Hiking Gunung Agung in Bali

Since living in Bali I have had the opportunity to explore some of the more remote parts of the island. Back in July 2003, my friend Mick Turnbull suggested we climb Gunung Agung, the highest point in Bali. Here’s my account of that trip.

Gunung Agung is the largest volcano in Bali, which rises to the height of 3142m. Located in Karangasem province in eastern Bali, it is considered a sacred spot, being home to the Mother Temple at Besakih.

The volcano last erupted in 1963 ( the year I was born ), so was safe to hike. The volcano is majestic, and stands out when viewed from any angle. This shot is from Nusa Lembongan across the Badung Strait and again from an Airbus.

Mick Turnbull suggested we hike this thing, and finally organized a small group to go. The timing was different from our other roadtrips, in that we were to take off at 4pm from Mick’s place in Kerobokan. This denied Mick his usual preparation of a pounding hangover, but I hoped he could get over this, and enjoy the ride.

The number of people invited for this trip was quite large, about 10 in fact. As the morning wore on, the reality of hiking up a big hill dawned, and half of the people dropped out, including Aussie Chris ( now called Christina ), within an hour of taking off. Still with the program, were Mick, Chris from Devon UK, Sonia and her brother Andri from Java, and myself.

Mick and I were to ride bikes, the rest were taking Chris’s SUV. Mick suggested I might want to ride in the SUV, which would allow him to move faster and be safer for me. I like riding the bike but thought any chance to do the safer thing would be wise. Forgeting my hiking boots, I asked the others to wait, and rode 15 minutes home to get them. On my return the SUV had left so it was Mick and I.

We headed to Sanur using the Bypass road then turned off heading along the south coast in the direction of Candi Dasa. The Kusamba Bypass was partially completed, so we had to exit the road at Lebih and head through Gianyar and Klungkung. We elected to do the hike from the Pura Pasar Agung, rather than Besakih, as the climb up was supposed to be 3 hours instead of 7.

Our final stop for the night was the Pura Agung guest house in Selat. The room had 2 single beds and its own bathroom with lovely cold water. It was 50,000rp each which wasn�t really worth it in my view but I we needed a place to relax.

Mick and I were the first to arrive (this guy doesn’t waste time, and burns everything on the road ) and quickly ordered some food. Mick chose a mie goreng ( fried noodles ) and I looked down the 12 item menu for something that might be tasty. The roast chicken in spicy sauce and vegetables was my choice. “No, no, no, it takes to long.” said the owner, “Your friend want to eat now so choose something else.” I could see what he really meant was ‘choose nasi goreng or mie goreng, because I want to go to bed.’ I went with the nasi goreng, which was as greasy as I’ve ever had it.

The others arrived, having stopped for a dinner break down the road. After a couple of large Bintangs and some chit chat, I was ready to wrap things up, and get ready for our early start at 2am.

Sometime later that night Mick’s phone alarm, closely followed by mine, went off and it was time to get up. We commented how lucky those people back in Kuta were, and that nobody would know if we just went back to sleep, pretending to have climbed the mountain, but both knew it wasn’t going to happen.

Outside in the pitch black, we assembled and the other 3 had dressed in warm jackets and hats. I knew it was chilly, but also knew once we were moving those jackets would be coming off. I wore a short sleeve and long sleeve shirt, plus my warm hat, that I found on the bike path in Eugene.

The drive in Chris’s SUV was slow because of 2 reasons, the early morning fog, and the fact that the SUV was an ancient 1500cc, that was on its last legs. We were doing about 10 mph up some of the route.

Finally we arrived at the parking lot of Pura Pasar Agung temple at about 2.30am, which in on the southern side of the mountain, and is actually higher than Pura Besakih on the W side.

There was another car there, with a couple from Europe waxing their ski poles, and getting the muesli warmed up. In the darkness a couple of locals approached us, asking if we wanted a guide. They were honest enough to say we could do the hike without one, but it was better and safer in the dark to take one. I really couldn’t care less but we decided on taking one. The price was 150,000rp. The guy was a young kid about 20 wrapped in 3 layers of sweaters and jackets, no flashlight, no water, no food. I asked him why he didn’t have a flashlight, he said the battery was finished. Still he did know the route very well, was extremely nibble and could point out tricky or slippery places.

