West Java Part Three

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Citatah 125.

For our final day of climbing in (on?) Java, we headed for another limestone crag called Citatah 125. Here we were to climb a semi-mountaineering route consisting of three sections: a nice opening chimney pitch (6a?) followed by some jungly scrambling with a boulder move in the middle of it (called Igloo) and finishing on some clean limestone to the top. We followed the incorrect (hard) line for that top section (called Laba-Laba Lurus) that featured a bouldering exit move that I found myself unable to pull. A meter below the summit ridge I was eventually forced to back down. And so we retraced our line (pretty easy to do) with a few rappels.

Dadan then drove us back to the Soekarno-Hatta airport where we caught a red eye flight to Sorong in the west of Papua. We very much enjoyed spending time with Dadan and Nazib and would love to go back to Indonesia to do more climbing with them. And apparently, based on our conversations with those guys, there are plenty more options to be had!

Photos

Another quality place arranged for us by Dadan. This one in Bandung (October 2025).

Waiting in our Bandung hotel to get picked up by Dadan in the morning. Last day of climbing followed by a return to Jakarta (October 2025).

Citatah 125. Photo by Dadan (October 2025).

Heading out to climb a multi-pitch route on Citatah 125 (October 2025).

Racking up for our multi-pitch line on Citatah 125. Photo by Dadan (October 2025).

Dadan and Shirley scrambling (via ferrata) to the start of the climbing route on Citatah 125 (October 2025).

This is part of the approach to the actual climbing. We roped up as things were wet and very slippery. Photo by Dadan (October 2025).

Belaying Shirley on the approach. Photo by Dadan (October 2025).

Shirley happy with the rope on the approach to the actual climbing. Photo by Dadan (October 2025).

More of Shirley on the approach scramble. Photo by Dadan (October 2025).

Shirley nearing the start of the climbing proper (October 2025).

In the bowels of Citatah 125, near the start of technical climbing (October 2025).

Shirley and I starting the real climbing. Photo by Dadan (October 2025).

Starting the chimney pitch on (in?) Citatah 125 formation. Photo by Dadan (October 2025).

In the chimney. Photo by Dadan (October 2025).

Shirley belaying me. Photo by Dadan (October 2025).

Chimney action. Photo by Dadan (October 2025).

Nearing the top. Photo by Dadan (October 2025).

Shilrey and some other climbers. Photo by Dadan (October 2025).

Shirley in the chimney. Photo by Dadan (October 2025).

Shirley in the chimney. Photo by Dada (October 2025).

Shirley in the chimney pitch (first pitch of technical climbing) on Citatah 125 formation (October 2025).

Shirley and the chimney. Photo by Dadan (October 2025).

Shirley in the chimney (October 2025).

More Shirley in the chimney. Photo by Dadan (October 2025).

Shriely nearing the top. Photo by Dadan (October 2025).

Nearing the top (October 2025).

Shirley arriving at the first belay (October 2025).

Views from the first belay (October 2025).

Shirley finishing up the jungly, class 4 pitch two (October 2025).

Starting pitch 3 of Citatah 125’s multi-pitch route. This is the boulder move called The Igloo (October 2025).

Shirley on pitch 3 on Citatah 125’s multi-pitch route. This pitch starts with an easy boulder move (called “The Igloo”) and finishes with some bushwhacking (October 2025).

Views of the villages and some loud industry at the base of Citatah 125 (October 2025).

Shirley nearing the base of the headwall pitch (end of our pitch 4; October 2025).

More views from the route (October 2025).

Shirley and I nearing the start of the final headwall of Citatah 125. Photo by Dadan (October 2025).

A closer looksee. Photo by Dadan (October 2025).

Arriving at the 4th belay (October 2025).

Shirley & I (October 2025).

At the belay. Photo by Dadan (October 2025).

A wider angle view of us at the belay station below the final headwall. Photo by Dadan (October 2025).

Accidentally trying the direct headwall finish (October 2025).

Leading the final pitch. Actually, this is a direct and hard variation and a screw up on my part. Photo by Dadan (October 2025).

Leading the direct finish (called Laba-Laba Lurus) on Citatah 125. Photo by Dadan (October 2025).

Steeper than it looked from below. Photo by Dadan (October 2025).

Steeper than it looks (October 2025).

Photo by Dadan (October 2025).

Exit boulder move that stumped me (October 2025).

Photo by Dadan. Click for full res. (October 2025).

Wider angle view of the exit move. Photo by Dadan (October 2025).

Steeper than it looks. Photo by Dadan (October 2025).

After failing on the exit boulder move, we came back down the route. Photo by Dadan (October 2025).

A climbing school taking place at the base of Citatah 125. Photo by Dadan (October 2025).

Do not step on plants. Photo by Dadan (October 2025).

Crag tigers. Photo by Dadan (October 2025).

Folks taking part in the climbing school. Photo by Dadan (October 2025).

Some houses near the base of Citatah 125. Photo by Dadan (October 2025).

A closer look. Photo by Dadan (October 2025).

Post-climb photo with some local folks after our climb (October 2025).

Back at the car. Getting ready to head back to Jakarta (October 2025).

A bird shop in the village of Padalarang as we drive towards lunch (October 2025).

Near the airport in Jakarta. Yum!

Sirsak (a.k.a. soursop) juice at Jakarta airport before our red-eye flight to Sorong (October 2025).

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