Elevation	1,990 m (6,529 ft); Prominence: 1,850 m
Province	Sulawesi Utara (North Sulawesi)
Ribu Category	Kurang Tinggi
Links	Wikipedia English ; Wikipedia Indonesia ; Peak Bagger ; Summit Post

Photos

Bagging It!

This Ribu is the highest peak in North Sulawesi province and is a popular hike for local residents, including from the adjacent Gorontalo province. It is also popular with tourists who want a different type of challenge after diving around Bunaken or the Lembeh Strait. Mount Klabat is very accessible; it is only 1 hour drive from Manado along the main road towards Bitung by car, and there are regular buses. The starting point for the hike is the town of Airmadidi, which is at an elevation of only 260 m. You are encouraged to register (free-of-charge) in the guestbook at the police station on the main road. The police can also recommend a guide, although local guides indicated they were planning to set up a small trekking centre office near the police station. The guides can also act as porters and you can rent tents and sleeping bags, and other equipment you require.

The trail is in good condition and it is a steep but steady climb. It is possible to complete the climb as a day hike, although the 1,750 m elevation gain makes this quite challenging. The following are the three popular options from Airmadidi, and require 4 to 5 hours for the ascent and 3 hours for the descent:

• Day hike for sunrise – starting at 1 or 2 am. Obviously you need a torch/flashlight and the mental energy to climb through the night;
• Day hike from sunrise – starting at 5 am, you climb as the sun rises and hopefully make it to the summit before the midday clouds gather on the summit; and
• Overnight – start with enough time to get to the summit to set up camp and see the sunset. It’s better to start early to avoid the heat in the first part of the climb.

As you reach the summit area there is a large flag pole flying the Indonesian flag, which is an area to get some good views. However, keep walking for another 5 or 10 minutes along a ridge of several other mini summits before you reach the true summits.

Bagging information provided by Andy Dean.