Puncak Mandala


Puncak Mandala is a mountain located in Papua, Indonesia. At, it is the highest point of the Jayawijaya Range. Following Mount Carstensz 350 km to the west, Mandala is the second highest freestanding mountain of Oceania, Australasia, New Guinea and Indonesia.

Geology

Mandala is one of the three high massifs of Western New Guinea, together with the Carstensz and Trikora complexes. This peak used to have an ice cap, but it was last seen in 1989 and by 2003 it was totally gone. Based on the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission data, this peak is likely higher than Puncak Trikora, which lost its icecap in about 1960.

Ascents

Climbers from the Dutch 1959 expedition to the Star Mountains reached the peak of Puncak Mandala on 9 September.