How can you prevent painful blisters and black toenails on the Rinjani descent?

You prevent blisters and black toenails by acting at the first hot spot, not after the damage. The local rule is simple: the moment you feel a rub, stop, dry the foot, and apply blister plaster or tape. An untreated blister becomes genuinely punishing on the second and third days of a long itinerary, when descents dominate and there is no shortcut home.

Sock and shoe choices do the preventive work. Wear moisture-wicking socks rather than cotton, which holds sweat and softens skin, and test your footwear with the exact socks and the downhill load you will actually wear, because a shoe that fits on flat ground can behave differently on a loaded descent. Experienced trekkers pre-tape known problem areas or use petroleum jelly on high-friction spots, and it works. Our guides carry a basic first-aid kit, but your own supplies mean you treat a hot spot in minutes instead of waiting for a break.

Black toenails come from toes hitting the front of the shoe on downhills, and Rinjani has a lot of downhill. Trim your nails before the trek without cutting into the corners, make sure the toe box has room while the heel cannot slide forward, and re-lace for descents: tighten the midfoot, then use the top eyelets with a heel-lock loop so the foot sits back in the shoe. Loosen or adjust immediately if a lacing change creates pressure or numbness.

Rinjani-specific habits close the loop. The return from the 3,726 meter summit to the rim camp takes about 1.5 hours on loose volcanic scree that throws grit into shoes, so empty your shoes at breaks instead of enduring the gravel. Keep feet dry at camp, rotate into fresh socks, and re-tape anything that rubbed during the day, because tomorrow’s descent will test the same skin again. Small routines like these are why some trekkers finish three days with perfect feet and others finish barely able to walk, and they cost almost nothing beyond attention.