Carstensz Pyramid - Puncak Jaya located at the height of 4884 meters, Puncak Mandala at 4640 meters, and Puncak Trikora at 4730 meters is three tallest and most well known mountains of West Papua. Carstensz Pyramid is the tallest of them, and it belongs to the Snow Mountains. The mountain is situated in the west of the Central highland Jayawijaya. The most legendary mountains of the tropic snow region are situated in the middle of the never-ending jungles in the West Papua. They are the logical ending of the Cembalo Plato. However, the massive opening of the Snow Mountains is not too high, and it lies 4 degrees south to the equator, it contains four relatively large glaciers that need to be crossed to reach the Carstensz Pyramid.

Who discovered the Carstensz Pyramid?

Carstensz is one of the highest points between the Himalayas and the Andes, and the highest island peak in the world. Officially, it carries the name of the person who discovered it - John Carstensz, who was a Dutch seafarer. In the year 1623, he brought news to Europe about the snowbound mountain right on the equator, but no one believed him at the time. He was the first European to see Carstensz Pyramid with his own eyes.

Various Routes to reach Base Camp of Carstensz Expedition

Today, Carstensz has only been climbed by just a couple of hundred people. Some of the climbers who succeeded to climb Carstensz Pyramid expedition say that they were lucky enough to see such a mystical beauty. One of the biggest challenges is to get there actually. There are mainly three routes to reach Carstensz. The first one is the traditional way of hiking through a jungle populated with leeches that stick like Velcro and ex-cannibals. It is a serious hike for about 100 kilometers from the nearest town with airport, Timika, to the base camp and it takes about 4-5 days. The simplest way to drive within the spitting distance of Carstensz via adjacent Grasberg's gold and copper mine. The third route, and probably the most enthralling to all but the most adventurous out there too, is to fly into the base camp in a helicopter. It sounds very easy but there are times when the pilot neglects to appear or take you to the base camp.

Surprises of the Carstensz Pyramid's Expedition

There are few surprises on the ridge - one is a gaping abyss. The other one is the twenty meters wide. There is a 30 meters down lane with a wafer-thin gangway which spans the divide while you go to climb Carstensz Pyramid expedition. However, on the either side of this, the mountain falls away from hundred of meters, all the way back to the base camp.

The passage to this mountain is nothing more than a short rock rush. It will test your patience, your climbing skills and your courage. The ridge takes about an hour to pass through. The whole summit is marked with a small rock dais complete with a plaque and a logbook. The view is a spectacular panorama of glaciers, forests, peaks, and lakes.