Carstensz Pyramid

We will be using porters from the local Dani tribe. They will be carrying in the region of 12kg. However some of this will be group equipment so make sure that your own bag – ideally a soft duffel bag – weighs no more than about 10kg. You will also need to carry a fair bit of your own gear, so your rucksack should be a 40L – 60L capacity. It is important that your rucksacks have an adjustable waist belt to transfer the weight of your daily load onto your hips and from here onto your legs (your strongest muscles) to do most of the carrying. Another handy feature would be a compartment in which to fit a Camelbak or water bladder. Our initial check in luggage should be around 20kg.

Our crew works hard for us and while they are paid well by our local support team, tipping has become a cultural norm in developing countries. Allow for around $120 USD per climber to tip your local team. Tipping the 360 Guide is entirely at your discretion.

We’re in the jungle, quite a way from town so we need to get a bit creative with what we can carry and prepare in the jungle camp environment. Typically breakfast will be bread and jam or porridge with tea and coffee. Lunch will be fairly portable packaged food like cheese, crackers, sardines, salami etc. Later we can tuck into carbohydrate intensive stuff – expect to be served a lot of rice or pasta, stewed vegetables with protein coming in the form of eggs, canned and some fresh meats, with sugars provided by biscuits and chocolate. It’s pretty basic stuff and certainly won’t be winning Masterchef but it will keep you fueled for the days ahead.

Absolutely, please inform the office of any allergies or intolerances and we will ensure that these are taken into account on the trek. Bear in mind that you may be slightly limited in your choices depending on your intolerances.

There is a lake at Base Camp that we take water from. While it is clean, it’s good practice to sterilise it as well. Likewise, if you top up from any streams that we pass, sterilise that as well – while it’s probably not long out of the sky failing as rain, you can’t be sure what’s living in that stream. We will not be short of water.

Your sleeping bag should be rated to a comfort zone of -5C. Note that this is the comfort zone, not the extreme zone. Unusually, you’re better off with a synthetic sleeping bag in this instance, as it will dry more quickly than a down one if it gets wet. It is important to remember that sleeping bags work by your own body; heating the insulate down or fibre that is inside the bag. Once you have warmed up the bag its down will retain the heat and ensure that you sleep at a temperature that is your own body temperature. For best results it is best to wear as little as possible when inside your sleeping bag. Our guides will often only wear a set of thermals in their bag. It is important for the bag to trap the heat. By wearing multiple layers of clothing your clothing will trap this heat and your bag will not function properly.

Yes, a bag with your civvies can be left either at the last hotel, or with the ground support team at their offices.

Accommodation is going to be pretty basic on this expedition, so temper your expectations, this is the developing world and we’re a long way from the capital. The hotel in Nabire will be comfortable, with two people sharing a twin room unless you’ve requested otherwise, think something along the lines of a 2 star European hotel.

Once we’re in the hills we’ll be sharing 2 man tents and Base Camp facilities will be equally basic and limited. Tent share is always organised according to same sex and where possible age groups. Obviously if climbing this mountain with a friend or partner then you will be able to share tents and if you’re a group we’ll ask you to make your own arrangements. If you have joined the team by yourself then it is highly likely that you will be sharing a tent with your pre-assigned room buddy unless prior arrangements have been made.

It’s every man and woman for themselves once we’re in the mountains.

You should make sure your normal travel inoculations are up to date – contact your GP or travel clinic for advice on which ones you need to update. You should also bring out anti-malarial drugs, again contact your GP regarding which type to get.

We will be carrying a fully-stocked first aid kit on this expedition, however you should also bring your own personal kit with basics like plasters, antiseptic, blister patches, ibuprofen etc. If you take medication for particular conditions, ensure you have a sufficient supply to last the expedition, and carry it in your daypack as the porters will not always reach camp at the same time as you.

We advocate a lot of self-help on the climb. If you have a blister developing for example then please stop take off your boot and treat it before it becomes a problem.

Your own first aid kit should contain a basic blister kit, plasters, sun-protection, your own personal medication (sometimes your porter might get to camp after you and if he is carrying your medication you may not be able to take it according to the regime you are used to), antiseptic, basic pain relief (paracetamol and aspirin/ibuprofen), a personal course of antibiotics if prone to illness. Foot powder in your socks every morning is great for preventing blisters.

Generally the best approach to take when packing your first aid kit is to include such basic medications as if you would on any family or personal holiday.

Your 360 expedition guide carries a very comprehensive first aid kit which contains a wide range of supplies and medications that they are fully trained to use. We advocate keeping this in mind when packing your own first aid supplies and keeping your own FA kit as compact and light as possible.

If somebody does injure themselves or become sick during the expedition, they will be taken back down the mountain by one of the assistant guides and dealt with appropriately depending on the severity of the problem.

Our 360 guide and local crew are very experienced in dealing with any problems that may arise. Our guides are either doctors or are qualified with the highest standards of wilderness first aid qualifications and can handle any emergency to the highest level of competency without assistance if necessary.

Although we recommend you come armed with a course of Diamox or other high-altitude drug on this expedition, we do not recommend that take you these as a prophylactic during the trek or climb. We view Diamox as a treatment drug rather than a preventative medicine. Most adventure medics give similar advice, however we do appreciate this can be confusing, as many GPs (who aren’t necessarily mountaineers) do suggest taking it as a prophylactic.

