16,024ft / 4,884m
Possibly the most exotic mountaineering location on earth, Carstensz Pyramid in Western Papua (formally known as Irian Jaya) and is a large limestone escarpment jutting out above the rainforest. Coveted as the highest peak in Australasia, Carstensz is one of the most remote of the seven summits. The mountain was first climbed in the 1960s by an expedition led by Heinrich Harrer of Eiger North Wall fame yet factors such as intricate permit requirements and conflicts in the region have led to Carstensz Pyramid not receiving many ascents.
We have operated ten previous expeditions to the mountain. The trek to the base camp at 4,200m starts after a plane ride to Timika on the island of Papua followed by another small plane ride to a remote village called Sugapa and then six days trekking to reach basecamp, requiring 20 days overall.
We ascend the mountain by the north face in a long day from base camp. The ascent involves a combination of scrambling and climbing fixed ropes, suitable for climbers with recent rope and rock climbing experience.
For a taste of exquisite jungle adventure with a spectacular peak to climb at the end - join our next trip to Carstensz Pyramid!
- Equatorial jungle adventure
- Exhilarating rock climbing
- An exotic "Seven Summit"
History
Carstensz Toppen, or Carstensz Pyramid, is a Dutch name, deriving from the 1623 voyage of exploration undertaken by the Dutch Empire as they strove to rule the lucrative trade routes of the East Indes. The navigator, Jan Carstensz, recorded his surprised sightings of ice-covered mountains soaring high above the Arafura Sea.
In 1872 Captain J.A. Lawson led an exploratory expedition inland, reporting an ascent to 7500 metres on a Mount Hercules! This sparked rumours that Carstensz was higher than the recently surveyed Mt Everest.
Ensuing Dutch and English expeditions failed to climb this legendary peak, but confirmed extensive glaciation in mountains so close to the equator.
The New Zealand expedition led by Philip Temple in 1961 finally got to the base of Carstensz Pyramid after an epic trek through the jungle but was forced to retreat after a failed airdrop of supplies. The following year Temple was asked to guide Heinrich Harrer over New Zealand Pass, the key to reaching Carstensz. Harrer and Temple then pioneered the steep rock climbing route to the summit. The pair went on to make ascents of many other peaks in the region.
In recent years, Carstensz Pyramid has become regarded as the highest peak on the continental landmass known as Australasia and thus one of the coveted Seven Summits.
August 12 - 31, 2013 * Expedition Leader - Paul Rogers
November 4 - 23, 2013 * Expedition Leader - Mike Roberts
2014 Dates:
January 13 - February 1, 2014
March 3 – 22, 2014
August 11 - 30, 2014
November 3 - 22, 2014
Duration: 20 days
Departure: ex Bali or Manado, Indonesia
Price: US$18,500
Read the dispatches from our previous expeditions here: January 2008, August 2008, March 2009, August 2009, March 2011.
We also operated expeditions to Carstensz in 1993, 1994, 1995 and 2005.
We had a small team climb Carstensz in November 2010 on a B3 heli access / egress trip led by Victor Saunders, with successful summit days on Nov 4 and 6. Our recent successful trip was a walk in / walk out 20 day trip in March 2011 as the B3 is no longer available for flights from Timika.
Please click below to preview the trip notes for our Carstensz Expeditions 2013 online or download the
pdf file:
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