Pergasingan Hill - Trekking & Camping in Lombok (2019)
It was a cloudy afternoon and we were all set for our next adventure – trekking and camping at the Pergasingan Hill in North Lombok. Standing next to us, our guide Samed from HaLoMi Trekker was giving us last-minute tips on the journey ahead.
Samed calls himself Summit and has been doing guided tours for a little over 15 years. He called us crazy for gearing up for Pergasingan Hill trek within 24 hours of climbing Mount Rinjani. Smiling and checking on our leg conditions, he told us to be ready for experiencing for the most mesmerizing sunset of Lombok.
The trail for Pergasingan hill took us through the misty woods and amidst the clouds. After almost three misty hours, we were at the summit. As Samed said, we did experience one of the most beautiful evenings of Lombok - the clouds bidding goodbye and paving a path for the sun to set. Mount Rinjani, Mount Agung and Mount Batur in Bali shining with the last light of the day while the sun eloped the horizon. At night, we camped beneath the starlit sky. It was surreal.
Here is a detailed blog on everything you should know for planning your trek to Pergasingan Hill.
Quick Navigation for the blog
Starting point for the trek to Pergasingan Hill
Trail for Pergasingan Hill
Ways to explore Pergasingan Hill
My Itinerary for Pergasingan Hill
Pergasingan Hill without Guide
Mount Rinjani or Pergasingan Hill
Best time to visit Pergasingan Hill
Budget for Pergasingan Hill
Things to carry for trek to Pergasingan Hill
Starting point for the trek to Pergasingan Hill
Pergasingan Hill is in Sembalun Village in North Lombok. During my visit, the locals were constructing the new entry point which is called ‘Bukit Tanaq Abang’. Here is the google location and a picture for the trek starting point for your reference.
Please note that the main starting point for Pergasingan Hill is not accessible after the earthquake in 2018. The locals in Sembalun village believe that one of the reasons for the earthquake in 2018 was trekking and hence have put a large bamboo and barbed wire wall at the old trail entrance. The trek is not officially closed, only the entrance has been changed. I was not aware of these details before the trek but my guide helped me understand the local sentiments.
Trail for Pergasingan Hill
Pergasingan Hill trek is a soft, easy trek and suitable for most trekkers. With a gradual increase, the summit is at 1700 meters above sea level. The first half an hour of the trek will be steeper. Then the trail goes through forests and Savannas with a gradual ascent. Walking through the misty forest will make you feel like walking in the butterfly park. After around 3 hours of slow ascent trail, you will reach a ridge which is the camping site for Pergasingan Hill. The ridge overlooks Sembalun village valley, Mount Rinjani and other mountains in Lombok.
Ways to explore Pergasingan Hill
You will have two options for exploring Pergasingan Hill.
Trekking and overnight camping at Pergasingan Hill – For this you will need one day and night; or
Hiking Pergasingan Hill and back to base on the same day – For hiking and coming back the same day, you will need around 8 to 9 hours
The sunset from Pergasingan Hill is surreal. You can see countless stars in the night and hence, I will recommend you to go for trekking and overnight camping at Pergasingan Hill. However, if you are tight on schedule, you can consider the hiking option!
My Itinerary for Pergasingan Hill
I had planned my trek to Pergasingan Hill with HaLoMi Trekker. The guys had arranged for pick from my guest house in Senaru (another village in North Lombok). We started from Senaru at around 1 PM and reached Sembalun at 2 PM. We met our guide and porter at the starting point of the trek and then immediately started for the trek. We had reached the summit in 3 hours (5 PM).
The porter had carried the food/ tent/ sleeping bag etc. While we were exploring around and enjoying the beautiful sunset, our guide and porter had set up the tent and prepared hot tea for us. After the sunset, we chitchatted for a while and then had our dinner (soupy noodles)! The sky was filled with stars and we also saw a few shooting stars. Next day we woke up at 6 AM to see the sunrise. We trekked for around 20 minutes from our campsite to reach the sunrise point. After the sunrise and a good breakfast, we started the decent (around 9 AM). We trekked down in around 2 and a half hours (by 12 PM). After the trek, we were dropped at the airport to catch our flight for Bali!
Contact HaLoMi Trekker: If you are planning for Lombok and want to explore the mountainside in North Lombok, you can plan your treks with HaLomi Trekker! The website link is here . The guys are really sweet and professional. You can also contact them by email: book2rinjani@gmail.com or whatapp at +62 87864349064.
