TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The grey cliff was standing tall in the middle cool air in Lembang, West Bandung, West Java. The aroma of pine growing on the cliff emphasized the clement ambience around the location.

“The view is so breathtaking, this is a good spot to take some photos with beautiful sceneries on the background,” said a female visitor from Bandung, Agniatun. “From here, we can also see the top view of the Bandung city.”

The cliff, known as Gunung Batu, was an andesitic hill having the height of 30 to 50 meters.

“The formations of the stone often used by nature lover clubs to practice cliff climbing,” said 68-year-old Maman, a staff of earth quake-monitoring station on the top of Gunung Batu.

Gunung Batu also the most popular spot along the Lembang fault. Lembang fault is a geological phenomenon in a form of crack on the earth crust due to a plate dislocation. The crack causing the ground in the north of Lembang moved down while the ground in south arose.

“On the coming October and November, the raptor birds from Japan, China, and Taiwan will migrate and cross above Lembang. It will be an additional attraction,” said Nugraha Prayogie, a member of a photography community of Bandung Birding.

From the highest spot of Gunung Batu, visitors were able to see the stretch of mountains starting from Mt Bukit Unggul on the east, Mt Palintang, Mount Kasur, and Mount Manglayang.

Turning to the north, visitors would see the grand Mount Tangkuban Parahu and Mount Putri. In the south, a row of Mount Malabar, Mount Wayang, Mount Patuha, and Mount Windu.

To get to Gunung Batu, people can go from Jl. Setiabudi through Lembang Market towards Maribaya. Alternatively, people can go from Ciumbuleuit or Dago through Punclut, head to Pagerwangi Village, and towards Gunung Batu.

RISANTI