Carstensz Pyramid: Your Top Five Questions Answered
Carstensz Pyramid is one of the world’s great adventures and a dream for many climbers.
Having been closed since 2019, Carstensz Pyramid has reopened for the first time with a limited number of operators receiving authorization for this season, Climbing the Seven Summits (CTSS) included. Your opportunity to climb one of the most elusive of the Seven Summits has arrived!
To help potential climbers better understand what it means to take on a climb like Carstensz Pyramid, we asked Mike Hamill, owner of CTSS and author of Climbing the Seven Summits, and the talented team at CTSS to answer a few of the most common questions we field about Carstensz Pyramid.
What type of rock climbing skills do I need?
Even though Carstensz Pyramid is one of the lowest peaks on the Seven Summits list, it’s the steepest and one of the more technically demanding climbs with big exposure and alpine rock climbing. Undoubtedly, all climbers must be comfortable with heights and exposure to take on Carstensz Pyramid. Reaching the summit requires many hours of fixed-line climbing over exposed technical terrain, but the view, on a clear day, from the ridgeline of the Sudirman Range and Ngga Pulu (Sunday Peak) makes this challenging climb worth every bit of effort.
During our ascent, we will climb via the normal route, with its hardest climbing rating at around 5.6 or 5.7 on the Yosemite Decimal System scale. We will be climbing at altitude in mountain boots, and it isn’t uncommon for there to be a light dusting of snow on the rock. For this reason, you should be confident on terrain more difficult than the normal route itself. Having the ability to climb 5.8 or 5.9 routes in mountain boots confidently is the minimum skill level you’ll need to move through the required terrain safely.
The route to the summit has a few noteworthy sections, including ten or more pitches of 4th- and 5th-class climbing to reach the ridgeline from base camp. Following the ridgeline toward the summit, the route negotiates several towers before reaching the infamous Tyrolean Traverse. This traverse has now been fixed with a permanent cable, which greatly increases our safety and makes the process of getting across fairly smooth and reasonable. As you close in on the summit, there are smaller gaps that must be negotiated by climbing down, across, and back up following the apex of the ridge.
How is the gear for this climb different from other Seven Summits expeditions?
Rain, remoteness, and rock climbing all factor into what makes the gear for Carstensz Pyramid a bit different from the other Seven Summits. Much like Vinson, once you are in Irian Jaya, you won’t be able to purchase or replace any gear, which means your kit needs to be checked and double-checked before your expedition. Here are a few key pieces of gear that we will review below to ensure your expedition to Carstensz Pyramid is a success.
Boots. Most of the Seven Summits require double or triple mountaineering boots, but Carstensz presents a unique challenge for footwear. Climbers need to keep their feet warm while also being able to climb technical rock sections. This is where a 3-season mountaineering boot comes in. These boots are warm enough to keep your feet comfortable in cold temperatures, but they also allow climbers to move well in alpine rock terrain. Most 3-season mountaineering boots only have a ¾ metal shank in the footbed, which allows the sole to be semi-flexible for more precise footwork on rock than a mountaineering boot with a full shank like your traditional double or triple boots. We recommend the La Sportiva Trango Tech GTX Mountaineering Boot.
Leather Gloves. On Carstensz Pyramid, you will be climbing technical rock sections, using your ascender to climb fixed lines, and rappelling most of the way from the summit back down to base camp. You will be working with your hands a lot, so keeping them protected and warm is a must! Leather gloves are durable and warm and allow good dexterity during your climb. Consider bringing two pairs for redundancy, as they are likely to get beat up on the climb, and it is good to have a backup if you drop one. We recommend the Kinco Lined Premium Grain Pigskin Knit Wrist Gloves.
Rock Climbing Harness. Usually, we recommend a lightweight mountaineering harness for climbs on any of the other Seven Summits, but as you’ve caught on, Carstensz Pyramid will have some true rock climbing, which means a more robust harness has made its way onto our Gear List. Unlike on peaks like Vinson, Denali, and Everest, you will be rock climbing on Carstensz Pyramid, which means you will want a comfortable harness tailor-made for rock climbing, especially when you are sitting for all the rappels back to base camp. We recommend the Black Diamond Technician Harness.
Bug Spray & Umbrella. Most of the Seven Summits are in cold alpine environments that don’t have many bugs or rain. Carstensz Pyramid is one of the exceptions, as it is located in an equatorial rainforest where ferns, bats, and anteaters dominate the landscape. At base camp, it can be cold, but most certainly, it will be wet, humid, and buggy. This requires a few additions to your standard kit, including bug spray and a rain poncho (or umbrella), to help keep you warm, dry, and bug-free while you adventure around base camp. We recommend the Six Moon Designs Silver Shadow Ultralight Umbrella and Sawyer Picaridin Insect Repellent.
Casual Travel Clothes. While we have this on every gear list, the kind of “town clothes” you bring could make or break your time in Indonesia before the expedition. Expect it to be hot and humid. Bring loose-fitting clothing that will be comfortable in those conditions. In Indonesia, it is customary to dress conservatively, so bring clothes that don’t show your shoulders and cover your legs below the knee. Ideally, bring loose-fitting long pants, long sleeves, and tee shirts.
