Lombok Lava Trek

Responsible Tourism

At Charity Challenge we are committed to sustainable and responsible tourism, and work closely with bodies such as the International Porter Protection Group and Climate Care to ensure that our challenges benefit the local environments and communities in which they take place. We ensure that all rubbish is disposed of responsibly, and following local guidelines on cultural and environmental protection and respect, we aim to limit our impact on the natural environment. In addition to taking these practical steps to ensure that our challenges are sustainable, we also make a contribution each year to a number of local community projects, so as to give something back directly to the communities that we visit. Since 2000 we have donated almost £200,000 to such projects, supporting a range of initiatives, including schooling for children in Africa, shelter for street children in Brazil, and Orang-utan conservation in Indonesia. We recommend that any gifts brought over for children are given to the UK challenge leader and distributed where needed by them and our local Ground Agent. If you wish to do more, you should consider buying drinks, postcards and souvenirs from the local vendors. For many, it is their sole source of income. For more information, please visit our Responsible Tourism pages, where you will be able to view a list of the projects that we currently support.

Challenge Training

If you would like to get a feel for our challenges ahead of your departure, why not consider booking on a 1 or 2 day UK Challenge?

We have a variety of challenges, covering all levels of difficulty, taking place in stunning National Parks across the UK that are led by highly qualified and experienced expedition and mountain leaders. These challenges will give you the perfect opportunity to monitor fitness levels, test out your kit, meet people in the great outdoors, share fundraising stories and gain valuable advice and support for the challenge ahead. We encourage participants to make use of our highly knowledgeable leaders and ask them any questions you may have about clothing and equipment, expedition health and wellbeing, trekking skills, walking techniques and teamwork!

We are offering all participants 50% off the registration fee when you book on one of the UK challenges listed via the link below. Just use the code TRAINING when booking. T&C’s – you must have an active booking on a challenge to avail of this offer. Discount cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Find out more here

Training

This challenge is graded ‘Tough’, which means that a good level of fitness is definitely required! Anyone who leads a fairly active and moderately healthy lifestyle should be able to complete the trek, as long as they train regularly over a period of at least three months leading up to it. Don’t forget that the temperature and the altitudes are different from the UK – the highest pass on this trek is 3,726m. While strength is important, endurance training should be your primary focus. Walking up hills and climbing stairs are both ways to condition your lower body. Begin slowly, without the weight of a pack, eventually adding weight as you increase your training pace. Take long hikes (6-8 hours) with a weighted pack, up and down hills or on small mountains (weigh your pack with water containers and pour out the water before your descent to minimise knee stress).

Emergencies

The event is not run as a race and there is always a large discrepancy in people’s walking ability, which is allowed for. There will be a staff member at the back of the group at all times to ensure that you are not left behind and can take things at your own pace. If we find that somebody is unable to walk at all, then we can transport them from one location to the next by horse or with the help of our staff, but only as a final option (due to often poor weather conditions this can be difficult). Contact will be maintained between guides and the support team allowing for emergency evacuation if necessary.

Safety

Charity Challenge considers the safety of all of our participants and staff to be a top priority, and as such we have set up Challenge Safe, one of the most advanced and thorough safety management systems in the industry. Challenge Safe formalises our ethos when it comes to safety, and brings together the procedures and risk management strategies that we use to audit all aspects of our challenges, from vehicles to accommodation to the challenge activity itself. Your welfare is absolutely paramount!

In terms of your Lombok lava challenge, there are a couple of important points that you should be aware of:

• This is a high altitude challenge, and you will spend the night at altitude. Acclimatization process are built into the itinerary.
• On summit day, torch will be needed as you will hike on during the night.
• The maximum altitude reached is 3,726 meters

Phone and WiFi

During trekking days the phone and WIFI reception are very limited.  There will be a good phone and internet reception in Gili air area and Lombok city. International calls are very expensive in Indonesia. Most hotels have international dialling and fax facilities although these services are expensive. The best way to stay in touch is  to buy a local SIM card at any convenience store for your mobile phone if it's free handset. They cost approximately Rp 10,000 (£0.50) and offer international calling rates as low as Rp.7,000 (£0.36)p/m. Please also check with your mobile phone provider if your network & contract enable you to have coverage in Lombok.

