Deciding on the Trek Route: Should I start from Senaru or Sembalun?
How do you choose between Senaru and Sembalun? This was the first question I had in mind while planning the trip, and I couldn’t seem to find any good answer for.
It’s actually very simple – if you only have three days to spare, you can only go for a 2D1N trip and you have to choose between Sembalun and Senaru since they are located on different sides of the mountain. So here are the pro and cons:
- If you want to summit in the 2D1N trip, then you should be going via Sembalun, which features an easier climb (mostly flat) through the grasslands to the base of the summit. The downside is that you would be walking under the sun the entire time. Your trek would cover Sembalun > Summit > back down to Sembalun.
- If you are absolutely sure you WILL NOT attempt to summit in 2D1N, you should go through Senaru, and your trek would then cover Senaru > Crater Rim > back down to Senaru. The hike will take you through a steeper, non-stop climb through the rainforest, and a fairly difficult rocky climb in the last leg. But it’s a more beautiful and shaded route than Sembalun. You cannot reach the summit in two days if you go through Senaru though.
However, if you have time to do a 3D2N trip – and this is what most people choose, then you don’t have to worry about choosing as you would be hitting both sides anyway. The popular route is to go from Sembalun > Summit > Crater Rim > Senaru. However, if you have the option to choose and are still wondering whether to start from Sembalun or Senaru for the 3D2N trip, it comes down to when you want to summit. If you want to summit earlier in the trip, then choose Sembalun. If not, then choose Senaru.