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Carstensz Pyramid with International Mountain Guides
IMG senior guide Jason Edwards and his team had a spectacularly successful Carstensz expedition during July 2011 (see the photo gallery for images from the expediton »).
The IMG team followed the classic trekking route from Ilaga, pioneered by legendary climber Heinrich Harrer back in 1962. This is an adventurous and rugged trek, so we only recommend it for fit and athletic climbers. The good news is that if you do the trekking approach, you don't have to worry about whether or not the helicopter is going to fly. In Papua the helicopters are notoriously unavailable (also including for rescues). Doing this trek to Carstensz is about as far "out there" as you are going to get!
For 2012 we are going to do the same trip again, and again Jason Edwards will be the expedition leader. Now that we have done it via this route, we have a pretty good idea of what we need to do to make this another successful trip. Let us know if you are interested!
—Eric Simonson
Dear Prospective Team Members,
With our successful 2011 Carstensz expedition led by IMG guide Jason Edwards, we have now conducted three successful Carstensz trips, via three different routes (from the mine, via helicopter, and now via the trek approach). While there is no question that the trek approach is the longest and most strenuous of the three, we also know that we can do it without having to rely on the notoriously unreliable helicopters in Papua. Plus, it is a real adventure!
For 2012 we will do the trek approach again. This route, pioneered by Heinrich Harrer and his team in 1962, was the original approach to the mountain and remains the "real" way to do it. We start hiking from the small Papua village of Ilaga, which we reach by a flight in a Twin Otter. With our local porters from the Dani tribe, we traverse thick forest, a high limestone karst plateau, and rocky passes, with many stream crossings in between. This is a trip for very fit and strong climbers who are capable of strenuous hiking day after day, in very challenging terrain.
I personally climbed Carstensz, and really enjoyed the ascent very much. It was a long hard day with a pre-dawn start. You need to be confident moving on moderate (3rd, 4th and easy 5th class) rock terrain, on fixed ropes, rappelling, clipping in and out of anchors, etc. Up on the summit ridge we traversed several precipitous notches (that we could jump across with a belay). These days the biggest notch is now fixed with a cable Tyrolean Traverse (we bring a big pulley) so that is easier than having to rappel into the notch and climb back up the other side. It is not unusual to get rained on, and during our descent from the top we rappelled into several small waterfalls and got totally soaked. What an adventure!
If you want to do the "real" Carstensz climb with the classic approach and are fit and strong and capable of two weeks of very hard effort, then consider joining our 2012 Carstensz team. Make no mistake, this is still real adventure travel! If you are interested in joining this trip, please contact me by email and let’s set up a phone call to discuss further.
Regards,
—Eric Simonson
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I Come From the Stone Age
Under the Mountain Wall
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