Iyot, the 111-peak conqueror

JAKARTA (ANTARA) – Mangihut Hasudungan, commonly known as Iyut, joined extracurricular activities for nature lovers when he graduated from high school in 2004.

At that time, when a senior brought an article about Willem Sigar Tasiam, who broke the mountain climbing record, Iyut was inspired by Willem’s achievement and dreamed of climbing 100 mountains like his idol.

Meanwhile, Iyot began following the development of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the Middle East at the age of 17. Iyot chose Palestine as the “locomotive” or symbol to fight for humanity by climbing 111 peaks. Palestine was considered worthy of being chosen as a symbol of extraordinary suffering because it has suffered more than 70 years of injustice and oppression at the hands of Israel. The conflict continues to this day.

Anxiety about the conflict made Iyot feel called and compelled to act, two driving factors behind his two-year expedition to conquer 111 peaks.

Famous Palestinian Christian pastor Naim Stefan Ateek and Palestinian Christian fighter George Habash are Iyut’s idols.

Born into a Christian family, Iyot used the achievements of Naim Stefan Atik and George Habash as his main models for viewing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and Iyot also read his idol’s book “Miliq Siappa in Palestine”.

Besides climbing, Iyut is active in LPBH FAS (Lembaga Awareness and Legal Aid Forum Adil Sejahtera) and is listed as a volunteer for the Charity in Unity community and serves as the chairman of the inter-agency section of FGSBM (Federation of Joint Trade Unions Independent).

The climb begins

Iyut began his expedition by climbing Mount Rant 1 in East Java on August 14, 2021. Initially, he planned to start his two-year expedition to climb 111 peaks at the age of 30, but his dream came true in 2021 when he was 34.

Initially, he had a heavy feeling that he could not complete the expedition and even felt like giving up on the 70th or 80th climb, but in the end, Iyut bravely fulfilled his dream on the 100th climb.

The man who was born in Bogor on February 23, 1987, faced many pros and cons during his climb, especially opposition from his mother, a church activist. By pouring out his heart to his mother, Iyot said that he wanted his parents to be proud of him and that his dream was not just to climb, but to turn it into a charity (amal jariyah) through a book.

“I want to do real work,” Iyot told his mother at the time. Eventually, his mother relented and realized what her son was passionate about.

During the expedition, Iyut spent 310 million rupiah of his own money, which was his severance pay after he resigned three years ago, money from the Workers’ Social Security Program (BPJSTK), and his savings from 13 years as a laborer in Cikarang.

Iyut rode a motorcycle for about 80 percent of the climb, and flew for the remaining 20 percent because some areas required it.

During his two-year climb, Iyut experienced several incidents that required him to return home, such as a knee injury and a pinched nerve, his sister giving birth, and being called to volunteer elsewhere. Iyut follows the principle that his actions are for humanity and he will stop doing it or return home for humanitarian reasons.

Iyot was not satisfied with his climbing plan because the three-year La Nina phenomenon caused him to fail to complete 90% of the six levels he originally planned to climb.

He forgot to take this into account, which resulted in almost 80% of his climbs being done on rainy days, even though the climbs were started in the usually dry month of August.

There were several memorable experiences during the climb, such as the two times he spotted the bear cuscus in the forest, as this animal is endemic to Sulawesi and is almost extinct.

Once, he called his mother 20 minutes before reaching the summit of Levotoloc volcano in Lembata. At the time, after hearing the sound of an eruption, Iyot was unsure if he would survive. “I called my mother even before reaching the summit,” he said.

It is also very impressive to see a herd of horses on the top of the Bolon volcano on the island of Adonara, as it is impossible to see such a sight on any other volcano in the world.

Iyut also experienced defamation charges for his involvement in the BTS corruption case. At the time, there was no signal during the seven days of the climb, and as he descended the mountain, his phone was flooded with hundreds of messages from WhatsApp and Twitter. Many questions were raised about the news. However, Iyut remained focused on completing his dream expedition.

Each mountain has its own story and struggle. For example, the highest mountain in the Satarmez region in the south of Mangarai West, Flores Island, Kurunumben/Sulunumben/Mbulek/Rongkong/Desu. There is a unique story behind the name of the mountain.

National Geographic and residents of Surunumbeng village call it Surunumbeng Mountain, while residents of Bumbek village, which provides access to the mountain, believe its name is Poco Rongkong because that is the name they inherited from their ancestors.

On the other hand, Daniel Quinn, a climber from Britain and the Indonesian record holder for climbing more than 170 peaks, said Mount Pokodesu is not the highest peak and he prefers the two names: Curunumbeng and Mblek.

Meanwhile, the government, through Bakosurtanal, named it Poco Desu, and the Bakosurtanal version of Poco Rongkong is the mountain next to Poco Desu. In Mblek village, people call it Mblek Mountain. However, Iyut prefers to use the name Poco Rongkong to honor the Bumbek villagers who brought him to the top of the mountain.

There, Iyot spent 23 days looking for relevant information. He visited four villages and three hamlets, and on the 24th day he was able to climb. As far as is known, no one has climbed the highest peak of this mountain in 50 years.

Iyot was very persistent and determined to climb this peak because it was the only peak Daniel Quinn had failed to climb in his list of 170 peaks in Indonesia. In 2013, he was only 300 meters away from the summit.

