Bali Vacation Day 5: Volcano Batur Sunrise Hiking

Volcano Batur Sunrise Hiking Tour 
Kintamani, Bali
Sunday, 23/6/2013 


Highlights:
Last Eruption: 2000 
Elevation: 1,717 meter 
Starting Point: Pura Jati
Estimated time to summit: 1.5- 3 hours (depending on your speed) 
Level of toughness: Moderate 
Features: Volcanic sand, night trek 

Package Detail

Tour Guide Fees: IDR 350k (RM109) per person which include... 

• Free pick up from Hotel
• Free transfer back to your hotel
• Breakfast banana pancake with chocolate +bali coffee or tea before hiking
• Breakfast again on top of volcano (Sandwich with Banana filling & 2Boiling eggs)
• Explore the crater rim and to see smoke coming out
• Water
• Experienced local guides Guide
• Entrance fee
• Transfer Back to Airport from Hotel, jalan-jalan after the hiking tour

Checklist for Hiking 

• Trekking shoes 
• Windbreaker/Warm jacket 
•  Headlamp/Torchlight 
• Small bag pack to carry your stuff 
• Personal First aid Kit / medicines (minyak Angin, Panadol etc.) 
• Drinking Water & Energy food 
• Warm Gloves 
• Raincoat

Pick up time: 02.00 am from our Hotel

Intro...

Gunung Batur adalah gunung berapi yang masih lagi active & kedua tertinggi di Bali. Normally, pendakian Gunung Batur akan dilakukan seawal 3.30pagi dan menempuh jarak sekitar 2 km. Walaupun, ketinggian Batur 1717 meters ASL tapi kami hanya mendaki sekitar 700 meters sahaja, meaning, kami dah berada di ketinggian 1000m before the trekking was started. Overall, It took about four hours from us round-trip, including an hour or two of sitting around the top.

For More info on Mount Batur


My Story...

Aku cuma sempat lelapkan mata untuk 2 jam sahaja before our driver, Wayang datang pick up. Rupanya dia dah sampai lagi awal & siap tido dalam Van. Memang terlebih on time lah driver kami ni. Perjalanan mengambil masa lebih kurang 1 jam nak ke starting point Batur. Tapi kami tak direct to Batur, kami stopped by kat Pineh’s Farm for breakfast before the hiking which is part of the hiking package. Emmhh... Pukul 3 pagi tu breakfast. Menu pagi tu... Banana pancake & Bali Coffee. Sedap betul Banana pancake dia, tak cukup rasa nye satu. Emmhhh... Kalau tak memikirkan kami nak panjat gunung nak jer minta lagi... hahaha. Just after the breakfast, kami terus ke starting point (Pura Jati) which is 15min drive from Pineh’s Farm.

Our breakfast... Banana Pancake

Sepanjang perjalan ke starting point, Wayang sudah menjangkakan yang cuaca maybe tak berapa nak menyebalahi kami berdasarkan firasat beliau yang dingin nya tak berapa nak keras pagi tu. Di tambah pulak, tiada bintang yang kelihatan di langit. Normally, kalau banyak bintang pagi tu petanda cuaca cantik. Emmhhh... at that time. I just pray in my heart hoping for miracle to happen.

As we arrived, kami diperkenalkan dengan our guide, mas Adi. Masih muda & umur nya masih 23 tahun. After a short taa’ruf, kami pun proceed, that time was 3.45 a.m. Mula-mula, perjalanan akan melalui kawasan ladang yang agak rata, lama juga kami berjalan adalah dalam setengah jam juga before kami sampai jalan berbatu yang agak mencanak. Aku bayangkan sejuk pagi tu macam kat Bromo or Sibayak, tapi ternyata, I was wrong, tak sejuk mana pun. Aku cuma start pakai windbreaker pink kesayangan aku tu bila dah sampai puncak yea. Betul lah kata Wayang, memang tak keras sangat sejuk pagi tu.

Alhamdulillah, perjalanan kami agak smooth pagi tu tanpa sebarang kesulitan. Cuma, Cik Hezrin jer semput sikit. And ada pulak bapak yang sudi melayan makcik ni. Bukan saja-saja suka nak tolong tau tapi mengharapkan something lah... kena beli air coke dia yang herge IDR25K tu. So, masa dah sampai puncak, terpaksa beli jugalah sebab dah memikirkan jasa baik bapak tu kan... hahaha. Bapak ni bukan lah guide, dia cuma penjual air di puncak Batur tapi ntah macam mana dia boleh fikir nak follow kami sampai ke puncak. Rupanya ada agenda tersendiri.

