Bali Hiking Tour

Bali’s topography is formed by a mountain chain that stretches from west to east, splitting the island into two distinct areas. In the north of the island, the mountain slopes are very steep, leaving just a narrow lowland area along north Bali’s seashores.

In the south, however the mountain slopes are slight, forming a fertile plain which is always open to external influences. That’s why Bali is not only about the cultures and beaches but Bali has several mountains with its panoramic and uniqueness is worth to try to hiking and see Bali from the highest place. Geologically Bali is obviously still active with two main active volcanic centres, the Mount Agung and Mount Batur.

Mount Batur (Gunung Batur,1717 meter high)
Mount Batur is an active volcano located at the center of two concentric calderas north west of Mount Agung, Bali. The south east side of the larger 10×13 km caldera contains a caldera lake, the inner 7.5 kilometer wide caldera, which was formed 30,000 years ago by a gigantic volcano. The south east wall of the inner caldera lies beneath Lake Batur, Mount Batur cone has been constructed within the inner caldera to a height above the outer caldera rim. The Mount Batur stratovolcano has produced vents over much of the inner caldera, but a north east-south west fissure system has localized the Mount Batur I, II, III and IV craters along the summit ridge. Historical eruptions have been characterized by mild-to-moderate explosive activity sometimes accompanied by lava emission. Basaltic lava flows from both summit and flank vents have reached the caldera floor and the shores of Lake Batur in historical time. The caldera contains an active 700-metre-tall stratovolcano rising above the surface of Lake Batur.

The first historically documented eruption of Mount Batur was in 1804, and it has been frequently active since then. The worst eruption was in 1917, when a violent eruption killed thousands of people and destroyed more than 60,000 homes, 2,000 temples and old people might tell you this was "the year when the world shook". Other eruptions have taken place since and forcing the local population to be relocated, along with several of their temples including one of the main Bali temples, Pura Ulun Danu Batur. Initially was located on the foot of Mount Batur inside the huge crater, this temple has been relocated to the top of the summit ridge and now offers an impressive overlooking of Mount Batur. The last small erupted was in 2000.

The caldera is populated by some villages and local people largely rely on agriculture for income but tourism has become increasingly popular due to the relatively straightforward trek to the summit of the central crater.  The lake, Danau Batur, is the largest crater lake on the island of Bali and is a good source of fish.

Climbing Route:
There are many routes you can take to reach the top. From Kintamani there is even a road leading close to the top of the mountain from where you have to walk a little bit. If you want to go for a real hike than you can choose between the shortest trail (2h up, 1,5h down) from Pura Jati which is located on the west side of the lake or the somewhat longer trail starting from Toya Bungkah, a next village further  from Pura Jati. Most travelers start from this point however either way.

Mount Agung (Gunung Agung 3142 meter high)
Mount Agung (Gunung Agung 3142 meter high) is stratovolcano mountain and the highest point on the island and the most sacred . It dominates the surrounding area influencing the climate. The clouds come from the west and Agung takes their water so that the west is lush and green and the east dry and barren.

Gunung Agung last erupted in 1963-64 and is still active, with a large and very deep crater which occasionally belches smoke and ash. From a distance, the mountain appears to be perfectly conical, despite the existence of the large crater.From the peak of the mountain, it is possible to see the peak of Mount Rinjani on the island of Lombok, although both mountains are frequently covered in cloud.

On February 18, 1963, local residents heard loud explosions and saw clouds rising from the crater of Mount Agung. On February 24, lava began flowing down the northern slope of the mountain, eventually traveling 7 km in the next 20 days. On March 17, the volcano erupted, sending debris 8-10 km into the air and generating massive pyroclastic flows.These flows devastated numerous villages, killing approximately 1500 people. Cold lahars caused by heavy rainfall after the eruption killed an additional 200. A second eruption on May 16 led to pyroclastic flows which killed another 200 inhabitants. The lava flows missed, sometimes by mere yards, the Mother Temple of Besakih. The saving of the temple is regarded by the Balinese people as miraculous and a signal from the Gods that they wished to demonstrate their power but not destroy the monument the Balinese faithful had erected.

Climbing Route:
There are two routes up the mountain, one from Besakih which proceeds to a higher peak and starts at approximately 1,100 m (3,610 ft) and another which commences higher from Pura Pasar Agung, on the southern slope of the mountain, near Selat and which is reputed to take four hours. There is no path between the two routes at the top.

