Up the hill - Sembalun

With a late start, Tim and I made out of bed all the way to the bar to order ourselves a fresh round of pancakes and honey. The bike packing itself didn't start till much later, of which we were to make our way out the valley towards the head of the pass, taking us towards the port township of Lombok, Lombok.

Sembalun is an incredibly beautiful area, something aspiring towards that of the Himalayas. The valley, filled extensively with rice fields is formed in something of an outer crater to the local Rinjani Volcano. The mountainous community seems to be well off, through a reliance on the crater springs which provide continued sources of water as well as local tourism for Mt Rinjani guided walks.

My photos here will not do the valley justice. It was hard riding up the valley with 450m of climbing towards the peak of the day. I had decided to ride with my camera off my body for most of the ride and had forgotten to take photos once we'd made the top of the valley.

Well worth the torment! Sembalun has been a real highlight of the trip.Read more