The Carstensz Pyramid

For those who consider AustralAsia, or Oceania, to be a continent, the highest mountain is the Carstensz Pyramid, located in West Papua, Indonesia. This huge limestone rock mountain presents a real challenge for even the most experienced mountaineer. The climb is arduous and technical, with much of the route up the mountain covered with fixed lines. The climber must have some technical rock climbing experience since a portion of the route is rated Class 5.9. The trip started on May 13, 2006 and ended on May 15, 2006. We summitted on May 14. We had to cross the Freeport-McMorRan gold mine in order to access and depart Base Camp. I am sworn to secrecy as to how we accomplished this feat, but it was exciting. Before heading for Base Camp, we visited some local villages where the native Indonesians live as they did thousands of years ago. This was a real treat.