If you asked me, the hike wasn’t difficult compare to some of the mountains in Malaysia that I’ve climbed. The only different is that the ground is formed by volcanic sand and rocks. Some part of the routes were very rocky that I almost tripped few times by the rocks. The trail was quite steep as we approached the top. Can't imagine, kalau Cik Fad follow kami juga. Mesti terseksa nak mengharungi trek yang berbatu.

The best part, when we were half way to the peak and we looked down from the mountain and saw many lights in the distance, just like a trail of light, each one of group coming up the mountain behind us along the trail we had just covered. We could see some of them were just starting at the bottom of the mountain.

Menantikan Sunrise

Alhamdulillah, we reached summit at 5.20 a.m... It was too early for the sunrise, as the sun only rises around 6 a.m. Only 1 & 1/2 hr jer pendakian kami. So, sementara nak tunggu sunrise, Adi tolong kami cari tempat yang proper sikit nak solat Suboh. Masa kat puncak ni baru lah terasa sejuk sangat... huhuhu. After Solat, kami ke tempat view point yang memang dah availabe for hikers to see the sunrise. Meanwhile, Mas Adi was preparing our breakfast inside the hut. 

Mount Abang at 6.10 a.m from top of Mount Batur

Subhanallah... cantik nye view walaupun bukan lah the perfect one

Ternyata, nasib memang tak berapa nak menyebelahi kami nak tengok keindahan ciptaan Allah pagi tu, the beautiful sunrise. Tapi, nasib baik juga dapat tengok Mount Abang & Batur lake walaupun tak sepenuhnya. Kami juga tak berpeluang nak tengok kawah Batur & explore the crater rim sebab kabus agak tebal pagi tu. Last-last dapat tengok monyet jer. Nasib baik monyet kast sini behave sikit compare to yang kat Uluwatu.

2nd breakfast at peak... Sandwich with Banana inside & Boiling egg

Batur Lake from Mount Batur View point

At this weather condition, we could only see Mt. Abang, 2100 meters. If the weather is clear, probably we could see the one behind Mt. Abang, which is the highest mountain in Bali, Mt. Agung. And if you’re lucky enough, also you could see Mount Rinjani in Lombok (emmhhh... bilalah nak ke Lombok ni).

We spend around 1 hour up there and then started to descending.

Finally... We're here, alangkah best nya kalau Fad ada bersama

Ni sajalah yang terbaek yang aku dapat abadikan

View di sekitar Mount Batur

With our young guide... Mas Adi

View around the Mount batur sunrise viewpoint

There was a hut at the summit for resting and to serve drinks and food.

Tak dapat tengok crater... tengok monyet pun jadilah, hehehe

Another viewpoint

Ade juga yang baru sampai

Ok kami nak start turun dah

Masa naik tak bergambo, balik layann sakan lah yea

The black volcanic sand seen from Mount Batur

The journey down the mountain is just as challenging, but this time you get to see the surrounding panorama

Angle yang paling menarik... could see both side, Batur Lake and the volcanic sand

Subhanallah... Indah nya ciptaan Allah

The other side of Batur Lake

On the way back, we finally saw the trail for the first time as it was too dark to see anything during the night hike. The same sandy volcanic & rocky trail that we had to passed thru.

volcanic sand & rocky trail

Please be careful with the rocky trail

View Batur as we approaching the foothill

Another option to Mount Batur... Motocross, but only up to here

The route where we trekked this morning... Cantik juga view dia

Perjalanan Pulang

Awesome view you could see on the way to the base camp

Route ni dah boleh start berlari

The route at the beginning of the trekking

Ade kawasan perkampungan juga dilaluan kami ini

View yang indah otw nak balik

We reached the base of the mountain around 8 a.m. and ended our unforgettable journey to Gunung Batur.

Before we returned back to our Hotel in Ubud, again, we stopped by at Pineh’s Farm for a Free Fried Banana & Coffee Break. Sedap Cuma nipis sangat pisang dia. Tak puas nak makan.

To be continued...