'Eternal snow' disappears on Indonesia's highest mountain peak, mountaineers recount

This was expressed by Indonesian mountain climbers who were eyewitnesses to the increasing disappearance of snow which was once referred to as "eternal snow".

"I once saw photo documentation of the south side of the Carstensz peak ridge from the Bandung Technical Institute team in the 70s. It looked all white. When I climbed the mountain for the first time in 2005, there was no longer any snow on that part," said Fandi Ahmad, one of the mountain climbers from the University of Indonesia who shared his experience in the last week of November 2023.

The peak area of Carstensz Pyramid is indeed the main target area for climbers because that is the highest point in Indonesia. With a height of 4,884 meters above sea level, Carstensz Pyramid is even the highest point on the Australasian continent.

The Carstensz peak ridge, which is shaped like a swordfish's fin, is not an ideal cross-section for holding snow. However, the steep geographical shape has made the snow in the area look like it is hanging. However, it is believed that the hanging glacier is now completely extinct. At least that is what Ripto Mulyono believes.

The middle-aged man was a mountain climber in the 80s in Indonesia, who had climbed it many times. According to him, in the late 80s, the hanging glacier on the south side of the Carstensz peak ridge was still there. But when he climbed the mountain again in 2011, the hanging glacier was no longer there.

"Not only in Carstensz, the worst snow loss is at Jaya Peak and Soemantri Peak, which are in front of Carstensz Peak," said Ripto.

According to Ripto, who had climbed this area 37 times, every time he climbs, the snow continues to shrink. Especially in the saddle section that connects the Jaya and Soemantri peaks. It can be seen that the snow had separated in 2015.

This was also confirmed by data from the Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency. In their research published in 2019, a picture was attached where the saddle camp area between Jaya and Soemantri peaks showed that the snow had separated in 2015.

Reportedly, the area of snow ice cover in the Central Mountains of Papua has shrunk by 98%, namely from 19.3 square km in 1850 to only 0.34 square km in 2020.

The latest data from the Sentinel-2A satellite shows the unstoppable shrinking of Papua's ice cover. According to the data report, shrinkage of 0.27 square km occurred in July 2021 and 0.23 square km in April 2022.

In November 2015 to 2016, ice thinning was very significant, up to 5m. This is likely due to the very strong El Niño effect from 2015 to 2016. Meanwhile, in early 2021, aerial photos showed that the ice thickness had decreased by another 12.5 m since November 2016, or the equivalent of a thinning rate of around 2.5m per year.

However, not only the Jaya and Soemantri peak areas were affected, the loss of snow also affected the Northwall Firn area, which is west of the Jaya and Soemantri peaks. The flat area, which is a soft space for snow to lay down was full of snow when observed by the first Dutch expedition to the area. However, in recent years it has allegedly disappeared altogether.

"The last time I passed that area in 2017, there was no longer any snow. In 2010, I saw that there was snow like many large blocks separated," said Henricus Mutter, from the oldest mountain climbing organization in Indonesia, Wanadri.

In fact, according to Ripto's story, the snow on Northwall Firn was a very thick layer that he had to pass through on his first expedition to that area, in 1989. "The depth of the snow can reach an adult's chest," said Ripto, closing the conversation in a sad voice.