalanced, so the Gods cut the mountain again and placed in the northwest and called it Penanggungan Mountain, and the top of Meru mountain called as Semeru Mountain.