Carstensz Pyramid
For climbers, climb the range of
Jayawijaya mountainous, Papua Province, Indonesia, is a dream. Why not,
on the top of mountain, there is the highest mountain in Australia and
Oceania called Puncak Jaya or most people called Carstensz Pyramid.
If you think that in the tropics will
not find snow-covered mountains, you can rectify that assumption after
visit to Cartensz Pyramid. Cartensz Pyramid altitude of 4884 m above sea
level (asl), allowing this area covered by permanent snow.
Not only because of tropical snow-capped
peaks, don’t be surprised if the top climbers are competing to climb it
is highest peak in Australasia because of the uniqueness and save a lot
of challenges. In addition known as Puncak Jaya, the highest peak is
better known as Carstensz Pyramide taken from an adventurer from the
Netherlands, namely in Jan Carstensz, who first saw the snowy mountain
peaks in the tropics.
The observation was made by Jan
Carstensz through an ocean liner in 1623. Because it can’t be proved by
direct observation, the report was considered ridiculous. Because for
Europeans, found the snowy mountains in tropical soil is something that
is almost impossible. Truth revealed Carstensz report after nearly three
hundred years later, when in 1899 a Dutch expedition to make a map of
the island of Papua and found the snow-covered mountain peaks as
reported by the Carstensz. To honor the Carstensz, the mountaintop is
then given the name of Carstensz Pyramid. While the term “Puncak
Jayawijaya” is giving by President Sukarno after successfully embrace
the sovereignty of West Papua from the Dutch.
The first climbers to conquer ever
recorded the Carstensz Pyramid is an expedition team led by Heinrich
Harrer in 1962. Heinrich Harrer was an accomplished climber and author
of a veteran. After Heinrich Harrer conquer the peak, from Indonesia
following a successful expedition to reach the summit. Expedition led by
Lieutenant Colonel Hamid Azwar successfully achieve Cartensz Pyramid in
1964.
Jayawijaya Mountain is known as one of
the world’s seven summit. Therefore, peak climbing as high as 4884
meters above sea level represents the ideals of a true climber, let
alone climbing into the Puncak Jaya is the conquest of the snow-covered
mountain. Various obstacles that are presented in climbing, such as the
rugged natural conditions, very cold temperatures, high winds and rain,
and the lack of oxygen at altitude areas is a challenge that must be
conquered by the climbers. Puncak Jayawijaya is one of the snowy
mountain peaks that exist at the crossing of the equator, in addition to
the mountains in Africa and Latin America.
If viewed from the air, Cartensz Pyramid
looks like a black carpet covered by a white hood. If the sun was
bright, the snow will reflect light the dazzling sun.
Puncak Jaya or Carstensz Pyramid
