Papua is home to countless natural wonders that remain untouched by human hands. One of the most astonishing is Digawe, a vast green meadow perched at an altitude of 3,000 meters above sea level. It is quite literally a grassland above the clouds, a sight that feels almost otherworldly.
During the 2015 Journalist Expedition to Carstensz, the landscape continued to surprise us at every turn. On Monday, August 24, after leaving Tambua, our team made the journey toward Digawe. Before we began, Maximus Tipagau, who served as the expedition leader, offered a brief explanation of what awaited us. He described Digawe as a wide green carpet stretched across the highlands, something we simply had to see with our own eyes. He smiled and said it would look like an enormous natural tapestry.
The path to reach it, however, was not easy. From Tambua, the trail climbed sharply and relentlessly. In some sections the slope reached nearly ninety degrees, forcing us to pull ourselves up by gripping the roots of thick forest trees. Every step required caution, strength, and patience as we made our way higher into the misty mountains.
When we finally arrived at Digawe, all fatigue vanished instantly. Our eyes widened in disbelief. The towering trees we had walked through for hours suddenly disappeared, replaced by an open meadow that seemed to stretch endlessly. Lush green grasses rolled upward for hundreds of meters, glowing softly under the thin mountain sunlight. It was breathtaking in a way that words struggle to capture.
We rested there for a while, stretching our legs and sharing small snacks while gazing at the immense expanse before us. The meadow felt untouched, sacred, and peaceful. Bambang Suprayogi, one of the climbers who joined the expedition, admired the view with deep amazement, remarking how extraordinary it was for Papua to hold such a landscape at 3,000 meters above sea level.
It felt magical. Papua truly is full of wonders. Who would imagine that a grassland could exist above the clouds, silent and pristine, unseen by most of the world. Standing there, I could only whisper my gratitude to the Almighty for blessing Indonesia with such extraordinary natural beauty.