The climb from Besakih is quite tough especially near the summit when it get really steep. It is sometimes tackled as a single climb generally starting about 10.00pm for a dawn arrival at the peak and sometimes with an overnight camp about three quarters of the way up. It is far harder than the more popular Balinese climb up Gunung Batur. It is not a mountain that needs ropes and not quite high enough for altitude sickness but adverse weather conditions develop quickly and warm waterproof clothing is required and should be carried. There is no water available along the route.  Proceed through the temple complex then continue on a path that travels continuously upwards on a steep narrow spur through open forest and jungle most of the way. There is little potential to get lost until the route opens up towards the top where the correct route doubles backwards. Many climbers miss this turn and continue up a small valley which can be climbed out of with some difficulty. The climb is about 2,200 m (7,217 ft) long and it takes around 6 hours to reach the summit and 5 hours to get back again.

Climbing from Pura Pasar Agung route  this hike starts at the temple Pura Pasar Agung, located on the southern side of the mountain. The trail takes you along the lower edge of the crater rim however you won’t be able to reach the summit of Gunung Agung from here. Nonetheless you have great views on the eastern and southern part of Bali from here. The hike can take up to 3 to 4 hours and the best time to start your climb from Pura Pasar Agung is early in the morning. The most common time to start hiking is really early in the morning, around 4am.

General Information
Bali has tropical monsoon climate as the result, Bali is dominated by rainy and dry season with a transition period in between. The best time to go hiking to the top of the mountains is during the dry season (period between April to September) because the trails is not slippery and it is most likely there is no clouds or mist hampering your view to enjoy the magnificent panorama. And if you leave rather earlier in the morning you will be rewarded with the amazing sunrise on the top of the mountain (weather permit).

It is prohibited to go hiking during religious events/temple ceremony. The Balinese believe that if you ignore this rule the Gods will punish you. You can believe it or not but we suggest you it is better to respect this rule.

What to Bring/Wear:
Walking shoes/sport shoes, long pants, coat, camera, (Swimsuit for overnight hiking which is incl. hot spring).

Rough  Itinerary Mount Batur Hiking:

• 02.00. Hotel pick-up,drive directly to starting point
• 03.00. Breakfast Banana Pancake with tea or coffee
• 04.00. From starting point about 2 hours to reach the peak of Mt.Batur accompanied by organization hiking guide.
• 05.00. Stop will be made for short break and drinking water
• 06.15. Arrive at the peak of Mt.Batur, while waiting the sunrise a packed breakfast will be served with a special volcanic steamed eggs
• 07.00. Descend the path down to other crater,crater II & III and last crater erupted on the year of 2000
• 09.00. Arrive back on the shore of the Lake Batur, drive more further where a stop is made and get cool drink, pick fruits from the trees, enjoy the fresh organic fruits.
• 10.00.Drive back to the hotel
  

• 03.00 Morning call
• 03.30 Continental breakfast at restaurant
• 04.00  Leave hotel by private transportation down to the edge of Lake Batur  to the starting point, climb up to the peak of Mount Batur  will take approx 2 hours
• 05.00 A stop will made for short break and drinking water is provided
• 06.00 Arrive at the peak of Mount Batur, while waiting for the sunrise you will be served a packed breakfast with a special volcanic steams eggs.
• 06.15 Enjoy a beautiful sunrise, usually a view of three nearby mountains Mt. Abang, Mt. Agung, and Mt. Rinjani in Lombok can be glimpsed in the first light of the day (weather permit)
• 07.00 Descend forward to the lower crater to see crater II, III and the last eruption in 2000
• 08.00 Descent the path leading toward the lake with another brief stop enroute
• 10.00 Arrive back on the shore of the Lake Batur, where a stop is made at the hot spring for refreshing bath.
• 11.30 Drive back to the hotel
• 12.00 Lunch at hotels restaurant.

• Mount Batur hiking: Kuta, Nusa Dua area at 01.30 am and Sanur,Ubud area at 02.00 am
• Mount Agung hiking: Kuta, Nusa Dua area at 20.00 pm and Sanur,Ubud area at 22.00 pm.

RATES (in USD)

• Return transfer from/to hotel with air conditioned vehicle
• A packed breakfast with special volcanic stem eggs
• Experience hiking guide ( English speaking)
• Torch/ light
• Coffee break, drinking water
• Safety equipment