Supervolcano Mountaineering Challenge (ISVMC) 2008

Culture and Tourism Minister Jero Wacik launched a maiden activity of the Indonesian Supervolcano Mountaineering Challenge (ISVMC) of 2008 in Jakarta on Thursday (Sept 11).

To be held in the mountainous areas of Tambora and Rinjani volcanoes in West Nusatenggara (NTB) province on October 14-28, 2008, the ISVMC event poses an alternative of mountaineering activity-based eco-tourism for foreign and domestic mount climbers in a bid to make the Visit Indonesia Year (VIY) program to a success.

Mount Tambora





Mount Tambora is located on Sumbawa Island, part of the Lesser Sunda Islands . It is a segment of the Sunda Arc, a string of volcanic islands that form the southern chain of the Indonesian archipelago. Tambora forms its own peninsula on Sumbawa, known as the Sanggar peninsula. At the north of the peninsula is the Flores Sea, and at the south is the 86 km (53.5 mi) long and 36 km (22 mi) wide Saleh Bay. At the mouth of Saleh Bay there is an islet called Mojo.


Mount Rinjani

Mount Rinjani or Gunung Rinjani is an active volcano in Indonesia on the island of Lombok. It rises to 3,726 m (12,224 ft), making it the second highest volcano in Indonesia. The first historical eruption occurred in September of 1847. The most recent eruption of Mount Rinjani was on 1 October 2004.

The 6 km by 8.5 km oval-shaped caldera is filled partially by a crater lake known as Segara Anak ('Child of the Sea') and is approximately 2000m above sea level and estimated at being around 200m deep); the caldera also contains hot springs. The eruptions of 1994, 1995, and 1996 have formed a small cone, Gunung Baru (or 'New Mountain' - approximately 2300m above sea level) in the center of the caldera and lava flows from these eruptions have entered the lake.

As a result of the ministry’s cooperation with the Indonesian Mountaineering Federation (FMI), administration offices of West Lombok, Dompu and Bima districts, the event was expected to be a preliminary step to develop mountaineering activity-based ecotourism to promote, socialize, improve human resources and empower local people living in the mountainenous areas, the ISVMC organizing committeee said.

The event also aims to lure more foreign and domestic tourists, thus introducing the beauty of Indonesian nature and culture.

The participants are teams which consist of three members (women, men and mixed) which has a standard of mountaineering skill.

The competition is to be devided into two series – Tambora and Rinjani which will respectively last for three days.

The organizing committee will apply some points of the skill such as navigation, cordage (rope technique), obstacles, speed and safety procedure in which each element will appear as criteria of assessment and evaluation for the champion and runners up.

The ISVMC activity of 2008 is more dominated by mount climbers throughout Indonesia, most of whom are grouped in natural lovers and community who have certain interest to mountaineering activity.

The committee will provide certain prize like money, trophy and charter from the culture and tourism minister, governor and district heads. The trophy of culture and tourism ministry will be handed over to the first champion of Tambora and Rinjani Series and over all champion of the 2008 ISVMC event.

Minister Jero Wacik said that the event can function as a facility to encouraging the development of tourism especially mountaineering activity during which its implementation will involve more local people, so that the activity will bring better impact on the welfare of the local people.