Volcano Trekking in Indonesia

Although Bali and its neighbor Lombok are predominantly known for their beaches, I headed inland to check out a few of the gorgeous active volcanoes. There’s three on Bali (Batur, Bratan & Agung) and one on Lombok (Rinjani).

MT BATUR
If you’re partial to hiking but want to experience the magic of watching a sunrise from the top of an active volcano, I highly suggest trekking Mt Batur. At only 5,633 ft high, and only a few hours hike to the top, it’s the gateway to volcano trekking. My hotel in Ubud organized the trip for me and I negotiated the price down to 350,000 IDR. All tour companies basically do the exact same tour, so it doesn’t matter which company you go with. Just shop around to get the best price! The $28 cost includes 2am pickup from your hotel, pancake breakfast at an organic coffee farm, water, a local guide, a flashlight, another breakfast at the top of the mountain, and transport back to your hotel after the trek. There was an option to stop at the organic coffee farm on the way back for a coffee tasting, but my group opted out due to a time conflict.

We reached the top by 5:30am just in time for the sunrise and it was stunning. Luckily, we had a crystal clear morning so the sunrise was spectacular. Make sure you bring warm clothes, as it is very chilly on top of the mountain! I wore leggings, a cardigan, windbreaker, and scarf, and I was okay. Also beware of the monkeys! They come out at sunrise and will try to steal your things. I watched them take a jacket that had been left on the ground, a water bottle, and a full bag of chips. I even saw one steal a coffee mug and take a sip like a human!

Overall, it was a great experience and I would recommend to hikers and non-hikers alike. There are only a few steep parts towards the top that are a bit tricky, but nothing you can’t handle.

MT RINJANI
The two day, 18 hour, 12,224 ft trek to the summit of Mt Rinjani was by far the most physically and mentally challenging activity I’ve done in quite some time, if not ever. Thank goodness I didn’t know how difficult it would be going into it, because I’m not sure if I would have gone through with it! Yes – it’s that intense. I hiked with Rinjani Tropis and paid WAY too much for the trek. Make sure you shop around and don’t pay more than 1 Million IDR for this experience. Similar to Mt Batur, most companies do the exact same tour, so I’m not sure if it really matters who you go with. You can do the two-day trek or the three-day trek. The three day trek takes you down to the lake and the hot springs, but requires an extra 8-10 hours of hiking. I opted for the two-day trek and the cost includes transportation to Senaru from Kuta Lombok as well as transport back to the main port of Lombok, a nights stay at Rinjani Homestay, a bare bones homestay with comfy beds but very rural facilities (manually flushing toilet, no sink, no Wi-Fi…), breakfast, lunch, dinner, and water on day one, and breakfast, lunch, and water on day two. The cost also includes a local guide and porters who bring up all of the equipment and supplies. I was so impressed and shocked by how much these little Indonesian men could carry up the entire mountain, most of them in flip flops. I barely could get myself up the mountain, let alone 60 kilos of gear on a bamboo stick. It really is incredibly impressive.

The trek starts between 9 and 10am after about an hour drive from where we were staying in Senaru. The first hours of hiking before lunch start out moderate and get increasingly more difficult. The next three hours after lunch are extremely difficult and the mountain is so steep that you will fall backwards if you standup straight. About six hours in, you reach a plateau where the porters setup campsite and start preparing dinner. The campsite is a basic tent, thin mat and sleeping bag, no pillow, no running water or toilets (obviously).

It’s an early night and then a 2am wakeup call for a light breakfast of biscuits and tea, and then the four hour trek to the summit for sunrise begins. You are in the pitch black and the company doesn’t provide flashlights or headlamps so make sure you bring one! This was my biggest qualm with Rinjani Tropis – how can a company not provide flashlights for a hike they guide at 2am? Seems like a vital tool for a hiking trip in the dark…Me and most other people in my group had to use the flashlight from our phones, which died about halfway through. Not safe.

The first hour of the summit trek is not so bad. There are a lot of loose rocks and sand and a decent incline, but it’s manageable. The last 2 hours are brutal with the last hour absolutely grueling. The mountain is so steep and the ground so unstable with loose rocks, gravel and sand, that for every two steps forward, you slide one step back. It’s the equivalent of running in mud at an incline. You feel like you’re not going anywhere, but you’re exerting incredible amounts of energy and it is very frustrating! One young Indonesian saw me struggling and held my hand up the last 30 minutes to the top and he wasn’t even a guide, just a really wonderful human who got me through the toughest part! I made it to the top just in time for the sunrise and it was beautiful. Just be warned that it is absolutely freezing at the summit. I was extremely unprepared for the weather and wore the same thing I had worn to Mt Batur, but the temperature was about 30 degrees (F). It was so cold that I had to start trekking back down after only 20 minutes because my fingers started to turn white!

Despite the exhaustion and freezing temperatures, the views for the top were spectacular. We had a clear morning; a beautiful sunrise and the lake and crater below were glowing from the morning sun.

The trek back down took less time at 8 hours, and two breaks for a proper breakfast and lunch, but was still very difficult. The parts with loose sand and gravel were very difficult to maneuver, and you were basically sliding down the mountain out of control. When it started to rain in the last hour, the ground became a mudslide and it was quite dangerous. I went down barefoot most of it as my sandals and sneakers didn’t have enough traction in the mud!

My Advice: Unless you are dead set on doing this trek, or are looking for a challenge, I would maybe take a minute to really ask yourself if you’re prepared for this hike. It is extremely tough on your body (my knees and muscles are still aching days later), but I am glad I did it. It was extremely challenging, and I am very proud of myself for making it through. There is something to be said about the feeling of accomplishment you get when reaching the summit of such a demanding climb. The views throughout the entire hike are incredible, with a landscape I had never seen before. To me, it was worth it and I am proud that I did it, but I won’t be doing it again! Even the most fit people had a difficult time with this trek, so make sure you carefully consider before shelling out out 1 Million IDR. I would start with Mt Batur or Mt Agung and see how you feel after those.

Things To Pack For the Trek:

• Toilet paper! I was the only one who thought to bring some, so it went fast. There are no toilet facilities so you’ll have to dispose of any tissue in a hole in the ground.
• Hiking boots. You can get away with sneakers (I did the majority of the trek in flip flops because I had some painful blisters) but hiking boots would have make the trek a bit easier and a whole lot safer.
• Band-Aids. You or someone in your group is bound to get blisters, bring some just in case.
• Extra water. They only give you 1.5L a day. You’ll be sweating so much you’ll want more water. It’s worth the extra weight in your bag!
• Warmer clothes! Had I known how cold it’d be at the top, I would have brought gloves, a hat and an extra layer.
• Hand sanitizer. There’s no running water but there’s a whole lot of dirt!

This trip is not for the faint hearted. If you’re an avid hiker and like a challenge I would absolutely recommend this to you. But if you’re just on holiday and want to relax, I would maybe stay by the beach 🙂