When Aryo and Retta named their daughter Raihanun Rinjani, they hadn’t expected her name to become a travel destination. But by age 10, Raihanun’s curiosity about the mountain had grown into a plan to climb it together.
Aryo, 40, a Jakarta-based private bank employee, had spent years fostering his daughter’s love for the outdoors through weekend hikes and nature trips. Mount Rinjani, a 3,726-meter active volcano in Lombok, Nusa Tenggara Barat, would be their most demanding adventure yet.
“From the beginning, we told her this was a vacation,” Aryo said. “Everything had to be fun. We had no ambition to reach the summit.”
Aryo Pratomo bersama istirnya, Retta Meditaria, dan putri mereka, Raihanun Rinjani Pratomo. Credit: Supplied/Aryo Pratomo
When they set out on the four-day, three-night trek, Raihanun carried a small backpack with her own belongings. “We gave her the responsibility to carry her own things,” Aryo said.
One of the toughest sections was the mountain’s infamous “letter E” segment - a steep, dusty incline near the summit. Raihanun found it especially challenging. “It was exhausting,” she said. “But I enjoyed the journey.”
When they reached the top, she felt the weight of her accomplishment. “I was so proud of myself,” she said.
For her parents, that moment captured the purpose of the trip; not just completing a climb, but strengthening their bond through a shared experience in nature.
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