The sulfur miners of Kawah Ijen - Bondowoso, East Java, Indonesia

He could hardly lift his head while climbing up the crater

The sulfur miners of Ijen have the most dangerous job and they are constantly exposed to the risk of sulfuric fume which can killed them or shorten their life span. Sur, our guide, did not complain about his job, “This is the only work that I could earn a decent living for my family and all the miners here come from the same village in Banyuwangi” he said. On the way we met several other miners who were on their way up the crater. 

A group of sulfur miners passed us

His load is easily 70 kilos

They look cheerful, smiling, greeting and encouraging us to make it to the top of the crater. The first two km walk was really difficult for me and at times, Sur literally pushed me up the steep slopes. I can’t wait to finish the 2 km route as we will be able to get a short rest at the café. While some tourists are already descending the mountain, we were moving cautiously to avoid slippery track and once a while we looked back to see how high we had gone up.

At the first weighing station

I asked Sur what is his daily earning to figure out how much we are going to pay him. He told us, most miners could carry a load of 70 to 100 kilo per trip and for each kilo, they are paid 800 Rupiah (less than US 10 cents) and they could do at most 2 trips per day. They work at night or early morning and stop before midday to avoid the unbearable heat and the thick sulfuric smoke. We figured for that grueling risky job, the miners would earn around US $11 to $ 15 per day. 

We finally made it to the café which marked our 2 km walk. I stopped to have coffee and gave my knees a break. The café is the first stop where miners will weigh their loads of sulfurs and take a note of their weight from the person in charge. They will then continue carrying their loads of sulfur to the final destination at the Paltuding station where the sulfurs will take its last weighing. Many miners were busy weighing their loads and having their breakfast before they take another load. 

Exhausted!

Busy loading the chunks of sulfur

Sweats dripping from his face and it was obvious how exhausted he was!  Still, that was not the end of it, he has another 2 km to go - the final weighing station.  After the brief stop, we continued the last section of our climb.  Sur was very encouraging, "The one kilometer will be flat" he told us.  Feeling tired, only determination and will were the motivating factors for us and finally, the last 500 meters was indeed flat as we approached the rim of the crater. 

Another 500 meters down the crater and just next to the turquoise sulfuric acid lake the miners were busy extracting the sulfur.  Some with slippers, no face mask or any form of protection and with bare hands they dug into the molten sulfur and loaded them in their bamboo baskets or sacks. The smell of the toxic sulfur and the thick fume does not seem to bother the miners. Everyone of them diligently worked to get as much sulfur as they could carry. 

62 years old miner who has worked here for 40 years

We then met an elderly man age 62, who has been working as a sulfur miner for 40 years. His face was drenched with sweat and he was too tired to respond to our greetings but he gave a faint smile. Another miner told us that he has problem with his hearing and due to his age, he could only make one trip a day. We handed a pair of gloves and he thanked us.  The dozen of gloves we brought with us were distributed to the miners as gifts, which they greatly appreciated them.  Wished we would have brought more.  We sat at the rim of the crater watching the breathtaking view of the lake filled with sulfuric acid and hydrogen chloride - with pH < 0.3, corrosive enough to eat up the human flesh and bone!  

They walked fast producing the squeaking sound of the bamboo baskets 

Descending the mountain

Huge chunks of sulfur in their baskets

Breakfast at the first weighing station just after they half completed their work

His body weight is definitely less than the load he carries

As the heat gets more intense!

Down the crater

Just with slippers

Beautiful and dangerous!

Ceramic pipes channel the volcanic gas which then turns into molten sulfur

The red molten sulfur hardens in about 10 minutes and becomes bright yellow

The harden sulfur is broken into chunks of manageable pieces

Condensation of molten sulfur 

Working in the toxic fume surrounding

At the mouth of the pipe lines

Exposed to toxic smoke

Manually breaking the chunks of sulfur

Miner at work

Breaking the sulfur

Filling up their baskets

Walking up the steep, rocky crater

Weighing their load and collecting the weight note

Only half the journey

Spectacular Steaming Bromo

Mount Batok (2,470m) right in front with Mount Bromo (2,329m) on the left and Mount Semeru (3,676m) at the far end

After the mesmerizing view of sunrise on Penanjakan, we moved on to Bromo, an active volcano at 2,329 meters. Not the highest but rather the most well known of the Tengger massif. Our jeep rode across the vast sea of sand without a stop at the savannah as we had a separate tour of the savannah yesterday. It is worth separating the two trips (Bromo and Savannah) if you have the time.

