Jan. 20, 2013 — On May 10-11, 2013, Azimuth Adventure Travel Ltd organized – in partnership with the Mount Merapi National Park and several local sponsors – the cleanup of the majestic Merapi volcano's trails. This natural site, an emblem of Yogyakarta, has indeed been suffering from pollution for several years, which hardly helps promote tourism in Indonésie. This is precisely why our agency decided to take action, in order to contribute to the protection and conservation of this natural environment, under the aegis of the ATR label (Act for Responsible Tourism).

On Friday, May 10, upon arriving in Selo, our team (composed of local guides, Azimuth Adventure Travel Ltd staff, Mr. Ruki Umaya – manager of Mount Merapi National Park, as well as several local volunteers) began cleanup at the first "New Selo" site (1,700m). For efficiency, we had two types of trash bags at our disposal: one for recyclable waste and another for debris destined for incineration. In just over an hour, we had already collected several dozen kilos of debris and miscellaneous waste! This site has indeed become the new starting point for ascending the volcano and it is therefore important that this place remains as clean and authentic as possible.

Later, we brought all the trash bags back to base camp and organized a briefing to plan the climb for the following night. Starting at 1 a.m., we headed toward the plateau known as "Pasar Bubar," situated at 2,500m altitude. After four hours of effort, we were rewarded with a magical sunrise, revealing a fluid sea of clouds, barely disturbed by the slopes of surrounding volcanoes that "pierce" through it. Invigorated by this sublime landscape, we then began cleanup at the foot of Merapi using the same procedures as the day before. Our action quickly attracted the attention of several hikers, who readily joined us during the descent. After six hours of walking in total, we brought our trash bags back to base camp, where non-recyclable waste was directly incinerated. The "recyclables" were collected by specialized centers.

It is therefore with great pride that Azimuth Adventure Travel Ltd carried out this Mount Merapi cleanup operation – a first-time initiative! – with the goal of "acting for responsible tourism" and protecting Indonésie's environment. Charlène — Nomadays SEO writer from the very beginning at Nomadays, now content manager and head of the communications division, Charlène has accompanied the adventure since its inception with passion and dedication. After living seven years in Asia – from China to Thailand, passing through Mongolia and South Korea – she has made travel a way of being in the world. A lover of words, nature, and human connection, she is committed to conveying in her writing a sensitive, engaged, and responsible vision of tourism. Each article is for her a bridge between curiosity, respect, and wonder.