TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Toraja hosts Toraja Mountainbike 2017 event
Change Size
Ritual: In their traditional costumes, men and women of Toraja wait to welcome tourists in Suloara’ village. (JP/PJ Leo)
Toraja in South Sulawesi held Toraja Mountainbike 2017 sports event on September 23.
A total of 384 people ranging from children to adults from Toraja, Makassar, Gowa, Pangkep, Kalimantan and Papua took part in the event that was themed “Exploring the Land above the clouds.”
Before the main event, there was a performance of Ma’Gellu traditional Torajan dance complete with traditional suling (flute) and gendang (tambour).
The tour started at 08:00 a.m. and participants went down the hill for 21 kilometers to reach the finish line at Bakti Field. While cycling, they were treated to the scenic view of Toraja, passing through a traditional village and Torajan houses known as Tongkonan.
Read also: Photo: Faces of Toraja
At one point, participants had to conquer a winding route beside the river, and this is where some of the participants gave up due to the physically demanding route.
The trip ended at 11:00 a.m. and participants were then treated to a music performance and door prizes.
“Through this mountain bike event, we are hoping that there will be more diversity in the nature tourism in Toraja, adventure-based sports such as paragliding, off-road and motor trail suit the geographical feature of Toraja,” explained North Toraja culture and tourism head, Harli Patriatno.
North Toraja has previously hosted two similar events back in 2011 and 2013. (asw)
