Carstensz Pyramid Frequently Asked Questions
This information should answer many of your initial questions and also guide you through the next stages of preparing for the expedition. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us: office@mountainguides.com
How do I get there?
Climbers will travel from their home country to Denpasar (Bali). We will schedule the team to depart Denpasar on the daily domestic (Garuda Air) flight to our jump off city in Papua, where the helicopter will be staged from. The jump off city is currently planned to be Timika (but on some past trips we have also flown via Enarotoli). We have added several contingency days to the itinerary in case of delays. If you get done early, Bali has gorgeous beaches!
International Mountain Guides has worked for many years with the staff at CTT Destinations to provide professional travel service for participants in our programs. For help with your plans, we urge you to contact Pirjo DeHart at CTT Destinations: 425-831-0367 or pirjo.dehart@cttdestinations.com
What kind of insurance do I need?
IMG requires that all participants on International programs purchase Travel Insurance that includes coverage for medical evacuation, repatriation and medical expenses for the duration of their IMG program. We strongly recommend that you add Trip Cancellation coverage to your policy to cover cancellation (before trip starts) or interruption (after trip starts). For more information, please see our page on Trip Cancellation and Travel Insurance.
If you need assistance with the various insurance options, give Becky Kjorvestad a call in the IMG Office (360-569-2609) or email becky.kjorvestad@mountainguides.com
Note on end dates: Please extend your insurance policy to cover your trip until you return to your home country.
What's included in the trip cost?
Cost Includes:
- Guides (IMG senior guide(s) along with our IMG Indonesian guides)
- Cooks
- Porters
- Group equipment
- Domestic flights from Bali to/from jump off city
- Helicopter to/from Carstensz
- Ground transfers in jump off city
- All climbing permits
- All food while climbing (climbers should bring some extra snack food)
- Accommodation on program is based on double occupancy and includes two nights of hotel in Papua before the climb begins and all accommodations during the climb.
Cost Does Not Include:
- International airfare to/from Denpasar (Bali) Indonesia
- Indonesian visa on arrival (now free for many countries, including USA)
- Taxis
- Food and lodging, should you arrive early or if delays require more than two hotel nights in jump off city before the climb begins
- All expenses after returning to the jump off point by helicopter
- Alcoholic beverages during the trip
- Personal shopping, snacks, sat phone use
- Emergency medical/evacuation
- Required Travel Insurance
- Tip pool ($400 USD) for the local staff (drivers, porters, cooks, etc.)
- If the helicopter is unable to make it to Nasidome or Yellow Valley due to bad weather en route and is forced to return to Timika, there will be an extra charge for the additional flying time.
- If you would like to provide some additional tip money to your IMG guide, this is up to you!
What immunizations will I need?
No immunizations are currently required. It is recommended that you consider the following:
- Tetanus-Diphtheria: You should already have. Do you need a booster?
- Polio: You should already have. Do you need a booster?
- MMR: You should already have. Do you need a booster?
- Meningitis: Recommended. Consult your physician.
- Hepatitis A: Recommended. Consult your physician.
- Hepatitis B: Not a bad idea. Ask your physician.
- Cholera: Ask your physician. Not usually recommended or available any more.
- Typhoid: Not a bad idea to be safe. The tablet form, Vivotif Berna, is good for five years.
- Rabies: The new vaccine is easy.
- Japanese Encephalitis: Recommended. Consult your physician.
- Yellow Fever: Consult your physician.
- Malaria: We recommend Malarone, once a day. Start two days before exposure and go one week after the trip.
Please consult your physician or local health department for their recommendations.
You should also ask your physician for a prescription for a course of the antibiotic azithromycin ("Z-Pak"). Please consider this to be part of your required equipment.
We recommend that you visit the travel clinic at a major University Hospital or your local Public Health Department for the most up to date info on travel requirements, or check the Center for Disease Control Website at www.cdc.gov.