Gunung Patuha is just over 40km from Bandung city, near Sugih village
in the district of Pasir Jambu. It is the highest peak in the large
highland area between the Gede-Pangrango
massif and the mountains of Garut. The word ‘patuha’ apparently comes
from the words “Pak Tua” (old man). It’s actually a twin volcano – with
two summit craters of very different character. The forest-covered north
crater is the highest of the two and has been dormant for many
centuries. The south crater, known as Kawah Putih (white crater), is a
leading local tourist attraction. It is very popular with visitors at
weekends and was first written about by Dr. Franz Wihelm Junghuhn
(1809-1864), a Dutch botanist from Germany. He found that the high
density of sulphur was making birds reluctant to fly over the crater.
Locals still regard the area as haunted and the atmosphere is definitely
one of eerie calm. During the 20th century, the Dutch built a sulfur
mine which was later controlled by the Japanese military. Sulphur mine
tunnels and the remanants of old buildings still exist to this day.
There are also several ancient graves in the area. The car park is at an
elevation of 2,200m so it’s a very easy climb to the top – there and
back in less than two hours!
From Bandung, there are plenty of angkots serving the main road
south-west to Soreang and Ciwidey and it is an easy day-trip from
Bandung. However, you will have to change vehicle at least once so it is
much better to avoid the waiting around and hire a taxi/private car. It
takes approximately 90 minutes from the centre of Bandung to the top of
the road at Kawah Putih. Beyond Ciwidey, the road is lined with
strawberry fields, plants for sale and related produce. From this point,
Kawah Putih is well signposted and it is very hard to miss the entrance
gates. Since 1987 Kawah Putih has been an official tourist site and has
an information centre and cafe. Entrance tickets are a very reasonable
Rp. 12,000 and it is open from 7am until 5pm. Beyond the entrance gates,
the road climbs up over 5km through delightful eucalyptus plantation to
the crater car park. There are several places worth stopping at briefly
to admire the view of other forested peaks in the distance.
When you reach the top of the road, there is a large area for
vehicles and small warungs (shops), and some excellent places for having
a picnic. Kawah Putih itself is very impressive – a misty turquoise
crater lake surrounded by white rocks and sand. There is a smell of
sulphur but it is not overpowering. To reach the summit of Gunung
Patuha, leave the car park at the stone tree trunk and continue up
through the forest on a well-defined path to the right of Kawah Putih.
The trail is very clear although not many Kawah Putih visitors hike this
way. After less than 30 minutes of ascent through the forest the edge
of the old forested crater is reached. There is a flat area occasionally
used for camping. From this point you can look down over the edge to
the swampy, dormant northern crater floor. Apparently there were
eruptions here several hundred years ago. From the camping spot, follow
the less well-defined path leading left (west) through the forest along
the edge of the crater. The trail ascends and descends and ascends again
before you reach another flat, open area suitable for camping. This is
the true summit and there is a small collection of rocks which could
well be a grave of some sort. Sadly, views are very limited due to the
density of the forest. According to local people, this summit area was
used in the past as a meeting place of the ancestors of South Bandung
and it is certainly a great place for quiet contemplation.
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