Indonesian communists called it Puncak Jaya (the summit of victory), even though this name belonged to a different summit was considered to be the highest (Nga pulu). Yet another name for Carstensz Pyramid which is also often used, is Jaya Kesuma. This name is used in books published by Mapala University. However, these days Indonesia uses (rather inconsistently) both names of the mountain - Cartensz Pyramid and Puncak Jaya.

Carstenz Pyramid-Puncak Jaya (4884 m, 16023 ft), Puncak Mandala (4640m, 15223 ft), and Puncak Trikora (4730m, 15518 ft), are the three tallest and most well known mountais of west papua. Carstensz Pyramid is the tallest of them, and it belongs to the snow mountain. They are situated in the west of the central highland Jayawijaya.

The legendary tropical snow mountains are situated in the midlle of endless jungles in West Papua. They are the logical ending of Cembalo Plato. Out of the three mentioned mountains, only Cartensz Pyramid belongs among them. Although the massif of the snow mountains is not too high, and it lies 4 degrees south of the equator, it contains four relatively large glaciers. The largest of them is not the Cartensz Pyramid, but meren glacier which fringes the Nga Pulu peak (4862 m, 15951 ft). Some Indonesians call this peak Punck Jaya, because it was long considered to be the highest peak of Papua.

And where does the names snow mountains come from? there are not only glacier on the summits, but the reason is also the fact that snowing is not unusual there. Tropical Snow Storm often bring snow to areas situated as high as 4000 m (13123 ft).

The top of Mt. Ceremai
West Java






































The top of the Summit Lawu,
Argo Dumilah, Central Java.

Carstenzs pyramid 4884 m (16023 ft), is the highest mountain in Australi and Oceania. its the eight summit in the seven summit project (seven summit on seven tallest mountains on seven continents). This Indonesian province was called Irian Jaya till 2005. it lies in New Guinea, which is the world's second largest island.

Carstenzs pyramid, called Puncak Jaya by some, and puncaj Jaya Kesuma or only Jaya Kesuma by orthers, is located to th west of the central highland called Jayawijaya and Sudirman Mountains. It is the tallest mountain in Australia and Oceania. Technically this means that carstenzs Pyramid is THE TALLEST MOUNTAIN between America and the Himalayas. Officially it carries the name of its discoverer-of John Carstenzs, who was a Dutch sea-farer. In 1623 he brought news to Europe about the snowbound mountain right on the equator, but no one believed him. he was the first European to see Carstenzs Pyramid with his own eyes.

"Anyone who has once seen Carstenzs Pyramid longs for it like it was a beautifull woman. it seduces you while remaining mysterious. Once in a while it shows you all of its beauty, only to be covered in the veil of mist a minute later. itsprovocative but unattainable. it makes you tormented and restless, as it does us..." (Petr Jahoda-climber, Papua & Carstenzs Guide)

Avoiding the weekend walkers to the three beautifull waterfalls at Cibeureum a short way up the track leading to the summits of the Gede Pangrango, he took a less well-trodden route first along a scraggly golf course and then upwards. Behind it rose the sharp-angled, steep foothills of the legendary mountains. Lovely vegetable gardens spilling down to various rocky streams, and the ever present forests stretching widely upwards. Did he write: less well-trodden? more accurately: not much of a path at all. And quite a climb, espesially coming downwards again. sheltered by enormous tree ferns, palm trees, great giants of the jungle. Everywhere the purpleand white delights of impatiens platypetala.Not much sweat for the day was pleasantly cool and the narrow, sheer canyon sheltered from the hot sun. on the way down there was suddenly this pretty waterfalls emptying into a nice pool. yes! Throwing off his clothes he bathed, and stretched out under a fern tree splashed by warm sun rays. and dreamed...

Of his naturalist heroes. of Heinrich Kuhl (1797-1821) and johan conrad van hasselt (1797-1832), one time students of Professor van Swinderen at Groningen. They are said by the great Reinwardt, founder of the Kebun Raya at Bogor, to be the first Europeans to have reached the top of Pangrango. Great naturalists both, they collected many specimens until then unknown. (For a frog its of note that they were experts on amphibians and reptiles, too) Both men succumbed too young to tropical diseases and are commemorated on the same grave marker at the little burial ground for Europeans in the Bogor Garden.
Their resting place is right next to the Taman Teijsmann. A few years after Van Hasselt's death, their Pangrango climb - as often happens with mountaneering exploits - became a matter of great controversy. Junghuhn - yes, the same - claimed thet he himself was the first white man to master the mountain. As his proof he put forward the fact that the young naturalist had made no mention of a plant which occured only at the top of the mountain. and he, of course had seen it. Reinwardt and Teijsmann ardently deferended Kuhl and Van Hasselt's claim. The issue has not been resolved until today and probably never will be.
Here the dreamer waoke for his cheek was being ligthly brushed. Opening his eyes he beheld a fluttering of twenty-some butterflies (Papillio paris), some settled on his chest and others on the sun-spotted waterfall-moist soil and moss. Their dark-garden mossy wings with blur 'tails' and great orange and black eye-spots were a wonder to behold. Enough to forget all naturalist controversy.....

Merapi,
Yogyakarta.















Sunset at Hargo Dumilah,
Mt. Lawu, Central Java.














Night Climber













The summit of the Gede Pangrango






















Alun-alun mandalawangi.
Mt. Pangrango.
West Java.