The hardest hikes in Indonesia, by the numbers
Of the 21 trails in Indonesia in our dataset, 10 (48 percent) rate strenuous or very strenuous on the gain-and-distance scale we use and run 3 to 30 miles with at least 1,500 ft of climb; all 10 are listed here, highest rating first.
Mount Rinjani leads with 12,302 ft of gain over 12.1 miles, 1,017 ft per mile, with a steepest pitch of 59 percent.
Across the 10, gain runs from 2,123 to 12,302 ft and distance from 3.8 miles to 17.8 miles; the median gain is 6,958 ft and the median distance 12.8 miles.
5 of the 10 are point-to-point routes; the rest are out-and-back (3).
| # | Trail | Miles | Gain (ft) | Ft per mile | Max grade | Elevation (ft) | Rating | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mount Rinjani | 12.1 | 12,302 | 1,017 | 59% | 1,952 to 12,224 | 545.6 | |
| 2 | Rinjani TrackMount Rinjani NP | 16 | 8,879 | 555 | 72% | 2,205 to 8,649 | 533 | |
| 3 | Gunung SemeruBromo Tengger Semeru NP | 17.8 | 7,472 | 420 | 61% | 6,847 to 12,060 | 515.8 | |
| 4 | Mount Rinjani (Sembalun BC)Mount Rinjani NP | 13.9 | 6,869 | 494 | 67% | 2,343 to 8,648 | 437 | |
| 5 | Mount Rinjani (Timbanuh BC)Mount Rinjani NP | 15.2 | 6,238 | 410 | 45% | 2,441 to 8,543 | 435.5 | |
| 6 | Gunung Raung (Sumberwringin BC) | 13.6 | 6,499 | 478 | 51% | 3,885 to 10,420 | 420.4 | |
| 7 | Jalur pendakian Gunung Raung | 8.9 | 8,681 | 975 | 64% | 2,251 to 10,932 | 393.1 | |
| 8 | Mount Salak (Gunung Sari Route)Taman Nasional Gunung Halimun-Salak | 12 | 4,300 | 358 | 47% | 3,104 to 7,254 | 321.2 | |
| 9 | Mount Agung | 3.8 | 7,046 | 1,854 | 70% | 2,552 to 9,557 | 231.4 | |
| 10 | Ijen (Merapi) | 6.3 | 2,123 | 337 | 39% | 6,158 to 7,831 | 163.6 |
How this list is ranked
Rating = the square root of 2 x elevation gain (ft) x distance (miles), the gain-and-distance formula Shenandoah National Park publishes for its own trails. Bands: under 50 easiest, 50 to 100 moderate, 100 to 150 moderately strenuous, 150 to 200 strenuous, 200 and over very strenuous.
This list: band strenuous (150 to 200) or very strenuous (200 and over), 3 to 30 miles, at least 1,500 ft of gain, ordered by rating desc, gain per mile desc, capped at 25. The rating column is computed from the miles and gain printed in the same row, the numbers each trail page uses, so every row can be checked from the row itself. The rating says nothing about exposure, scrambling, altitude or conditions.
Only trails with a full page count, so "Indonesia" here means the 21 trails in Indonesia in our dataset, not every trail in Indonesia.
Each trail page shows the full elevation profile behind these numbers and the same data drawn as a topographic print, made to order. Start with Mount Rinjani.
Hardest hikes elsewhere.
The same ranking for other countries in our dataset.