THE GUIDE - The Rough Guide to Bali and Lombok - page 306

PLANNING A GUNUNG BATUR TREK
Batur remains active and the authorities sometimes close the mountain. Check the current
situation at vsi.esdm.go.id - it's mostly in Indonesian but it is clear if any mountain is
on alert. The dry season (April-Oct) is best for climbing.
Anyone who climbs Batur is put under intense pressure to engage a guide from the Asso-
ciation of Mount Batur Trekking Guides , or HPPGB (3am-9pm; 0366 52362), which
has offices in Toya Bungkah and at Pura Jati. A guide is essential for all sunrise treks,
which require route-finding in the dark - one solo foreign walker fell to his death in 2010
- and hugely advisable for longer hikes or less well-trodden paths. These routes are tricky
and it's important to stay away from the most active parts of the volcano. If you are doing
the climb in daylight either from Serongga or to Batur I from Toya Bungkah or Pura Jati,
you don't really need a guide, but you will probably get intensely hassled, perhaps even
intimidated, into hiring one anyway. On the plus side, a good guide will provide historical
and cultural context to a walk.
Guide prices are displayed in the association's offices. They change annually but on our
last visit were: Rp350,000 per guide for a four-hour sunrise trek for two people; Rp500,000
to the main crater, Batur I (5hr); Rp750,000 up Gunung Agung (6hr) or up Gunung Abang
(10hr). You'll pay extra for breakfast on the mountain - usually the novelty of boiled eggs
cooked by geothermal energy - and transport to the trailhead, if required. Be absolutely
clear which route you are doing and whether the price you have agreed is per person or
for the group. These prices are per guide - enough for four people. Many people find it's
more straightforward to organize their trek through a local hotel or with a tour agent; Made
Senter at Miranda homestay in Kintamani ( 0366 52022) is well regarded.
Several tour agencies around Bali run sunrise hikes with pick-ups from hotels in south
Bali, albeit at times no tourist should have to see. Try Bali Sunrise Tours ( balisunris-
etours.com ) , Pineh Bali Tours ( pinehbalitours.com ) or Mudi Goes to the Mountain (
mudigoestothemountain.com ) .
However you ascend, you'll need sturdy footwear for the rough track and warm clothing
for dawn treks.
Along the crater rim
Spread along the crater rim's road for 11km, the villages of Penelokan , Batur and
Kintamani virtually merge; the three are often named Kintamani after the largest settlement.
The big attraction, of course, is the view, which is at its most sensational from Penelokan
(1450m), literally meaning “Place to Look” and your spot for wraparound views of the vol-
canic landscape: Gunung Batur (on your left), Gunung Abang (2153m) opposite and between
them Danau Batur lake as a shimmering skin of silver. To add context to the view, a recently