Barisan Mountains

The Barisan Mountains are the long volcanic mountain chain forming the western spine of Sumatra island in Indonesia, running approximately 1,700 kilometres. The range includes numerous volcanoes and the island’s highest peak.

Landscape highlights include steep forested slopes, volcanic peaks and highland plateaus; the range contains several national parks and protected areas important for conservation. Mount Kerinci, the highest summit in the chain, rises to 3,805 metres.

The range formed as part of the Sunda arc where the Indo-Australian Plate subducts beneath the Eurasian Plate, producing volcanic activity and uplift over millions of years. Human use has included agriculture on the lower slopes and establishment of protected areas to conserve wildlife.

Geographically the Barisan Mountains run along Sumatra’s western coast from the Aceh region in the north to Lampung in the south, separating the narrow western coastal plain from the island’s interior. The range shapes local river systems and climate patterns across western Sumatra.

• Length: The range runs roughly 1,700 kilometres along the western spine of Sumatra and contains numerous active and dormant volcanoes.
• Climate contrast: The western slopes receive heavy rainfall and host tropical rainforest habitats, while eastern slopes grade into drier lowlands.

What to See #

• Mount Kerinci: Rises to an elevation of 3,805 metres and is the highest volcano on Sumatra, located in the central section of the range.
• Kerinci Seblat National Park: A large protected area that covers extensive portions of the range and safeguards Sumatran biodiversity including tiger, orangutan and rhino habitats.
• Volcanic arc: A UNESCO-listed biosphere zone and a corridor of active and dormant volcanoes stretching along the western side of Sumatra.