Mount Papandayan: Exotic place in Garut

Mount Papandayan is a complex stratovolcano, located in Garut Regency,  West Java, Indonesia. At the summit, there are four large crater, and it contains active fumarole fields. The 1772 eruption caused the northeast flank to collapse, producing a catastrophic debris avalanche that destroyed 40 villages and killed nearly 3000 people. It truncated the volcano into a broad shape with two peaks and a flat 1.1 km wide of Alun-Alun crater in the middle, making it look like a twin volcano. One of the peaks is called Papandayan and the other is Mount Puntang.

Since 1772, only small  phreatic eruptions had occurred prior to an explosive eruptions that began in November 2002.Mount Papandayan is a large composite volcano. It is constructed of alternating layers of lava and ash, and other fragmental volcanic rock debris formed by explosive eruptions over the past several hundred years. A large horseshoe-shape crater extended to the northeast resulting in an avalanche deposit consisted of intermixed volcanic debris and alternated rocks, with steep-sided crater walls. Numerous small vents within the crater, known as Kawah Mas, Kawah Baru, Kawah Nangklak, Kawah Manuk and many other with solfatras emitting smoke and hot fumes from its inner sides.

Exploring Papandayan's active crater offers you a very unusual experience.  A descent of rough lava and black ash is punctuated by bright yellow pockets of sulphur, while hissing acid rivulets and hot mud pools making outlandish belching noises compound the alien effects.

Kawah Mas on the "Golden Crater" is the Papandayan's 150 meter-wide central dome.  Here roaring fumaroles, sounding like jet engines exude scorhing vapor, and the residual heat from previous eruptions glows ominously in the volcano's interior.  It's a 20 minutes walk to the middle of the crater from the car park.

From the top you get a good view into Papandayan's acid-spewing throat.  Watch your step in this area; the ground is uneven and dotted with percolating mud pools.

After visiting this unique, you may feel like having a picnic in the fresh breeze.  Climb up the left side of Kawah Mas, if facing the road, where a 15 minutes walk leads up to a small paleau with a lovely view over the Garut plateau.

If you want to visit Mount Papandayan, please send email to us at dean.ghaaziy@gmail.com

Posted in: Exotic Place, Guide, Hiking, Mountain, Recreation, Tourism, Trekking