Climb Puncak Jaya or Carstensz Pyramid

Puncak Jaya (Carstensz Pyramid) Indonesia, 4884m

Carstensz Pyramid, also known as Puncak Jaya is one of the famous 'Seven Summits' situated on the Indonesian island of Papua New Guinea. This peak is the only of the Seven which is a rock climbing peak and it requires a trek in through remote jungle to reach the base camp. The peak is in west Papua (now named Papua province Indonesia) and was called Irian Jaya until 2005. It lies in New Guinea, which is the world"s second largest island.

Relatively few people have climbed Carstensz due to a history of political instability in the area and the difficult of its location deep in dense jungle. Conditions are very diverse and often challenging, so be prepared to trek in the heat of the jungle, and climb in snow. The rock itself is good climbing rock but very sharp so bring a good pair of gloves. It can be climbed all year round and is a very exciting and dramatic expedition, definitely one of the most difficult of the Seven Summits despite it being the lowest. 

Getting to Puncak Jaya (Carstenz Pyramid)

Co-ordinates are S 04°04.733, E 137°09.572. The normal way to reach the mountain is a six day 67 km trek through the jungle from the village of Ilaga or Sugapa which is reached by a light aircraft from the town of Nabire. The height gain is 4000 metres during the trek and is quite strenuous requiring good balance on the fallen trees and along the trail which is heavily forested. Accommodation is in tents or in caves along the way, and it is common to experience tropical rain showers. Carstensz Pyramid stands out like a great fin of rock rising out of the jungle and its first sight has attracted many emotional reactions for climbers emerging from the dense undergrowth to be faced with such a dramatic sight.

It is the only one of the Seven Summits to involve technical rock climbing and therefore members should have suitable experience with ropework and abilities up to Severe. In particular are several notches on the summit ridge which involve a dramatic Tyrolean traverse.

Climbing route on Puncak Jaya (Carstensz Pyramid)

The normal route is the one that Heinrich Harrer opened up, which ascends a 600 metre wall; it's imposing and sheer with the bottom half being easily angled and the final top section very steep. The rock is clean and sharp but the wall itself rarely presents a problem. Initially the grade would be a VDiff (UIAA III) with the top at VS (UIAA V). There are fixed ropes in place below the ridge and along the jagged edge to the summit. The crux of the climb is an overhanging wall (VS, UIAA VI) that can be crossed using the fixed lines and jumars or by setting up a Tyrolean traverse.

The whole summit day is about 12 hours and involves scrambling on sharp rock in the dark up narrow chimneys and gullies until you reach the summit ridge. One would expect a range of weather including rain and mist and wind, possible snow showers or potentially clear skies with great views from the top. Temperatures on the summit are often well below freezing, and Base Camp can be 12 degrees Celsius. The descent involves rappelling or abseiling down the fixed lines. 

History of Puncak Jaya (Carstensz Pyramid)

The word Carstensz is often mis-spelt but the peak is actually named after the first European to see the mountain whose name was Jan Karstens. He was a Dutch seafarer who in 1623 brought news back to Europe about a snow-covered mountain on the equator (actually 4 degrees South of it).  At the time he was not believed, a similar story to the first European to see Kilimanjaro. Nowadays the peak is also called Puncak Jaya which translates as Victory Peak and is popular name among Indonesian communists. 

It was Austrian climber Heinrich Harrer who in 1962 became the first mountaineer to climb Carstenz and his book about the climb and life in Papua called 'I Come From the Stone Age' was a best seller. His story and eventual fate was depicted in the movie 'Seven Years in Tibet' starring Brad Pitt. A few years later in 1971 Tyrolean mountaineer Reinhold Messner climbed Carstenz as part of his Seven Summits odyssey which he successfully completed in 1986. 

Geography of Puncak Jaya (Carstensz Pyramid)

It's geographical location is to the west of the central highlands and the Sudirman Mountains. Rather poetically, it belongs to the legendary Snow Mountains, so named because of the snowfall that commonly falls above 400 metres.  At 4884 metres it is the highest mountain in Australia and Oceania, collectively known as Australasia and, depending on your interpretation of a continent, it is one of the Seven Summits. The definition is still a point of debate because it depends on whether one considers a continent geographically or geologically. If New Guinea is regarded as part of the Australasian continental land mass then Carstenz is indeed the highest. Either way it is a significant expedition and far more challenging than Kosciusko.

Map for reaching Irian Jaya

Most people opt to fly into Jakarta with one of many international airlines, or else to Bali. From there the route to Timika or Nabire on West Papua is with Indonesian airlines Lion Air or Batik Air, normally via at least one stop enroute (for example Ambon). Bear in mind that it takes almost a full day to get to Papua from Jakarta. 

Flying into Jakarta or Bali for international arrivals and then an internal flight to Nabire airport. 

From Nabire - or sometimes Timika - there is a short flight to Sugapa airport which is the staging point for the start of the six day (70km) trek to the mountain itself. For helicopter trips, starting point is Timika. 

 
The trek to base camp takes five or six days and is initially through dense forest which is wet and muddy, before reaching the exposed rocky ground before the mountain. 

Here is American climber and blogger Alan Arnette crossing the traverse. The descent involves rappelling or abseiling down the fixed lines.