Climb Puncak Jaya, 4884m (Carstensz Pyramid) Papua New Guinea
Carstensz Pyramid, now known as Puncak Jaya is one of the famous ‘Seven Summits’, the highest peak in Australasia situated on the island of Papua New Guinea. This peak is the only of the Seven which is a rock climbing peak and we use use helicopters to and from base camp. The trekking through the jungle to get to base camp is now considered too dangerous following recent periods of unrest. The trip lasts for 11 days as a minimum and the entry/exit airport is Timika, accessible normally via the Indonesian hub of Jakarta or Bali.
Trips to Puncak Jaya need a lot of preparation and this means that bookings are best made at least three to four months in advance.
The climb itself is wonderful, very exciting and dramatic, and certainly a worthy Seven Summits expedition, including the famous Tyrolean traverse along the high altitude ridge. It’s remote and somewhat other-worldly and happens to overlook the largest goldmine in the world which is somewhat surreal to look down on.
Introduction to Puncak Jaya (Carstenz Pyramid)
The peak is in West Papua, previously known as Irian Jaya until 2005 and is situated in central New Guinea, which is the second largest island in the world. It is in a remote region which has been beset with a history of political instability. We are fortunate to work with a local outfit and team of guides who have been organising trips to the mountain for many years and are able to give us clear advice on the local situation.
Relatively few people have climbed Puncak Jaya, even compared to Mount Everest and Vinson, partly due to the fact that it is often closed for long periods of time. The trek through the jungle was notorious for its difficult conditions and also the likelihood of meeting armed people enroute. The helicopter journey was often beset with problems of having to fly over Freeport, the largest gold mine in the world. Although the trip is only 11 days, climbers should anticipate delays at the start for up to a week in case of sudden issues which can be common.
Conditions on the mountain are very diverse and often challenging; it’s common to be climbing in rain and on very wet rock and then snow. There are fixed lines to clip onto and the anchors are good but in some of the steep gullies lower down there is a lot of loose rock. The rock itself is good climbing rock, even though it can be streaming with water, but very sharp so bring several pairs of gloves. It can be climbed all year round.
CARSTENZ PYRAMID/PUNCAK JAYA ITINERARY
The itinerary is a guide only, it is necessary to allow extra days for flexibility in case of bad weather or local politics which might delay the departure. International flights should be into Jakarta or Bali, with onward flights booked to Nabire for the trekking trips and Timika for the helicopter trips.
From Nabire we will arrange the light aircraft into Sugapa or Illaga where the trekking trip begins. For the helicopter option, the flight lands at base camp and we generally allow three full days to climb the mountain.
Trekking trip itinerary
| Day | Programme |
| 1 | Arrive Nabire from Jakarta |
| 2 | Day in Nabire |
| 3 | Fly to Sugapa by light aircraft |
| 4 | Day in Sugapa – planning, organising |
| 5 – 9 | Trek to Carstenz Pyramid |
| 10 – 12 | Base Camp and summit days |
| 13 – 15 | Return trek to Sugapa |
| 16 | Sugapa to Nabire flight |
| 17 – 21 | Spare days and flight home |
Helicopter trip itinerary
| Day` | Programme |
| 1 | Arrival Timika |
| 2 | Rest day Timika, preparation |
| 3 | Helicopter to Carstenz Base Camp |
| 4-6 | Climbing days |
| 7 | Helicopter back to Timika |
| 8 | Timika departure |
| 9-10 | Spare days |
