Crossing West-Java at its highest point

Crossing West Java from N to S in 4 days by MTB; net cycle time = 21h 40min for 149km.
The 1st day –61.8km, 5h37min- from BSD (Serpong, 45m asl) the trail follows secondary asphalt roads with only a few holes and heavy to moderate traffic (start Sunday morning!), then it continuous on a narrow asphalt road moderately steep to Tanjungsari (640m).
The 2nd day –28.2km, 6hrs10min- the road becomes smaller as you ascend and after the tea plantation of Cianten (955m) it first becomes gravel and then turns into a stone road till Cipeuteuy (853m). From there the trail proceeds the first 2km on an asphalt road, however, the following 15km (2h!) to Citalahab (1100m) “run” on a very bumpy stone road.
The 3rd day –29.6km, 9h40min- an extremely rough track though jungle, up to 1400m asl, to Ciptagelar (Kasepuhan), a semi-autonomous princedom based on old traditions (adat)! After back-tracking to the crossing of Cipeuteuy you follow the asphalt road down to the river and up to Pameungpeuk (864m), from there it is a one lane dirt track, often deeply carved into the red, slippery clay, up&down, first through hortic.&paddy, then through beautiful mountain forest to a crossing (1219m); most of the time you will either push your bike or cling to it to avoid slipping. Finally the path becomes a broad but very bumpy stone road that continuous 1.6km down to Ciptagelar (1168m); these demanding 12.6km were beyond belief and took us 7h, not counting breaks!
The 4th day- 28.8km, 4h58min- you cycle mostly on very steep stone roads: backtrack uphill to the crossing and then downhill, (but very slow!) &often up again, till Ciptarasa (734m), down to 605m asl and again climbing on a better road via Pangguyanggan till 790m asl & then have a fast downgrade on asphalt to Pelabuhan Ratu at the South Sea.

Bring:
- MTB with good (front) suspension
- shoes with VERY good grip
- Sundanese language (Bahasa Sunda), at least some words, like “punten” to apologise
- some information about Kasepuhan society
- Ikat for man & Sarong for women (needed at the palace of Ciptagelar), can be bought there
- bottled water (min. 3L) and some high energy snacks for the 3rd day
(no food stalls between Pameungpeuk and Ciptagelar)
- soluble isotonic drinks (>1L/day&person)
- oil for the chain, spare (inner) tubes & basic tools,
- umbrella

Take back:
- All your garbage/trash
- Only memories, photos and souvenirs of Kasepuhan & Baduy people

In detail:
1st day. We started 6 am Sunday February 28th (rainy season) from Taman Kota in BSD (Serpong, Banten) at 45 m asl. The trail runs on secondary roads towards Parung via Puspitek, Pabuaran (trad. Sundanese house on the parallel road, 88m asl) to the hot springs of Ciseeng (Bogor, km20; 114m). At the next intersection (Alfa market, S6.44157 E106.69523; 121m) turn R (sign: Rumpin) and after 4.9km turn R again. The scenery becomes ruralised and the river Ci Sadane, which cut 40m deep into the surface, is crossed by a bridge (78m); after the first steep down&up you eventually reach the village of Gunung Nyungcung (S6.45765 E106.64651; km29; 117m) in Kec. Rumpin. Its landmark is a strange looking hill (one of the numerous stone quarries, therefore creating heavy truck traffic, fortunately heading north, e.g. to Sukasari). The impact of the megapolis of JaBoTaBek lessens gradually as you proceed. Between Ciguah and Cibodas you cross the small feeder river of Ci Tempuhan (km32.5; 110m) then you reach Gobang (Bogor, km36; 135m) where several trails either start or end (e.g. Ci Pinang, Batu Tulis of Ciaruteun). Then you climb quite steep (14%) through rubber plantations to the top (230m; to the R is a nice forest with old “African trees” planted by Puspitek where the trail “Karehkel off-road” ends) and then downgrade again to cross Ci Kaniki (km40.8; 166m) and reach Karehkel (km41.5; 200m) after a short steep ascend (12%). The river Ci Anten lies to the L as the road continues moderately steep (~8%) to the busy market town of Leuwiliang (km45.7; 223m), >220,000 inhabitants. When you reach the busy intersection with the main road from Rankasbiatung to Bogor turn L and after 480m turn R (sign: Barengkog/Cianten, S6.57535 E106.63494; km46.1).
Now you heading N again on a small asphalt road, slightly uphill (2%) via Barengkok (km47.8; 261m) - where we had lunch -, crossing Ci Teureup (km50.2; 288m) the road gets increasingly steeper (~3%) further along Ci Anten via Lebakkaum (330m asl) to Hegarmanah (Karacak, km53.3; 386m). The road turns SW (km 53.9) and follows the feeder river Ci Puraseda, that runs deep below on the L, till the comparably busy village of Gudang where you turn SE to the bridge that crosses Ci Puraseda (km56.7; 455m). After ca. 500m the roads turns R (S) and climbs the ridge (km57.5; 490m), the first 1.7km moderately (6.5%) and than slightly uphill (1.5%) till the beautiful village of Tanjungsari (S6.68997 E106.61736; km61.8; 640m), about 100m above Ci Puraseda. Here we were kindly invited by the owner of a warung to eat with him and stay the night in his house; in return he accepted a gift.