We pride ourselves on designing all our itineraries with acclimatisation very much front and centre and this expedition itinerary has been carefully designed to allow for your body to adjust to the altitude gradually, safely and comfortably. However, if you find that you are still having problems adjusting to the altitude (see our FAQ on Altitude Sickness) then your expedition leader or expedition medic will recommend the correct course of action regarding taking Diamox.

It is far preferable to take Diamox if and when needed during the course of the expedition. If you are already taking it and then start having altitude related problems you are left with few options but to descend to a more comfortable altitude which sadly often means that the summit is not attainable.

Furthermore, Diamox is a diuretic, meaning you will have to drink a lot of fluid to prevent dehydration. Of course, the upshot of this is you’ll have to pee more which means you’ll probably be having to get up more in the night and take cover behind rocks during the day. Another quite common side-effect is that it can cause your extremities to “buzz and tingle” including your fingers, toes and lips which can feel quite unsettling.  Other side-effects can include dizziness and light headedness with loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Although all these side-effects are manageable when you have symptoms of altitude sickness, we personally believe it is counter-intuitive to take it unless necessary.

Of course, it is totally up to you, this is just our recommendation and we’re not doctors. If you do decide to take Diamox on the advice of your doctor then please do let your leader know in situ so they are aware of this. We also suggest you take the drug for a couple of days a few weeks before travelling so you can experience the symptoms before taking them during the trek.

Please review the equipment list. While all items are required there may be times when some of the items on the gear list may not be used (such as warm weather or changing conditions). The gear lists are created by the guides to so that climbers are prepared to summit in any conditions.

The trek to Base Camp is through thick, wet, humid, muddy, boggy jungle. From base camp, the climb itself follows a direct route up slabs and corners on the north face of the mountain to reach the summit ridge. This lower section of the climb involves scrambling and rock climbing up to grade ‘severe’ (USA 5.4). On the ridge, three notches must be negotiated, the first of which requires abseiling into the notch and jumaring a fixed rope out the other side. Participants therefore need to have appropriate ropework skills and rock climbing experience.

The expedition will be led and overseen by our illustrious Expedition Director and Founder – Rolfe Oostra. Helping him will be our Indonesian guides, working at a ratio of 1 guide for every four climbers.

The number of miles we cover on the trek to Base Camp varies, but we could be walking for anything from five to nine hours having woken up at around 6am like most expeditions. This is down to the huge variation in terrain, from adhesive mud to limestone plateaus. The paths are slippery, impeded by fallen trees, and indistinct. It will be hot and humid, and by mid afternoon (by which time we hope to be in camp) the heavens will open. Add to that heavy footwear in the form of wellies or similar jungle boots, and you should be reasonably tired by the end of the day.

Summit day on Carstensz is a biggie; you need to prepare yourself for a long day of 12 – 18 hours of climbing on the abrasive and craggy limestone, depending on the conditions and the performance of the group. It will be hard work, but we have contingency days in place to allow for poor weather.

Climbers are expected to be in good physical condition. The better your physical shape the more you will be able to handle the demands of climbing the peak. This expedition is more arduous and physically demanding than other 360 expeditions as some load carrying is done by the climbers themselves. Having a good level of fitness will allow you to enjoy the expedition far more and increase your chances of reaching the summit. Summit day will be long.

Never more than 12. Typically a group has between 6 to 8.

Carstensz can be climbed any time of the year. The weather around the mountain is very unpredictable. One day it can be hot, humid and sunny, the next a total downpour, with snow up on the ridge. Temperatures will be anywhere between 30C to -5C. And we kit ourselves out to cater for any of these conditions.

Your guide will meet you at the airport. Look for someone wearing a 360 logo!

You must carry individual travel insurance to take part in the expedition. We cannot take you on the mountain without proof of insurance.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you have the appropriate insurance for your intended trip. To include medical evacuation and coverage up to the maximum altitude of this trip.

Your insurance details are requested on the booking form, however this can be arranged at a later date. 360 Expeditions will be requesting your insurance details 8 weeks before your departure.

On the assumption you hold a UK passport; you can get your visa on arrival at the airport.

Generally deposits are due when you book as we need in turn to book the international flights well in advance. The full amount should be paid four months prior to departure. However having said that, our aim is to get you to the top of this mountain and we understand that personal financial situations can vary. Please contact our friendly office crew to discuss a suitable payment plan should you find raising the funds to be difficult. We have been in your shoes after all and go by the motto of where there’s a will there’s a way.

Our itinerary allows for several potential summit days in the in the event of bad weather or other contingency. Should we summit on the first or second day we will arrive back in town earlier than scheduled. Equally, events may dictate that our return is pushed back. In this event your additional accommodation is not included and you should allow approx. £40 per night.

Please read 360 expeditions terms and conditions carefully before you depart. 360 expeditions highly recommend trip cancellation insurance for all expeditions. Due to the nature and heavy costs of government and operator permits 360 expeditions must adhere to a stringent refund policy.

Take the equivalent of about $200 in USD to cover incidentals, meals away from the mountain that aren’t included in the package price, beers etc. Indonesia isn’t an expensive country.

As soon as we leave town, you’d might as well switch your phone off as there won’t be any signal. Your expedition leader will have one of our satellite phones on him which is mainly for emergency use, although you can borrow it (for a small fee) if you want to make an important call. Even that can struggle if you’re in the jungle trying to get signal through the canopy.