Toilets

A toilet tent will be provided but do bear in mind that toilet facilities will be of the ‘squat and drop’ variety – a long drop toilet. Toilet paper is provided. Bowls of water will be provided for strip washing so a flannel can come in very handy. Please ensure you take bio-degradable soaps.   Please also note that, due to the wilderness environment, the facilities will be basic.

Clothing and equipment

Good quality, durable kit could mean the difference between a fantastic challenge experience and an uncomfortable one. For this challenge, waterproof, well-worn in boots will be indispensable, particularly coupled with some really good quality walking socks. You don’t need a clean pair every day, but enough to make sure you have dry socks each morning. The benefits of a comfortable day sack cannot be underestimated, so make sure that you train with this. Other essentials are high quality Gore-Tex waterproof and windproof jackets and trousers, technical/wicking t-shirts rather than cotton shirts, and a down jacket for the evenings in camp and your summit day/night. A full kit list for this challenge can be found here and once you book you will have access to kit discounts with our partners The Outdoor Shop, Outdoor Hire and Cotswold Outdoor.

Food & Drink

The staple of the Indonesian meal is rice, usually steamed or fried. The meal is complemented with main dishes of vegetables, meat, seafood, eggs, fish and soup. Although Indonesians generally prefer hot, spicy food, not all dishes are so intense and the hotness can be modulated to suit most tastes. Indonesia is also a perfect place to sample a large variety of tropical fruits such as mango, pineapple, banana mangosteen, rambutan, salak, jack fruit, as well as the famous durian (known as the fruit of the gods) as it has a very special smell and taste. Please note that you may encounter a large amount of seafood on this challenge so please inform Charity Challenge of your dietary requirements if you do not eat seafood so we can accommodate you the best we can.

Accommodation

On the days you are treking you will be staying at campsites, tents and camping equipment will be provided.  On the other days you will either be staying in local guesthouses or hotels.  If you are travelling with a friend or partner who you wish to share with please ensure that you note this where appropriate when booking or email challenges@charitychallenge.com.

Typical day

During the trekking days you will be walking for around 6-8 hours and over 9 hours on your summit day. We will stop at shady rest often where you will be able to re-energise with snacks and fill water bottles, and there will be a longer stop for your packed lunch. In the evening there is usually an hour or so free time before we meet to discuss the next day’s route, and then dinner will follow your briefing.

Level of Difficulty

The Lombok Lava trek challenge is graded as tough. This challenge is suitable for participants who want to get out of their comfort zone, and challenge themselves to a high level. A good level of training is strongly advised to take part in this challenge. You can tell your supporters that on your Lombok lava trek challenge you will be:

• Trekking between 6-9 hours per day.
• You will be hiking to summit the volcano to a high altitude max (3,726m).
• You can summit the volcano twice from a different route, start hiking at 02.00 am.
• You will be sleeping in tents on campsites during 4 nights.

Luggage

The luggage allowance will depend on the airline we are using for your challenge, but in general it will be one piece of checked baggage at around 23 kg.   

You will be carrying all your personal belongings on the trek, so the less the better in the region of 15kg-17kg.  You do have the opportunity to leave some luggage (anything you don’t need for the trek) at the base camp and this will be transferred to the finish point in Senaru on the last day of trekking.  All camping equipment will be provided by the local team.  This includes sleeping bag, mattress and pillow.  If you would like to bring your own you can and we will let the guides know in the briefing.

For any valuables, safe deposit boxes are usually provided to use in the hotels. Use a padlock on your luggage when in transit to reduce any risks. Carry your passport with you and make sure you have a photocopy of your documents (travel insurance etc.) in case they get lost or damaged.

Terrain

You will be summiting the second highest volcano in Indonesia, and as such you should expect very steep terrain, with constant undulations. Nearer the summit and at the base camps, the terrain will be very dry, barren and ashen, but as you descend the volcano it becomes much more lush, humid and forested.

