| Elevation | 2,599 m (8,527 ft); Prominence: xxx m |
|---|---|
| Province | Jawa Tengah (Central Java) |
| Ribu Category |  Spesial |
| Links | Wikipedia Indonesia |
Photos
Photos provided by Daniel Quinn
Bagging It!
The Dieng Plateau is a huge volcanic complex near the town of Wonosobo. It is quite rightly one of Central Java’s leading tourist attractions and there are so many fascinating sites, both geological and historical, that it definitely makes sense to stay in Dieng village itself and properly explore the place. Colourful lakes, hissing and bubbling craters and numerous temples are dotted all over the landscape. The area was a very important Hindu site and eight ancient Hindu temples remain here today, the main cluster being the Arjuna complex just a couple of hundred metres from Dieng village. These are supposedly the oldest temples in Java, dating from the 7th and 8th centuries and it is thought that there were up to 400 temples here originally.
Most people come to Dieng from the south via Yogya and Wonosobo (from where there are frequent buses) and this is the easiest option. However, if you are feeling particularly adventurous the area can also be reached from the north if you take a bus from Pekalongan to Bawang (2 hours) and then an ojek (motocycle taxi) up into the hills as far south as you can (30 minutes). This northern route from Bawang to Dieng used to be passable but the bridge over the river was swept away many years ago. With due care, descend then cross the river on foot and rejoin the steep farm track at the other side of the river. The track ascends through farm plantation and soon you will be on a proper tarmac road again. There are plenty of villagers and farm workers in this area so you may be able to arrange another ojek to Dieng. If not, in total it is only 2 hours from the river to Dieng village itself and could well save you time if trying to reach the Plateau from the north.
Because Dieng is at an elevation of 2,093m, the area is in general quite damp, chilly and often misty. Good visibility is most likely in the morning. The crops grown here include delicious potatoes and cabbages – make sure you try this local produce. The most popular ‘hike’ is to the top of Gunung Sikunir for sunrise but, despite the great views of other volcanoes in Central Java, this is a very easy stroll and most keen hikers will be left wanting more.
The highest mountain in the Dieng area is called Gunung Prau, presumably because it slightly resembles a boat. It towers directly above Dieng village and can be climbed without the need for additional transport. Because Dieng village is already very high up, it is a short and easy hike to the peak (2,599m). There is another route from Bringinsari village, Sukorejo, to the north-east which takes approximately four hours. This route from Dieng, however, takes just over 2 hours and there are plenty of local guides available.
From Dieng village, behind the Dieng Homestay follow the track up past the school. The track leads up through farmland and into forest where it begins to ascend more steeply. After about one hour you will reach a border marker (2,398m), marking the end of one region (Wonosobo) and the beginning of another (Batang).
Soon, you will reach the radio transmitter mast, compound and more regional marker stones (2,560m). In good weather you should have great views of Slamet, Sindoro, Sumbing and other peaks. Unlike most Indonesian mountains, Gunung Prau makes an excellent ridge walk along a clear path. The highpoint is known as Gunung Patakbanteng and lies about 2 km along the ridge from the radio masts. The first section is a bracken-covered ridge before the trail descends slightly into a daisy-filled meadow area reminiscent of many small European hills. Locals actually refer to this area as Bukit Teletubbies (Teletubbies hill). The meadow area is home to occasional and impressive trees, both lone and in clumps. The highest point is an unmarked area at the top of the highest bump to the right side of the trail which runs in the bowl-like dip of the meadow. From here the views are fantastic – both of nearby and distant volcano peaks and down to the Dieng Plateau itself. You can return the same way via the masts or make a circuit by descending to Patakbanteng village from where it an easy 2km along the road back to Dieng village.
Practicalities
| Getting there | There are frequent buses to Wonosobo and the Dieng area from Yogyakarta. |
|---|---|
| Accommodation | Plenty of basic accommodation in Dieng village or Wonosobo. |
| Permits | None required but take a photocopy of your passport photo page just incase |
| Water sources | Unknown – take sufficient supplies with you |
Bagging information provided by Daniel Quinn
Most visitors to Dieng Plateau would visit Gunung Sikunir for the sunrise. However when doing research using Google Earth, I found Gunung Prahu to be the tallest mountain in the region, offering a better view as well. Since this mountain is rarely visited, photos and reports are almost unavailable elsewhere on the net except on Gunung Bagging.
I arranged for a guide at Bu Djono’s Homestay on the second day at Dieng Plateau and started the hike at round 2pm, planning to stay overnight on the mountain. The starting point is just to the east of Dieng village. The hike was a 1.5 hours of ascend trough jungles followed by another 1 hour’s ridge walk (The summit rigion of the mountain is a long ridge). The ascending part was pretty slippery for my case since it rained like mad the previous day, and I can’t really comment on the view since I was shrouded in mist all the time. The ridge walk, though, was an easy and pleasant one through flower beds full of daisies.
The placed I camped is probably Gunung Patakbanteng as mentioned in Daniel’s trip report on Gunung Bagging. The place is marked with a short cement pillar and is the southern end of the summit ridge, further down southwest is PatakBanteng village. There are plenty of space to camp near the pillar, however the west is obstructed by a taller hill. The top of the hill is covered with tall trees with little space to camp. To get a bird’s eye view of the west, one has to climb up this hill. In terms of weather, it wasn’t as windy as those 3000m peaks in Java, but the relatively higher humidity made up for it.
The sunset was completely clouded out for my case, and my camp site was constantly shrouded in mist till midnight. It all cleared up after around 2am, and the sky was full of stars. Gunung Sindoro and Sumbing could be seen faintly lit up by starlight. The camp site offered a completely unobstructed view towards the east and south, and the morning view of Central Java peaks is unbelievable. Gunung Lawu, Merapi, Merbabu, Ungaran, as well as nearby Gunung Sumbing and Sindoro make for a surreal and incredibly photogenic sight. Rolling sea of clouds for my case further added to the view. To get a view of the west, I hiked up the small hill to the west mentioned earlier. The view as a pleasant surprise to me as smoking Gunung Slamet and distant Gunung Ciremai came into view, since I didn’t expect to view to be so extensive. The whole Dieng Plateau, numerous villages, craters, and even Arjuna Temple Complex could be seen. Major tourist attractions such as Kawah Sikidang (mud volcano) and Telega Warna (multi-hued lake) are impressive viewed from up above.
I chose to descend southwest to Patakbanteng village. The trail was similar to the ascending trail, taking less than 2 hours, again pretty slippery for my case. The view west and south was fantastic in open areas. Gunung Sumbing gradually went hidden behind Gunung Sindoro as I descended. There are freuquent buses to Dieng village stopping at Patakbanteng.
I could say that Gunung Prahu offers one of the best summit views in Java, and it will not dissappoint any hiker on a clear day. The hike is also less demanding with a mild camping condition, campared to those 3000m peaks in Java. I’m really surprised why this one is so rarely hiked. Rating? 10 out of 10.
Thanks very much for the great report Jia.
When I went, I climbed onto the north-west to south-east ridge that is Gunung Prau/Prahu via the mast above Dieng village at the north-west end. I didn’t descend to Patakbanteng so never got as far as the pillar you camped at at the south-eastern end of the ridge. Using my GPS I found the true summit to be an unmarked spot on the ridge between the pillar you camped at and the telehone mast at the north-western end of the ridge above Dieng village.
Many thanks for sending your great photos in too, we will be transferring all galleries over to Google’s Picasa in due course.
Cheers.