Carstensz Pyramid – Puncak Jaya

By Ema Dantas

“In 1962, he was the leader of the team of four climbers who made the first ascent of the Puncak Jaya (Carstensz Pyramid) (4,884 m, 16,024 ft) in Papua Indonesia, the highest peak in Oceania.” *

It is believed that after his many adventures, that he said these words in Papua. “„On Aigera I wanted to test my skills, in Himalayas I got to know loneliness, in Tibet unusual people. On the New Guinea Island I found everything altogether.“ 

Skills, loneliness and meeting unusual people – to me it simple sounds like three important ingredients for a wonderful adventure.

I have been reading and watching YouTube video experiences from others whom have climbed the Carstensz Pyramid. Some accounts make me laugh, some make me anxious to get there and some scare me a bit – especially those that say it is harder than Everest.

Carstensz will be my first official summit climb. I am training for the ‘skill’ aspect. The ‘loneliness’ part, I will keep in mind all the people that I am doing this with, even if they are not physically present. I am climbing with colleagues and with friends, my family will be in my mind and heart, my friends at home in my thoughts and my motivation will not falter because of those we can help by raising awareness to help #endstigma about Mental Health. Therefore by meeting “unusual people”,  this will allow me, I believe to fit right in…. 🙂

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_Harrer