Ili Boleng Volcano

There’s something rather intriguing about Ili Boleng; the kind of intriguing that says ‘come and climb me’. The idea takes hold as the ferry chugs towards Waiwerang, the main transit town on Adonara Island. With wide sloping flanks rising gently towards the peak, Ili Boleng seems to squat rather than loom in the background but with an elevation of 1,658m, it’s high enough to deliver fantastic views over the archipelago.

Climbing Ile Boleng is an excellent day trip from Waiwerang. Although currently dormant, the last eruption in 1991 left a nice crater at the top. The locals regularly hunt goat and deer on the rolling grasslands right up to the summit so there are several well used trails to choose from with starting points from any one of the half dozen villages nestled around it. Assuming you’re staying in Waiwerang, the most convenient starting point for the trek is from Lamalota village, 20min away by ojek.

Photos © Dan Quinn/Gunung Bagging

The forests of the lower foothills are crisscrossed with a maze of tracks so you’ll need to recruit someone from the village to lead you to the edge of the treeline at the start of the upper slopes. Westerners are so rare here, you’ll likely receive a lot of curious stares but once the ice is broken the villagers are friendly and happy to assist. At the point where the trails becomes noticeable steeper, the forest thins in favor of open grassy slopes which continue right up to the crater rim. It’s possible to circumnavigate the crater by following a faint trail along the rim which takes about an hour.