Jaya Wijaya peak or also known as Cartstensz Pyramid Mountain is the highest Indonesian mountain peak in Papua. The peak itself is included in Barisan Sudirman mountain range which rose up to 4,885 meters above sea level and surrounded by Carstensz Glacier.
The peak itself previously named Puntjak Sukarno or Carstensz Mountain.
Other than being the highest mountain in Indonesia, Jaya Wijaya is also the highest island peak in the world.
The mountain has a 13 km long glacier-covered mountain range, extending eastward from Mount Pilimsit (Ngga Pilimsit; formerly Mount Idenburg).
The rugged mountain range is about 3,050 meters on its northern and southern slopes, creating a massive wall of ice.
It is known that Puncak Jaya’s snow expanse was found in early 1909 by a Dutch explorer, Hendrik A. Lorentz.
However, the peak was only climbed in 1962, by an expedition led by an Austrian mountaineer, Heinrich Harrer.
Reported by National Geographic, Puncak Jaya is an Indonesian name, while Carstensz Pyramid is a European name.
Taken from the name of the first European who saw the mountain, Jan Carstensz, he first saw Puncak Jaya on his sailing trip in 1623. At that time, many Europeans did not believe Carstensz, because there is no way a mountain peak is covered in snow and surrounded by glaciers while in a tropical area.
Puncak Jaya itself is well known as one of the few tropical or equatorial mountains in the world that has glaciers.
Puncak Jaya is also one of the Seven Summits challenge in mountain climbing. The Seven Summit Challenge is a challenge where climbers will climb the highest mountain on every continent.
Puncak Jaya is considered one of the most technically difficult ascents of the Seven Summits, despite having the lowest elevation.