We arrived at the base of Bromo and as expected, the horsemen came running for us even before our jeep stopped. With us, it was an easy game for them as the five of us had decided even before the journey started that we’re going to ride the horse until the base of the crater. We are conserving our energy for Ijen tomorrow and do not want to tire ourselves too early. We still have a long way to go.  According to our driver, the price range for the horse ride is between 80,000 to 125,000 Rupiah and it all depends on our bargaining power and the persuasiveness of the horsemen. 

The 250 steps up to the rim of the crater

It is a fairly easy ride of about 2.5 to 3 km to the crater’s base but the slopes can be difficult. I was trying my best to keep balanced when the horse ascended the steep uneven slopes.  It was a great relief once we reached the base of the crater, but that was not the end of it.  We need to climb 250 steps which will bring us to the rim of the crater bellowing smoke. It is a challenging climb but you can stop at the sides of the stairs (small rest area) to catch a breather and enjoy the breathtaking view of the sea of sand. It feels good to be at the edge of the crater. To be able to peek into the mouth of the live volcanic crater and to hear the sizzling sound of the gas deep down the crater is a surreal experience!

Selling dried flowers to make a living

Worth climbing the steps 

The view from above

Ascending Bromo after viewing the crater

Sea of sand

Bromo puffing smoke and producing sizzling sounds

Lunar like landscape

The wind blew the smoke to the opposite direction where we were standing

The rim of the crater was packed with people

Colorful dried flowers for sale

Demonstrating his skill in flowers arrangement

The horses taking a rest 

The horsemen waiting for their clients at the base of Bromo

Morning has broken - Mount Penanjakan

Pak Ecok told us that he would knock our doors at 3.15 am but beaming with excitement we were all ready minutes before the knock. In the dark, the only street in Cemoro Lawang was packed with numerous jeeps making their way to the view point on Mt. Penanjakan 2,770m) to witness the first ray of morning lights. We got on the jeep and like a roller coaster our vehicle jolted into the dark narrow lane up the mountain. The 45 minutes ride landed on a slope about 800 meters from the peak of Penanjakan. People, motorcycles and jeeps jammed the narrow dirt lane, all competing to be at the highest point for the best view. Depending on how fit you are, the moderate walk would take you about 15 to 20 minutes. We decided to save our energy for the later Bromo climb, so we quickly hoped onto one of the many rental ojek (motorcycle) for 10,000 Rupiah (1USD). 

Grilled corns 

It was less than five minutes ride and after that there were few steps further up. The steps were filled with people and the enticing aroma of coffee and grilled corns from the many make shift stalls along the way filled the air. We had to resist the temptation as getting the best spot was the priority. My chocolate bar and mineral water would suffice at the moment. Hundreds of people filled the space on Mt. Penanjakan and we squeezed ourselves through the crowd, looking for a spot to get the best view of sunrise. In pitch black, I’ve the least idea, which part of the view point would give the best view. The temperature was less than 15 degrees Celsius I figured out and fortunately, the sky was clear and the weather was extremely fine. I climbed the steel fence to get my head above the crowd but there are others who climbed higher on the brick pillars. We were actually at the edge of the cliff!  

As the first light pierced through the sky at about 5.15 am, the crowd roared into cheers and countless flashes of camera lights twinkled as the spectators attempted to capture the first morning ray. Then, I realized I was actually at the other end of the viewpoint, much closer to the caldera.  Slowly the sky turned ochre, illuminating lights on the massive panoramic view of Mount Bartok, Mount Bromo and Mount Semeru at the far end.   Amazingly spectacular!

The view much closer to me