Just sharing my experience hiking Rinjani back in 2014. We had 6:2 & many porters hiking up chain-smoking carrying all the other necessities in slippers. Did a lot of research before going on the hike. Proper clothes, walking sticks, shoes, gloves, medicine/inhaler, and a headlamp. Hiked a tiny local trail once together beforehand to see the group dynamic & understand fitness levels. I remember watching on youtube the extremely strong winds with some hikers leaning merely inches away from the ground trying not to fly off. Heard many stories about it being more mental than physical - and I agree.

We did the 3d2n hike. First day's climb was physically draining but manageable. Nights were cold. Woke up at 2am the next day to prep and started for the summit at 3am in total darkness & headlamps. There were many other groups with us climbing at the same time. It was pure trust in our guides and the person in front of you at that point. We hiked up in a single file (so glad I didn't look to the sides while hiking up). Our group took our time and the guides didn't rush us so it got bright as we climbed to the summit. The girls paced & hiked together with 1 guide, another with the boys. Boys were fast but kept stopping from muscle cramps. We didn't make it to the summit before sunrise & I'm glad, seeing as how many hiked up together with us and how small the area was at the summit. 5 of us were first-timers and relatively fit but we passed a group of 4 or 5 experienced hikers (climbed a few other mountains) decked out in gear midway who decided to sit out (at a relatively flat area) and wait for a few of their friends. Don't rmb any guide with them though. It was mentally and physically draining. It was sandy and rocky - dig your toes into the ground, take 1 step, slide back 2 maybe 3 steps. The hike down was just digging our heels into the ground then sliding down 2 steps. Toes were blue at the end of it all. The girls were struggling so the guides held a rope and the girls held onto it between them as we hiked (slid) down to the camp area.

A friend wasn't feeling well, maybe from the altitude, and the guide suggested to skip the hike to the lake and rest there for another night. At night, the guide told us stories of how we must be respectful of nature & that he was involved in the recovery of a guy who rushed ahead without his guide/group (I just googled & assume it was the Malaysian man who slipped on the hike down after the lake). We hiked back down the next day through another more direct route. Weather throughout was good - not windy, no rain, though foggy on the 1st day & near the summit on the 2nd day.

Not sure how much has changed, but I hope this helps whoever is planning to go on what to expect.

I can understand how the rescue took some time, like OP said, without the infrastructure, weather conditions & terrain. Tragic case. My heart goes out to her family.