Climate

We will be trekking in the dry season, and the weather will therefore be relatively dry, with warm days and cooler evenings.  In Lombok the temperature can be between 25-35 degrees Celsius.  Sembalun village which will be cooler as it is at altitude; the temperature range will be about 15-20 degrees Celsius.    However when trekking it can feel a lot warmer because of the sun exposure as well as the exertion of the steep volcanic inclines.  Ensure you drink a lot enough fluids throughout the day and bring a hat, sun screen and sunglasses. 

During the nights particularly at altitude the temperature will drop to approx 10 degrees Celsius and at the summit with a wind chill factor it can be nearing 0 degrees Celsius.

Leadership

There will be an English-speaking challenge leader who will be responsible for the logistics and co-ordination of your challenge. There will also be numerous local support staff to assist them. The challenge leader will be ultimately responsible for the running of the itinerary and the safety of your group.

Group Size

Each group is intended to be 10 people minimum in order to run and maximum of 16 people. We will be able to run this challenge for 5 to 9  people by charging a small group supplement of £95 which will be added to your final balance invoice (self funders) or charged to your charity (minimum sponsorship or flexi).

Insurance

It is a condition of booking that you have a suitable travel insurance policy whilst participating on the challenge. We have a special policy which covers among other things, medical (emergency, evacuation and repatriation) arrangements, cancellation and curtailment of the challenge, and more specifically for the adventurous activities undertaken on this challenge. If you have your own travel insurance policy, you must ensure that it provides at least the same level of cover as our recommended policy, including protecting the charity in the event of your cancellation 56 days or less prior to departure. If you choose not to purchase our recommended policy when you book we will send you a disclaimer which you should complete and return.

For more general travel insurance questions, please refer to our main FAQs page.

Flights

You will be flying from London Heathrow to Lombok International. The flying time is approx. 14-15 hours indirect. Your flight tickets will be issued to you upon departure at the airport.  If you choose to book your own flights please confirm with the Charity Challenge office first, otherwise you may be liable for your included group flights (please contact flights@charitychallenge.com for further assistance). For more general flights questions, please refer to our main Q&As page.

Vaccinations

For up to date vaccination information please check the NHS ‘Fit for Travel’ website: http://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/home.aspx. Although the Charity Challenge team are travel professionals, they are not medical experts and we would encourage you to visit your GP or travel nurse to discuss vaccination requirements. Your GP may ask questions about the specific locations that you are visiting in Indonesia, and as such it may be useful to take a copy of your itinerary with you.

Visa

UK citizens travelling to Lombok for tourism can enter the country for up to 30 days without a visa, so most people on our Lombok Lava Trek will not need a visa.  If you are planning to travel around Indonesia before or after your trek, for a duration of longer than 30 days you will need a visa which is payable on arrival.  Your passport should be valid for a minimum period of 6 months from the date of your departure from Indonesia.

Money

Currency: The basic unit of currency is the Indonesian Rupee. For up to date currency exchange, go to www.xe.com.  US dollar traveller's cheques are widely accepted in Indonesia.

Credit Cards: Visa, Mastercard and most other major credit cards are now accepted in many hotels and shops, but the preferred currency is dollars cash. Many hotels, shops and restaurants will accept credit cards, however they might add an imposed fee by the credit card companies for them to use this payment type (3-4% depending on your card type).

ATMs: ATMs are available in provincial capitals, shopping malls and some hotels; please check with your bank the specific charges applied to your account.

How much to bring: All accommodation and meals are included within the price of the trip, as well as water during the days of your trekking. You will not need to carry a lot of money with you during the trekking days but as there will be some opportunities to buy soft drinks, alcohol, snacks and souvenirs we would suggest a maximum amount of about £10/15 a day (in local currency).

Tipping: Tipping is at your sole discretion and all staff is paid a fair wage. However, tourism is a tipping culture, and Indonesian guides will generally receive a tip at the end of a job well done. If you choose to tip, we would suggest an amount of $90 per participant for the duration of the challenge. For those on a Charity Challenge organised extensions, we would suggest between $3 and $6 per person per day for restaurant tips, porters, ...