Contributor Guidelines

We always welcome contributions from hikers and climbers who want to share their experiences and knowledge. Everyone is encouraged to comment on individual mountain pages.

For more comprehensive contributions — such as photos, GPS tracks for new or updated trail maps, and pioneering trip reports (which can be proposed as features) — please familiarise yourself with the guidelines below before emailing Dan at danpquinn@gmail.com. Gunung Bagging is run independently, at personal expense, with hundreds (and sometimes thousands) of unpaid hours invested each year. Submissions that don’t meet the guidelines often create extra work rather than less, which is exhausting to manage on top of maintaining the site itself. Following the rules below helps ensure contributions really are a help, not a burden, and keeps the site consistent, accurate and useful for everyone:

  • Photos – Every photo must have a caption (location/description, month/year, photographer). See existing examples on the site. Uncaptioned photos cannot be published. Copyright remains with photographers. Captions can be used as the file title, or sent in a Word document (whichever is most convenient for you). Do not send images as email attachments via Gmail as this fills up an almost-full inbox – please use Dropbox or IceDrive or a different file sharing platform to send images.

  • Featured Trip Reports – Must be written in clear English and require minimal editing. Contributors are responsible for proofreading their own work. Please only send a report once it is final. Updated versions sent after publication create unnecessary extra work and may not be accepted.

  • Trail Maps – Only possible if GPS tracks are provided and only when funding is available. When we don’t have separate funding in place (unfortunately most of the time), contributors are usually expected to cover the small cost of producing a new map (approximately Rp200,000), which will be created by an Indonesian map designer.

  • Format – Submissions should follow the style already used on the site (see existing reports and maps for examples). Excessive re-formatting or editing cannot be undertaken after online publication.

  • Editorial Standards – Not all submissions will be published. All submissions are subject to editorial review and may be declined.

Please remember: running this site costs both money and time. Every extra task adds to an already heavy load. By ensuring your material is ready-to-use, you make a real difference and allow Gunung Bagging to keep thriving as a free resource for hundreds of thousands of hikers each year.

Personal Advice and Trip Planning – Gunung Bagging provides the most detailed publicly available information on Southeast Asian mountains. It is not feasible for us to provide personalised guidance or additional advice for free. If you would like tailored support or advice, this can be arranged with Dan, who has unrivalled knowledge of the region and its trails, through a paid online consultation. Please understand that emailing for extra information outside of what is already freely available creates additional unpaid work and is not sustainable.

Thank you for supporting the project and helping keep Gunung Bagging a valuable resource for everyone.

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