Puncak Trikora, Mountain summit in Papua, Indonesia
Puncak Trikora is a summit in the Sudirman Range, part of the Maoke Mountains in the Indonesian province of Papua, reaching around 4,750 meters above sea level. The peak is defined by steep limestone cliffs and exposed ridges that make the terrain considerably harder than other mountains at a similar elevation.
The first recorded ascent took place in 1913 as part of the Third South New Guinea Expedition, led by Alphons Franssen Herderschee. That expedition was part of a broader Dutch effort to explore the high mountain zones of western New Guinea, which were largely unknown to the outside world at the time.
The Dani people who live near Lake Habbema call this peak Ettiakup, a name that reflects how deeply the mountain is woven into their daily surroundings. For them, it is not a distant goal to conquer but a familiar part of the land they have known for generations.
Getting to the summit requires a multi-day trek to Semalak Cave, used as a base camp, followed by a long climbing day over rocky and technical ground. Visitors should be ready for rapidly changing weather and cold nights, as conditions at this altitude can shift without warning.
In the early 1900s, the summit was still covered by an ice cap, which disappeared entirely between 1936 and 1962. This makes Puncak Trikora one of the few places in the world where the retreat of glacial ice at this scale has been documented with such precision.
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