Reaching summit is just part of the fun. There is a lot more to Gunung Lawu which I climbed in 2019 to test out my new, bunion-free feet.
This mountain is actually the final bastion of Majapahit. The last raja Brawijaya fled here with his remaining followers after their city was sacked by the Muslims. In desperation, the survivors resorted to occult practices, some of which are still practised by inhabitants on the mountain today. An extinct volcano, this is probably the only mountain in Indonesia that is inhabited so close to the summit.
I shall return to explore some of the holy Hindu spots some day.