Indonesia is renowned for its abundance of mountains, with Mount Inerie in Flores being one of them. Situated in the south-central part of the island, Inerie is a currently inactive stratovolcano that is considered the highest mountain on the island. The mountain itself is located on the north side of the Savu (Sawu) Sea, a small sea in Indonesia that dominates the majority of sea areas of the country’s East Nusa Tenggara Province.
With a total height of 2.245 m above sea level, the mountain is considered to be a highly challenging mountain to climb. Even when compared to its counterparts in other provinces in Indonesia, Mount Inerie gains its current prominence for its characteristics.
Inerie is a stratovolcano, a kind of conical volcano consisting of numerous layers of hardened tephra and lava. As a result, Inerie has a steep profile and a summit crater due to previous eruptions. A particularly unique characteristic of the mountain is its pyramid-like shape, which in turn inspires people to name the mountain “Nature’s Pyramid” because of its notably visible shape.
Location
Inerie is located in Aimere District, Ngada Regency, Flores. Somehow distant from the closest major road, the closest major town in the regency to Inerie is Bajawa, a town in Flores that is also renowned for its natural hot springs thanks to the town’s close proximity to Inerie.
Located south of Bajawa, it takes about 10.9 km to go from Bajawa to the mountain’s trekking departure site, before hikers need to go for about 650 m to the mountain’s summit.
Route
Because Bajawa is the closest major town to Inerie, most of the routes that can be taken to Inerie are started from the town. If your current stay is in Bajawa, you can ask your travel organizers to take you south to Inerie from Bajawa.
Upon arriving from Bajawa, you will be taken to Watumeze Village, the closest village to Inerie and the mountain’s trekking departure site.
Amenities
Commonly, amenities that you can have when climbing the mountain can be earned when you’re in Bajawa and Watumeze. Bajawa itself has several hotels and other lodging locations that you can use during your stay in Bajawa to climb Inerie.
Besides hotels and homestays, there are also shops in Bajawa where you can buy things you may need for your trek to Mount Inerie.
When to Visit
Since Inerie is an inactive volcano, it’s safe to visit the mountain anytime since you don’t have to worry too much about the mountain suddenly erupting anytime. However, visiting the mountain during certain seasons may provide different impressions to you when climbing the mountain.
During the dry season, the mountain can look brownish-yellow since the weeds in the mountain are dried up as well. On the other hand, during the rainy season, the weeds are nourished by the rainwater, which makes them look green instead of brownish-yellow.
While the weeds look greener during the rainy season, you shouldn’t overlook the fact that the mountain can be harder to climb since the climbing route is doused in water from the rainfall.
How to Get to
So, how can we climb Inerie? To have the best experience, you need a local guide who can guide you on how to climb the mountain thanks to the mountain’s steep profile. Since there are currently no signs to each spot in the mountain and a clear path, having a guide can greatly help you prevent accidents and get lost.
While the nominal distance between Inerie and Watumeze Village is only about 650 m, the hike is anything but easy! Thanks to the mountain’s steep cliffs, it can take about 2.5 to 4 hours just to climb Inerie. Similarly, it may also take 3 to 4 hours to make a safe descent back to the village.
Although this is entirely optional, you are free to choose whether to make your climb during sunrise or daytime. If you can’t handle the mountain’s heat during the daytime, it is highly advisable to make the climb during sunrise. Moreover, you can get to see the amazingly gorgeous sunrise right from the top of Inerie!
Conclusion
If you’re a challenge addict who likes climbing the hardest mountains to conquer, then Mount Inerie is right up your alley! Since the mountain is challenging to climb, the sense of satisfaction and unforgettable experience when climbing Inerie will surely be a reason to visit Flores and its tourism spots next time.
