Please contact us for complete details if you would like to join our small group expedition to climb 4,884 meter (16,023') Carstensz in October, 2008.

Dani elder using traditional methods for starting a fire

The combination of amazing and ancient cultures, a beautiful yet remote mountain and a hugely complex bureaucracy to deal with certainly keep this mountain in a different category than most!

Dates
October 11-26, 2008
(Meeting on October 11, 2008 in Jakarta, Indonesia)

• All organization and pre-climb logistics planning
• Canada West Mountain School IFMGA Certified Mountain Guide
• Local Indonesian Guide support
• All required permits for travel in Indonesia and West Papua
• All internal flights and ground transportation return from Jakarta
• Accommodation based on twin share in Jakarta and Wamena
• Helicopter and/or vehicle access to Carstensz Pyramid Base Camp and return
• Meals during the trekking / climbing
• Cultural side trips
• All camping, dining, and cooking equipment
• All technical climbing equipment
• Use of satellite phone

Not included in the cost of the trip:

• International flight expenses (trip starts in Jakarta, Indonesia)
• Visa’s and proper travel documents for travel to Indonesia
• Overweight luggage fees on all flights (if required)
• Personal climbing and camping equipment
• Meals while in Jakarta and Wamena
• Extra food and beverages
• Personal expenses (laundry, phone calls, etc)
• Evacuation or rescue expenses - (* Insurance is required)
• Any expenses due to flight delays, lost luggage or cancellations
• Lodging while off of the mountain (except as noted)
• Tips and gratuities for guides and porters
• Any miscellaneous personal costs on and off the mountain.

The summit is over 4,800 meters so acclimatization will be essential while on the climb, though previous high-altitude experience is not required.

Guides
Our trip will be led by Brian Jones, an IFMGA/ACMG certified Canadian Mountain Guide who has summitted Carstensz Pyramid twice before. in addition, we work with local Indonesian partners with extensive experience arranging logistics, permits and transportation to the mountain. This combination of local Indonesian Guides and support staff working with a professional Canadian Mountain guide means you will get all the local expertise in addition to the peace of mind of having a western trained guide with many years of high altitude guiding experience from around the world (Brian has climbed and guided multiple expeditions to Kili, Aconcagua, Denali, Elbrus, Mount Logan and Vinson Massif, as well as countless expeditions at home in Canada), advanced Wilderness First Aid training, modern group equipment and medical supplies, and supplemental North American food!

Working with our partners who have many years of on-the-ground experience will allow you to thoroughly enjoy the climb and the cultural experience without having to deal with any extra stress.

Trip cancellation insurance is strongly recommended for this adventure.

Day 1 (October 11, 2008)
Meet with the team in Jakarta, Indonesia. The first day there is nothing scheduled, simply arrive and relax from your flight!

Day 2
The group will spend a relaxed day in Jakarta reviewing gear, finalizing all the paperwork and permits in preparation for the journey to Papua. In the evening everyone will fly to Jayapura, the capital of the Papua Province, arriving the following day.

Day 3
From Jayapura we will continue on by air to Wamena and travel up to Habema Lake for a day of acclimatization at 3,400 meters. We will stay in Habema this night.

Day 4
This will be our first full day of acclimatization and a chance to explore the surrounding countryside and visit with the local people

Day 5
Back down to Wamena

Day 6
We will fly from Wamena to Carstensz Pyramid Base Camp at 4,000 meters

Day 7 - 11
These days are spent acclimatizing, reviewing and practicing climbing techniques. Our summit day will be included in this time frame and will be based on weather, acclimatization and route conditions.

Day 12
We will fly back to Wamena on this day from the Carstensz base camp.

Day 13 - 14
The final 2 days are spent enjoying cultural trips in the Baliem Valley and around Wamena, a rare chance to visit with the local "stone-age" cultures of the Dani and Yali peoples.

Day 15
Return air travel to Jakarta

Day 16 (April 27)
This is the final day of the trip - either board your flight back home or continue on with more adventures!

Group sizes on this expedition are kept small to increase the enjoyment of all members of the team, and to improve the chance of success for all. There will be a maximum of 4 members per each guide, with a maximum of two guided groups per trip. On summit day there will be one guide for every 2-3 climbers, depending on the size of the team.

• Boots - sturdy leather backpacking or light mountaineering boots (1 pr)
• Approach shoes - shoes for the lower mountain approach and around camp (1 pr)Sleeping bag - good to minus 10 Celsius range (1)
• Sleeping pad - Ensolite or Thermarest type (1)
• Backpack - internal frame, approx. 30-50 litres (1)
• Light weight hiking pants (1 pr)
• Hiking shorts (1 pr)
• Expedition style outer shell jacket with hood - Gore-Tex style (1)
• Full-zip outer shell pants (or bibs) - Gore-Tex style (1 pair)
• Thermal underwear for summit day - top and bottom, Poly-pro, Capilene, etc. (1 pr)
• Insulating pants - fleece or pile (1 pr)
• Lightweight gaiters - optional, good for keeping scree out of boots (1 pr)
• Gloves (medium weight) - wool or poly-pro (1 pr)
• Gloves - leather climbing/rappelling style for rope work (1pr)
• Expedition style gloves or mitts w/removable liners (1 pr)
• Socks - synthetic, wool or wool blend (2-3 pr)
• Warm parka - down, fleece or pile (1)
• Sweater or vest - wool, fleece or down (1)
• Toque/warm hat - wool or fleece (1)
• Hat with sun visor (baseball cap, etc) (1)
• Bandannas (1-2)
• Glacier style sunglasses with side shields and nose shield (1 pr)
• Headlamp with extra batteries
• Personal kit - (toothbrush, foot powder, skin cream, pee-bottle, etc.)
• Personal 1st aid
• Misc. personal items (camera, book, cards, journal, walkman, blister kit, medications, etc.)
• Water bottles/hydration system - minimum 2 litres. No hydration systems for summit day, they will freeze - traditional water bottles only
• Sunscreen and lip screen (min. 30 spf & waterproof)
• Collapsible ski/walking poles (1 pr)
• Large duffel bag with lock (1)

When organizing your equipment, remember that the conditions on Carstensz will vary from +30 and humid on the lower mountain, to possible lows of -10 degrees Celsius on summit day. Outer clothing should be capable of venting, and you should be able to get in and out of it easily. Inner layers should be able to dry easily and retain warmth when damp. The complete expedition will be spent in equatorial rainforest with frequent rainfall and cool conditions and possible snowfall at higher elevations. Take into account your own personal "warmth rating". If you know that your hands don't warm up easily, or your feet are always cold, keep that in mind.

When you register, a pre-trip package of information will be sent to you, as well as follow-up discussions via phone and email to ensure you are well prepared for your adventure!