Ijen Blue Fire
Since National Geographic mentions that Ijen Blue Fire comes from burning sulfur gas that contacts with air at temperatures above 360 degrees Celsius, the number of local and foreign climbers is increasing every year.The temperature around Blue Fire itself can reach 600 ° C. And the flames of Blue Fire can reach a height of 5 meters. The phenomenon of Blue Fire / Blue Flames is very rare. In the world this phenomenon occurs only in two places, in Iceland and Ijen Crater, Indonesia.
It is located on mount Ijen, East Java Indonesia. Mount Ijen is on the border between Bnyuangi and Bondowoso Regencies. It is said that Ijen has potential source of a power plant. It takes approximately 6 -7 hours driving from Surabaya or Malang and needs 2 hours climbing to reach peak of mount Ijen with an altitude of 2.443 meters above sea level, and climbers or trekkers should go down to the crater for 45 minutes to watch ‘Blue fire / Blue flame‘.
However, the beauty of this blueflame also keeps the danger. Emerging sulfur gas can interfere with respiratory health, so you should take a mask to explore it. It is this danger that strikes the sulfur miners. Until now the sulfur ore is still mined traditionally. Mining workers can usually carry more than 100 kg a day. They load it with a bamboo basket and took it to the waiting collector.
In addition, this crater is the highest level of acid lakes in the world, with a high level of acidity that is close to zero, it can dissolve the human body instantly. It is located in the middle of the largest caldera on Java island. The size of the caldera is about 20 kilometers. The size of the crater itself is about 960 meters x 600 meters with a depth of 200 meters. This crater is located at a depth of more than 300 meters below the caldera wall.
Route to Ijen Blue Fire
To reach Ijen crater, first you have to come to Paltuding post area, one hour driving from Banyuwangi, and then continue by trekking. On the peak you can see Milky Way in dry season or sunny weather and watch sunrise. Beside that an activity of traditional sulhuric miners also becomes tourists attraction there.
This greenish crater lake becomes tourists attractions to visit Mount Ijen. Tourists either local or abroad usually climb in midnight to the crater in order to watch bluefire as It could be seen only in the dark or night, so that It is better to come to Paltuding post (initial trekking point) at 01.00 a.m, then hike towards crater.
Mt Bromo tour package from Surabaya, Bali, Malang, Banyuwangi, Yogyakarta :
Mt Ijen Crater Tour Package 2 Days
Mt. Bromo Camping Tour 2 Days
Mt Bromo Madakaripura Waterfall Tour 2 Days
Madakaripura Waterfall, Mt. Bromo Ijen Tour 3 Days
Mount Bromo and Semeru Trekking Tour 4 Days
Ijen Crater Tour Package, Mt Bromo Trekking 3 Days
Mount Bromo Tour, Kumbolo Lake Camping 3 Days
Mt. Semeru Summit Trekking Tour 3 Days
Mt. Semeru Volcano Trekking Tour 4 Days
Semeru Volcano and Mt. Bromo Tour 5 Days
Mount Bromo b29 Camping Tour 3 Days
Mt Bromo Ijen Sukamade Turtle Beach 4 Days
Mt Bromo Milky Way Camping, Ijen Crater Tour 3 Days
Mount Semeru Trekking Bromo Ijen Tour 5 Days
Information :
Before you go to Ijen Blue fire, make preparation and acomodation included gloves, headcover, coat or raincoat, jacket, madicine, and other equipments which is needed. You should be aware that the weather on the crater is very cold and there are smokes of sulphur issued around blue fire or blue flame which smell sting.
This little information might be useful for you as reference for your vacation. There are still many mountains in East Java you need to visit such as Mount Bromo, Mount Semeru, Mount Raung and Mount Argopuro.