Click the image to the right to see the full Gear List for Carstensz Pyramid.
Which is the true Seventh Summit – Carstensz Pyramid or Mount Kosciuszko?
This is an age-old question and one that we would be remiss to skip when talking about Carstensz Pyramid. This ongoing debate has firm believers on one side of the aisle or the other, each with solid reasoning for including or excluding each mountain. More recently, some climbers have simply resolved to climb both—because why choose?
However, if you’re looking for an answer, our advice to you is to look within and challenge yourself to define your Seven Summits. Start by asking yourself questions like:
- What are my reasons for climbing the Seven Summits?
- What are my personal rules for climbing?
- Am I here to climb only technically challenging routes?
- Do I want to experience all seven continents and their cultures?
Depending on your reasons, you may have a different idea of what the Seventh Summit is.
When we look back in history, we see the same heated debate. One viewpoint stems from two pioneers of the Seven Summits, Dick Bass and Frank Wells, who viewed the landmass of Australia (not Australasia) as a continent, which tracks with what many of us learned in our younger years. Alternatively, prominent mountaineers Pat Morrow and Reinhold Messner took the approach that a continent should include the continental shelf, which in this case is submerged under the South Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean. So when it comes to debating the Seven Summits, one of the first topics is often about how we define a continent: culturally or geologically?
How does the weather impact this expedition?
Our itinerary for Carstensz Pyramid includes SEVEN contingency days. WOW! The big difference here is the weather, one of the biggest factors on this entire expedition. Rain is what’s on tap while you’re in Irian Jaya, and all climbers should be prepared to get wet and bring the appropriate gear, like ponchos and umbrellas.
While afternoon showers are common along the equator, it can really rain at any time of day, and sometimes storms can come on quite suddenly. As you move towards the base of the mountain, the rain will only increase because the air masses moving over the mountain empty their water content before they make their own journey. Teams have waited for a week to get in and out of base camp. This is a real possibility. Expect weather delays. This is true adventure travel, so you’ll need to roll with the punches, bring a good book and music, and purchase flexible return airfares.
What do I need to consider when traveling to Carstensz Pyramid?
Climbers who have been fortunate enough to ascend Carstensz Pyramid have all voiced one common challenge: getting there. Now, we aren’t saying that the climbing is easy—more on that below—but we are saying that anyone who is joining an expedition team to the heart of Irian Jaya should be adaptable, patient, and persistent with a dash of good humor to ensure this is an adventure of a lifetime. Here are a few of our top tips to help your travels go as smoothly as possible.
Getting There: Our expedition meets in Timika, Irian Jaya, Indonesia, a small city within a helicopter flight of Carstensz Pyramid. We recommend booking your flights as far in advance as possible. Using an experienced travel agent is wise for this trip, as flights into and out of Timika can get complicated and may be few and far between. Pay attention to options and layovers so you do not miss any connections, as a missed connection can lead to a 24-hour or more delay in rebooking a flight. And just a quick reminder that getting through customs in Indonesia can be a long process as nothing moves quickly there. Make sure you have your visas sorted, and stay up to date with Indonesian laws and regulations. Check that your passport is not damaged in any way, as Indonesian border control has been known to deny entry over a dog ear or tear. Plan for delays and be ready to wait patiently.
Gear: Once you are in Indonesia, you won’t be able to purchase or place any of your gear. We recommend keeping your climbing boots with you in your carry-on case in case your luggage gets lost. They are expensive, and it may be impossible to replace them if they go missing. Consider this for any other essential items like medications, glasses, etc.
Vaccination Requirements: Rules and regulations surrounding vaccinations may change rapidly. It is your responsibility to check Indonesian governmental websites to ensure your compliance with any requirements surrounding vaccinations.
Click to access the vaccination requirements as of February 2024.
Base Camp Helicopter: We chose to fly in and out of base camp by helicopter to avoid an 8-day trek through the hot, humid, muddy, leech-infested Indonesian jungle. The trek runs very close to the Grasberg Mine (one of the largest gold and copper reserves in the world), and there are strict security protocols in place to protect the mine site. As a result, access by foot is not guaranteed, and there have been violent clashes in the past between the labor force, local tribes, and separatists. Best to avoid it entirely.
Please note that, since July 2023, the U.S. State Department has issued a “Level 4: Do Not Travel” advisory for Central Papua and Highland Papua, where Carstensz Pyramid is located. It is important to know, understand, and accept the risks involved with this expedition.
Final Thoughts on Carstensz Pyramid
Climbing Carstensz Pyramid is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Our team expedition will be heading out at the end of September which means your chance to get way off, and we mean WAY OFF, the beaten path is quickly approaching. If traveling and climbing in Southeast Asia is just as intriguing to you as it is to all of us, we hope you join us. Our expedition will undoubtedly be an incredible adventure that few have experienced.
If you have any questions that remain unanswered, our team at Climbing the Seven Summits is here to help. Drop us an email at info@climbingthsevensummits.com and someone from our team will reach out to you and offer one-to-one support in making your climbing dreams become a reality.