2nd day. After a hot breakfast we stated at 7am. Ci Puraseda to the R (W) the road runs moderately uphill. After 650 m you reach the limits of the village (S6.68455 E106.61871; km62,4; 678m) and the road turns L. You constantly gain height when you steeply (11-12%) ascend the ridge that lies between Ci Manggu (creek) & Ci Puraseda (river). In a sharp turn L at the edge of the tea Cianten plantation you reach the warung of Nusantara VIII (S6.70240 E106.61150; km65.5; 955m); only 600m further uphill (12%) through the tea plantation you reach the pass at 990m asl. The trail then is rolling up&down through tea, passing a school and the storage house of Cianten tea estate (km68.4; 955m) and reaching its lowest point (at km69.1; 914m). Then it ascends moderately (3-4%) for 3km, at passing the settlement of Cigarehong (km71.3; 993m) and eventually for 600m a steep climb (18%) through secondary forest (Mt. Halimun-Salak NP, TNGHS) leads to the pass at 1088m asl; 200m before, on the R side, is a nice spot for a rest (km72.8; 1078m). After the pass, as we leave Kab. (=regency) Bogor & enter Kab. Sukabumi, the road deteriorates; the steep downgrade (15-16%) on loose gravel leads to the valley (km75.9; 807m) of Cisarua. The road crosses a creek and after a short steep climb (14%) we reach the comparable busy village of Cipeuteuy (km76.3; 853m); here you may stock up your supplies. Turn R (NW), after 100m you come to a crossing (sign: Stasion Penelitian Cikaniki 15km, S6.77281 E106.60175): turn R, the trail uphill that leads through TNGHS via Cikaniki to Citalahab; at first a short part on stone then on dirt road which becomes a smooth asphalt road (km77.5; 857m), that downgrades for ca. 1 km till the bumpy stone road begins (km78.4; 792m). The trail runs along feeder creeks of Ci Tarik, crosses several bridges, e.g. one before Nanggung (km80.4; 834m), passes two more settlements before you reach the forest. After rain deep puddles occur in the flat parts. The road surface and the constant ascend (5-12%) slowed down our cycling speed considerably and sometimes we had to push our bikes, passing the Gate of TNGHS (km83.1; 982m), then further uphill to the pass (km85.8 1131m) and eventually after exhausting 13km we reached Cikaniki Research Station (km88; 1045m); the village of Citalahab Sentral is 2km further and, +/- levveled on a bumpy stone road. At the sign (S6.73939 E106.53317; 1130m) turn L, 250m downhill is the nice home stay (km90; 1100m) of Pak Suryana (HP: +62-85716818469); guided tours available.

3rd day. Average speed ~3km/h says everything! We started 7am and back-tracked [grey monkeys (Surili or Gibon), vic. Cikaniki] to Cipeuteuy crossing (km 103.2): to the R an asphalt road downgrades to the valley and crosses Ci Tarik (Leule bridge, km104; 734m) & up again, 2 times R (W) to Pameungpeuk (km 105.5; 864m), then on a 1-lane earthy path through horticulture&paddy to the forest edge (S6.78574 E106.56253; km108.7; 1047m). By MTB-bike the track inside the forest is VERY slippery&difficult to ride [due to Cross Motorbikes ;-(], so we mostly (~80%) pushed our bikes up the groove (narrow furrows, <70cm deep) or used both feet to stabilise for hellish downhill rides in bump “creeks”: You pass a camp spot (km109; S6.78753 E106.56049; 1103m) and a group of tree ferns (km110.5; S6.79348 E106.54951; 1160m) before you reach the first tricky bridge (km111, S6.79399 E106.54715; 1122m), a rest spot (km112.4; S6.79845 E106.53766; 1257m), the 2nd tricky bridge (km113.4; S6.79687 E106.53047; 1175m); from here the trail steeply ascends, passing camp3 (km114.4; 3:30PM; S6.79298 E106.52027; 1314m), a pass (km115.6; S6.79515 E106.51515; 1388m), down to 1359m &up again till the final pass we reached at 6PM (km116,9; S6.80514 E106.51451; 1396m): dark, heavy rain & a hellish downgrade in rushing creeks with deep holes….we finally reached the stone road at (S6.80701 E106.50667; 1241m); close by is Saung Emak (ancestors’ worship, do not enter!). From here levelled to the crossing (km118.9; S6.80751 E106.50044; 1219m) and a bumpy ride down to Ciptagelar (km119.6; S6.80283 E106.49816; 1168m) where we were kindly received by Aba (Kepala Adat or Rajah) at his palace; in return he accepted a gift.

4th day. From there, backtracking to the crossing, further up (1231m), then the trail (many huts for shelter) leads on a very steep (~22% decline), slippery&bumpy stone road, down to Cibareno valley (km121.6, 1041m), crossing 2 bridges; then ascend very steeply (15%) to a pass (km123.2; 1208m), down (990m)&up again (km125.4; 1036m), then a very steep descent (20%) to Ciptarasa (Kasepuhan, km127; 734m). On better roads down hill, L before Kirakoneng, crossing Ci Maja (km129, 605m), one final strong ascend, passing Panguyanggan (km130.3; 720m) till 790m asl, and eventually leads downhill on a good road to Pelabuhan Ratu at the South sea.