Field notes from the trail (with snack breaks)

A woman wearing a gray dress with a beige fanny pack that has a small monkey hanging onto her shoulder, standing on a forest path with other people in the background.

This isn’t a blog full of polished itineraries or influencer vibes.
These are real trail stories — the kind where I’m sweating up a hill, crossing rivers with wet socks, or camping solo and feeling everything all at once.

Some of these trips were magical. Some were tough. Most were both.
I share them because they remind me that slow, messy, meaningful adventure still matters — maybe even more than ticking off summits or chasing the perfect photo.

So if you’re into long trails, honest reflections, and learning the hard way (with snacks, always), then you’re in the right place.

*No, I didn’t get mugged by that monkey.

An illustration of a mountain ridge
Racing the Volcano: Summiting Gunung Rinjani in One Push
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Racing the Volcano: Summiting Gunung Rinjani in One Push

Mount Rinjani doesn’t hand out views easily — you earn them with sweat and patience.

At 3,726m, this sacred Indonesian volcano served up over 3,100m of climbing in just 36km of trail during the Rinjani100 Ultra. We started at midnight from Sembalun Village, headlamps dancing in the dark, winding through scree fields, volcanic ash, and brutal switchbacks. By 6:30am, I stood at the summit, the sun rising over Segara Anak lake and clouds rolling beneath my feet.

It was freezing. It was glorious. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.

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