Memories with friends at the seven mountain lakes

Writtenbyme - Gunung Tujuh 

In 2017, my friends and I gathered the courage to hike to Lake Gunung Tujuh, the highest mountain lake in Southeast Asia, situated at 1,950 meters above sea level.  

Initially, there were six of us, but on the way to **Pelompek**, we met a friend named **Rahul**. He was helping his father in their field when he called out to us. We stopped briefly to chat and invited him to join our hike. His father, who was nearby, also encouraged him to go with us. After agreeing, we accompanied Rahul to his house to pick up his hiking gear. Once ready, we set off on foot. The journey was quite long, but it felt effortless as we laughed and joked along the way.  

During the hike, we encountered many other climbers—some returning, others just starting. We briefly befriended a group of hikers heading to the same destination and walked with them. After a short rest, where we exchanged names, addresses, and school details, we continued our trek. After hours of hiking, we finally reached the summit. We rested again, took photos, and hurriedly began descending as dusk approached.  

At the base, we had to cross a lake using a narrow wooden plank with a thin rope for support. When it was my turn, the slippery wood and bad weather caused me to fall into the lake. Thankfully, I managed to climb back up and cross safely. On the other side, we met another group of hikers who had already set up their tents. My friends then pitched ours.  

After resting, some kind hikers from Jakarta shared food with us—sausages, nuggets, and more. We ate and rested for the night.  

The next morning, I woke up to see one of the Jakarta hikers (whose name I forgot) photographing the sunrise. I joined him to admire the view but forgot to capture it myself (though the memory remains vivid). The beauty of Gunung Tujuh was indescribable, and this trip became one of the best experiences of my life.  

We later played in the lake’s icy, refreshing water and drank from its natural spring. After cooking breakfast and packing up, we prepared to leave, having stayed only one night. Before departing, we took group photos with the Jakarta hikers (*if you’re reading this, please reach out to us!*).  

We said goodbye and began our descent. The journey down felt endless, and we only paused briefly to eat when hunger struck. Finally reaching the base, we rested at Rahul’s house before heading home by public minivan.  

**For you**: Thank you to the kind strangers from Jakarta who shared their food. We’d love to meet you again someday.  

- Thankyou guys❤️

Meri,lilim,sonia,indah,erwin,teguh,rahul.