Gede Pangrango National Park

In 1980, the government decided to launch Indonesia's National Parks Programme by establishing five National Parks, the mountains of Gede-Pangrango were an obvious choice for inclusion. The early history of the area is little known, though the mountains feature in many sundanese legends. It seems that a trail existed from the ancient town of Cianjur to Bogor, via Cipanas. The lower mountain slopes were probably used for shifting cultivation in what was rough, remote terrain. The introduction of tea had a profound impact on area. Japanese varieties had been planted as far back as 1728, and plantations were laid out in Ciawi and Cikopo in 1835. Then, in 1878, Assam tea was grown with great success, and the economy and environment of the lower slopes changed forever.

The area's long history of research and conservation began as early as 1830 with establishment of small botanical garden near the Governor General's palace in Cipanas, later moved and enlarged to become the Cibodas Botanic Garden. In 1889, the forest between the Cibodas Botanic Gardens and the hot springs at Air panas was made into nature reserve. After 1919, a patchwork of small reserves developed. A major commitment was undertaken in 1978, when 14,000 ha, consisting of the two main peaks and extensive slopes, were gazetted as Gunung Gede Pangrango Nature Reserve.

Finally, in March 6th 1980, all the separate areas were combined, and Mount Gede Pangrango National Park was born. The National Park can justifiably claim to represent the best surviving montane habitat on Java. Over 1,000 species of higher/flowering plants have been than 200 species of orchid : about a third of all the orchid species found on Java. Birds excite particular interest, attracting ornithologists from all over the world; this is not surprising considering that more than half of Java's bird fauna can be seen here, including most of the "Javan endemics" (species exclusive to the island). Threatened or endangered mammals include the leopard, the Javan gibbon and the Javan leaf monkey.

History of Eruptions

Mt Gede's first documented eruption occurred in 1747/8. Activity was severe, and accounts describe two lava streams flowing from the Lanang crater. The eruption was atypical, as it gave rise to the only recorded lava flow in the last 250 years. It is probable that the 2-km track of lava responsible for the hot water springs of Air Panas dates back to this event. A part from a few minor events (1761, 1780 and 1832) the mountain "slept" for almost one hundred years. Then, at 3 am on the morning of 12 November 1840, a large, unexpected eruption awoke the surrounding villages with a thunderous noise, accompanied by severe earth tremors. A burning cloud of gas roared down the northwest slopes of the mountain, luckily stopping before it reached the Cibodas Botanic Gardens.

Some 24 minor eruptions have occurred spasmodically in the last 150 years: in 1852 the Kandang Badak guest house was destroyed by an expulsion of large stones; in 1886 a 50-cm layer of ash fell up to a distance of 500 m from the craters, killing most of the vegetation. The 1940/50s were marked by many small events. 1957 was the last sign of activity, but there is no room for complacency: the longer the period of inactivity, the greater the likelihood of a major eruption!

The First Climber

Who made the first recorded climbs to the peaks of Gede-Pangrango? The ubiquitous Raffles visited in 1811 and in his role as Lieutenant Governor of Java organised the construction of a trail on the southeastern slopes of Mt Gede: the remains of a large track can still be seen. Reinwardt, founder of the Bogor (Buitenzorg) Botanic Gardens, set foot on the Gede summit in April 1819. However he credits an American, geologist/physician Thomas Horsfield, has having already climbed to the mountain, but the date is uncetain. Horsfield collected natural history specimens and carried out research on Java between 1802-1819. The first recorded climb from Cibodas was made by Blume in 1824. He ascended via Cibeureum, the hot springs of Air Panas and Kandang Badak (Rhinoceros-field), the route used by most climbers today.

The "first climbing" of Mt Pangrango is very controversial. The honour is usually given to the German, Junghun, who reached the small crater meadow in April 1839. However, many years before, in August 1821, Kuhl and van Hasselt, two young biologist working for The Netherlands Commission for Natural Sciences, had written letters describing how they had followed rhinoceros tracks to the summit. Junghun seriously doubted that they had actually climbed all the way to the top. Controversy arose because they failed to mention the Imperial Primrose (see picture). At that time this spectacular primula grew only in the Pangrango crater. On Java the plant is recorded only from a few high mountains, and would have been of considerable interest.

Teysmann, the then Director of the Gardens, supported the earlier claim. Unfortunately, Heinrich Kuhl and Johan van Hasselt could not be consulted, as both had died prematurely, in Buitenzorg - aged 24 and 26 respectively - of tropical diseases. The identify of the first people to stand on the peaks will never be known. They may have been Hindu worshipper belonging to the ancient Sunda kingdom of Pajajaran, or perhaps members of an even older society. Without a doubt, whoever they were they looked down from the summits a very long time ago: human remains found on Java date back over one and a half million years.