Mount Karangetang, a volcano with a Jurassic Park look, dominates the island of Siau on North Sulawesi in Indonesia.
On the tiny island of Siau, you can’t miss this magnificent volcano with its twin smoking craters. You may be lucky enough to catch it spewing molten rock and lava at night. It does this quite often.
This guide will share my experience of hiking the Karangetang Volcano in 2021 and give you some tips if you’re planning to climb it.
Is it safe?
Let’s start with safety. Karangetang is one of the world’s most active volcanoes.
There are local guides who know their stuff, and the Indonesian government monitors any seismic activity, but climbing this mountain still comes with a lot of risks. It could erupt at any moment.
If you want to go all the way to the top, that’s fine. But most people prefer to hike only part of the way up and look at the craters (which is still a little risky).
This volcano is particularly active and dangerous, so proceed only at your own risk.
Dominik, My Local Guide
It is best to go with a guide, as the trail can be difficult to navigate without one.
Dominik is a local guide on Siau Island with years of experience in climbing Karangetang. His brother joined us on the hike, helping to clear vegetation with a max. Their dog also came along.
He can help you arrange other activities and tours in the area. We did this through the Kalea Beach Resort, where we stayed.
What to Expect from Mount Karangetang
Hiking
We started the hike early, as I wanted to ensure a clear view of the volcano.
It was a wise decision because as we left the treeline, thick clouds began to roll in and slowly obscure the summit.
In the Jungle
The terrain was a challenge. The path was a solid jungle, and it was dark!
My guides had to use a machete to cut through the dense vegetation, as it had been abandoned for most of Covid. A machete swing followed each step.
We saw many harmless giant millipedes along the way. But we also encountered a giant centipede that was a bit more dangerous because it could bite. The guides warned me that its bite was very painful.
The trail was steep, muddy, and slippery, making it difficult to navigate. We fell a lot.
The drop-offs were never dangerous, but I was worried that one of us might fall on my guide’s machete or something similar.
Old Lava Field
After hiking for about 2.5 hours, we reached the old lava fields below the summit just in time to see the sunrise.
It wasn’t any better than climbing through the jungle to climb these lava stones. Even though I wore good, grippy shoes, I still fell on them multiple times and bloodied my shins.
We stopped for safety in the lava fields. We were only about two-thirds of the way up the mountain, and we didn’t intend to go any further because the volcano was notoriously active.
The summit was worth an hour of flying with my drone. This volcano is interesting because there are two smoking cones on the summit. So cool!
By the time we began our descent at 7:25 am, the summit was mostly clouded. The path had already been cleared, but the descent still took 1 hour and 45 minutes.
If I had nine more lives, I would love to see the craters at the top of the mountain. We had a wonderful hike, even though we didn’t reach the top.