Pergasingan Hill without Guide
You can trek to Pergasingan Hill without a guide as the trail is easy and can be tracked. Few things to keep in mind if you want to trek without a guide:
I have heard from a few people on the incident of theft etc with solo travelers in Lombok at isolated places. So you would need to be extremely careful while deciding to trek and camp alone;
There are no wild animals on Pergasingan Hill except wild pigs. The wild pigs generally attack only in defense;
You will need to carry enough water with you as there would no source of water during the entire trek and at the summit;
If you want to camp, you will also need to carry a tent, sleeping bags, sleeping mat, and food.
I feel trekking with a guide gives you a good local perspective towards travel (and a lot more time for exploring around as the guide take care of camping, food, etc).
Mount Rinjani or Pergasingan Hill
If you think climbing Mount Rinjani will be tough for you but you still want to explore the mountainside in Lombok, trekking to Pergasingan Hill will be the best alternative.
In case you have time and a basic level of fitness, I will recommend you to add both Mount Rinjani and Pergasingan Hill to your itinerary since both the places have their own charms. After trekking to Mount Rinjani your body will be tired and you may have leg pain, hence, it will be good to take atleast 1/2 day’s break between both the treks.
I chose to trek both Mount Rinjani and Pergasingan Hill. In both cases, the view at the summit was so beautiful and surreal that honestly, I did not think about the leg pain.
Best time to visit Pergasingan Hill
Unlike Mount Rinjani, trekking to Pergasingan Hill can be done at any time of the year. Best time to trek Pergasingan Hill will be dry season – May to October (In fact, May to October is the best time to visit any part of Lombok).
I did the trek to Pergasingan Hill in June and it was perfect weather. It drizzled for around half an hour which made the trek even more pleasant.
DO NOT TREK TO PERGASINGAN HILL ON A WEEKEND.
Pergasingan Hill is local’s paradise and many young local people trek on weekends. Unless you don’t mind the summit filled with people, I will recommend you to avoid trekking to Pergasingan Hill on a weekend. We were not aware of this but luckily we had planned the trek on a Wednesday. Our guide informed us that if we trek to Pergasingan hill on a weekend, it is tough to even find a spot to pitch your tent. Lucky us!
Budget for Pergasingan Hill
The budget will depend on the number of people in the group. We had paid around USD 150 per person and my plan was inclusive of the following:
Pick up from any part in Lombok;
Experienced guide and porter;
Tent, sleeping bags, sleeping mat, and trek poles;
Vegetarian Food and water on the trek (if you are a vegetarian, do inform the trekking company in advance);
Trips to waterfalls in North Lombok;
Airport drop after the trek
If you are doing the trek without a guide, you will need to pay an entry fee of 50,000 Indonesian rupees (USD 4) at the starting point of the trek and manage rest of the expenses (pick up/ drop/ food/ water/ tent, etc) on your own.
For me, the pricing worked out because I was not carrying any trekking gear from India and pick up and the drop was an added advantage.
Things to carry for trek to Pergasingan Hill
I carried only essential items for the trek as it was just one-night trek. I had kept all my extra luggage at HaLoMi Trekker’s office. You can also ask your trekking company/ homestay to store any extra luggage you may have. The locals are extremely helpful and sweet.
Basis my experience, here is a quick list of items you should carry for the trek to Pergasingan Hill:
A small backpack to keep essential items for the trek
A small torch (preferable headlight)
Good trekking shoes – Extremely important for a smooth trek
Trek Pole (not mandatory)
Trek pant (preferably full length as you will pass through jungles/ forests and some of the plants are spikey)
Tee-shirt
A warm jacket (it gets colder on the summit, would be good to carry a warm jacket)
Raincoat
Sun hat/ cap
Sunscreen lotion
First Aid Kit to be on a safer side
Toiletries as per your needs
Additional items to carry if you are camping without a guide
Tent;
Sleeping Bag and mat;
Food (you can consider protein bars, etc);
Carry sufficient water from the base. You will not find sources along the trail to refill your water bottles.
Hope i have answered all the questions you had for trekking to Pergasingan Hill and reading the blog was helpful for you. Drop a comment below if you think i have missed on something or you need any other help in planning your itinerary for Lombok.
Are you planning to explore around India or Sri Lanka? If yes or need motivation to come to India/ Sri Lanka, check my travel blogs here:
Happy travelling!
Love,
TannedTravelGirl