For Iyot, climbing a mountain that not even the “god” Daniel Quinn could climb, and that Willem Sigar Tasiam had never climbed, was a rare achievement.

Climbing Mount Amagro in the Nagkaio district of Flores Island is also a struggle as only three groups/individuals outside the local community have reached the summit.

In 1990, a German citizen reached the summit, and in 2000, four climbers from South Sulawesi built a monument on the mountain during a two-week expedition. Iyut is one of those who reached the summit in 2022.

Next was Mount Bukit Raya in Central Kalimantan. It was the first time Iyut had a nosebleed while climbing because he had a fever and couldn’t sleep for 40 hours because of leeches. For Iyut, removing hundreds of leeches for five days and four nights was the most “bloody” climb.

On August 10, 2023, Iyut completed a two-year journey to climb 111 peaks at Mount Rante Kambora in South Sulawesi.

Meanwhile, Mount Lante Mario (3,443 m) in South Sulawesi is the highest peak in Sulawesi and the end point of each of William’s expeditions. Both mountains are located in Enrekang, South Sulawesi, and belong to the Latimojong mountain range.

“Because my idol, mountaineer William Sigal Tasiyam, always ended his extraordinary expeditions in South Sulawesi. So, this is to honor my idol,” he said.

The next dream

Through this expedition, Iyut hopes to share with young people that mountaineering needs to be accompanied by speaking out and calling for humanitarian action on any issue people are passionate about. Iyut never planned to bring his family along on a mountaineering expedition because it was too dangerous.

This expedition to conquer 111 peaks is the first of a four-part expedition that Iyut has been planning for decades. The second part of the expedition, which aims to conquer 222 peaks in 2025, 333 peaks in 2027, and culminate with the conquest of one thousand peaks, is also Iyut’s dream for the future.

“Parts 1 to 3 of the Tetralogy were written for Palestine, and the rest are global. Palestine is like a locomotive,” he said.

On the rest of his trip, Iyut will hire local residents as witnesses to accompany him on his climbs, and he will still pay for the expedition out of his own pocket, as it seems impossible to find sponsors. Iyut doesn’t know yet when his expedition book will be finished.

“But if it’s ‘trance’, well, it should be within two years,” he said humorously.

List of peaks

Iyut embarked on a two-year climbing expedition, scaling 111 peaks on Rante 1 and Rante 2 in East Java, Agung, Batur, Abang, Porn, Secret, Tapak, Bang, Pilyan, Katul, Arden, Lesung, Sanghayang in Bali, Ijen in East Java, Batukaru in Bali and Lompo Batan in South Sulawesi.

Iyut then went on to climb Mount Gamalama and Mount Maitara in North Maluku, as well as Mount Sindoro, Bismo, Prau, Pakuwaja, Sumbing, Mount Kembang in Central Java, and Mount Dedeng, Mbeililing, Rongkong, Inerie, Kelimutu, Meja, Iya, Ebulobo, Amagelu, Pajung, Egon, Lewotobi Perempuan and Lewotobi Laki-laki in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).

The next climb is South Sulawesi, where there are Bawakaraeng, Bulusaraung, Bulu Baria, Rante Mario, Bubundirangkang, Nenemori, Buntu Batu, Kapurapanggan, Tillok, Tinabang, Pantelloan, Pongkapinjan, Sesean and Kandora. The journey continues to Mount Gede, Mount Panlango, Mount Salak, Mount Patuha and Mount Sangkabuana in West Java and Mount Karang in Banten.

Iyut has yet to visit Mount Tanggamus, Pesagi, Mount Seminung in Lampung and Mount Bedil, Haruman, Wayang, Windu, Harendong, Cisangkuy, Datar Tulang, Paseban in West Java and Mount Batok, Widodaren, Watangan, Kursi and Bromo in East Java.

Mount Ungaran, Mount Andong, Mount Lawu, Mount Merbabu and Mount Slamet in Central Java are also on the list, followed by Mount Ciremai, Mount Papandayan, Mount Cikuray, Mount Sagara, Mount Guntur, Mount Kendang, Mount Malabar and Mount Kaba and Mount Daun in Bengkulu.

To fulfill his dream, Iyut also climbed Mount Sibayak and Mount Pusuk Buhit in North Sumatra, and later climbed Mount Gumuruh in West Java and Mount Boleng, Mount Lewotolok, Mount Uyelewun, Mount Werung, Mount Mauraja, Mount Labalekang, Mount Sirung and Mount Koya-koya (NTT) in East Nusa Tenggara.

Mount Plosari in Banten, Sanggar in West Java, Muria in Central Java, Penanggungan in East Java, Bukit Raya in Central Kalimantan, Bukit Kelam and Mount Arjuna in West Kalimantan, Kembar 2, Kembar 1, Welirang and Buthak in East Java, and Mount Rantekambola in South Sulawesi ended Iyut’s journey.

There are a total of 50 peaks on Java Island, and the remaining 61 are located outside Java. Iyut had visited peaks in other provinces such as West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) and Papua, but unfortunately, his mission failed due to several factors such as armed groups in Papua and the storm factor in Mount Rinjani.

Translated by: Asri Majan Sari
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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