The spirit of exploratory adventure is being demonstrated by Mochamad Aqil Fajar Asyabani, a member of the Universitas Indonesia Nature Lovers Student Association (Mapala UI). The 25-year-old officially began his expedition mission titled "Menapak Bumi: Bike-Hiking Jawa-Bali-Lombok," departing from the Mapala UI Secretariat in Depok on Sunday (5/7/2026).
In the mission planned to last for 54 days, Aqil will undertake a challenging solo journey of 1,634 kilometers. Uniquely, all travel between mountains will be done by cycling, before he continues on foot to conquer 13 mountains with elevations above 3,000 meters above sea level (masl).
The graduate of Philosophy from the Faculty of Humanities (FIB) UI explained that the bike-hiking concept he adopted was inspired by global ultra-endurance athlete Kilian Jornet. Grounded in the principle of human power, Aqil is committed to exploring Indonesia independently, from crossing national highways to rural paths, while leaving his bicycle at basecamps before embarking on climbs to the mountain peaks.
The list of mountains targeted for Aqil's exploration includes Mount Pangrango, Ciremai, Slamet, Sindoro, Sumbing, Merbabu, Lawu, Arjuno, Welirang, Argopuro, Raung, Agung, and Rinjani. The entire climbing process is planned to be carried out in collaboration with local Mapala communities in each region visited.
The Chairman of Mapala UI, Salman Muzhaffar Hanif, highly appreciated the individual initiative, which is seen as reflecting the organization's identity. According to him, this expedition is not just a physical achievement, but a profound effort to understand Indonesia's nature, culture, and social dynamics firsthand from an explorer's perspective.
Before embarking on this cross-island expedition, Aqil already had extensive experience exploring forests in Kalimantan and Bengkulu, as well as long-distance cycling experience, such as the Yogyakarta–Jakarta route. The public can track Aqil's journey in real-time through his personal Instagram account @aqil.fjr over the next 54 days until his target arrival in Lombok in September 2026.