After about 20 minutes my outer shirt came off, and I started getting into my water. This was followed a while later, with Sonia and Chris removing their outer wear. People started commenting how steep the route was, and we soon developed a pattern of walking 5 minutes and stopping for 5 minutes. Sonia was sporting a brand new pair of black leather boots, courtesy of Chris. These things squeeked worse than Mick’s rubber underwear, and I think the exertion of hiking quickly took its toll. Mick, the guide and myself would get ahead out of sight and have to wait for the others to catch up. When they’d make it they would always be ready for another break, so after a couple of hours we decided to go on without them, and they would do it at their own pace.

The big reason for hiking in the middle of the night, is to watch the sunrise. Personally I wasn’t to worried about missing it, and was happy to enjoy the experience of being there, still it was a good goal to go for and we picked up the pace. The route up this mountain pretty much goes straight up, there really isn’t a lot of sideways action which is good for distance, but bad as every step is up a 30 degree slope.

Poor old Mick was feeling a bit crook, his mie goreng from the night before wasn’t sitting well at all, and the toilet roll he brought along got used a couple of times. My nasi goreng was probably cooked in the same pan of grease, so I must admit that when Mick started going on about his guts, I wondered if I might feel similar effects.

The terrain changed from taller trees, to bushes, to scrub and finally to rocks and mud, with sections of lava jutting out. My energy level was good going up, without too much discomfort, except a slight pain in my left ACL ( knee ligament ). Mick started commenting on how every step was an effort, and that his calves were screaming at him. So weird how you can get 2 people to walk up the same hill, and different body parts hurt.

Two thirds the way up we looked left, and saw the light was coming up over eastern Bali, still needed a flashlight but it wasn’t going to be long before it was sun up. We could hear Sonia’s whooping down below, and it was obvious they had decided to wait for our return.

The European couple had passed us long ago, and we could see them standing at the summit (the SE summit is actually 100 feet lower than the actual summit on the west side and the view is 180 degrees). It seemed an age before we joined them on top at 7.45am. They were from France and had been in Bali for 8 days already. Their guide was pre arranged from Amed and he came equipped with food, generously offering me some of his cold french fries. He managed to douse himself with ketchup too!

We all chatted and I told them I worked for Baliblog, giving them both a business card. “Still working.” the lady said. Mick was busy trying to make a phone call, and was excited that he managed to get full connectivity. “He an engineer and likes the technical stuff.” I said.

Looking into the crater it appeared small for the size of the mountain. It didn’t smell of sulphur and there really wasn’t any movement of gases, or any other detectable signs of activity. I enjoyed the changing light and the moment. Sitting in the stillness high on Bali’s highest peak was something I wouldn’t be repeating too often. We could see people hiking on the rim on the other side of the volcano.

Mick and I were by now feeling like a helicopter might be the best option, but realized we have to slog it down again. Heading down has pros and cons. Pros: you are going with gravity. Cons: Footing is harder to spot and the knees get a major workout.

As luck would have it my left knee has an old injury, and by now my ACL was painful. The slope, tricky footing and tiredness made things worse, so I struggled. Mick on the other hand seemed to get a second wind and was chirpy, busy explaining his entertainment plans, when after he got home.

Visible on the decent were a pyramidal looking stack of rice paddies, and the temple complex we parked at. My water had ran out by now, I kept asking our guide how much longer. I think he liked playing games with us as he’d say ’30 minutes more till the trees’, then after 30 minutes he say ’20 minutes till the trees’. Finally we reached the treeline and a little ways further found Chris, Sonia and Andri all kicking back under a bush. These guys have got the right idea!

Chris was saying he had no idea how hard it was going to be, and I thought ‘while you were napping we have been slogging for hours mate’.

The hike down to the parking lot was pure agony for me, and I have to say I felt like an old man. My knee was hurting like crazy, every step was an effort. Reaching the temple after a hour and a half, we descended 400 concrete steps (don’t you love steps when you have a bad knee’ ) and I was so happy to see a vendor under the main roof in the parking lot selling drinks and snacks. I quickly down a teh bottle and grabbed a liter of water. When we reached our car at 11.45am Mick and I were pretty spent.

Back at Pura Agung hotel, we took a freshing cold shower and got ready to leave. On the ride from Selat to Klungkung we stopped at a restaurant called Bukit Jambal which had a lovely view of the surrounding hills, and was serving an all you can eat buffet.

I got a cup of black tea to get me going followed by some vegetable soup. After that I finished off 2 plates of chicken stir-fry with chilis, steamed vegetables, chicken satay and rice. It was good food and price was 65,000rp.

Riding back through Gianyar Mick’s machine caught the attention of almost every male resident, its ‘gnat on steroids’ sound, turning heads as he flew past. I trailed on my ‘bebek’ and tried to take Mick’s line through the villages, as he is an experienced rider.

We managed to lose each other once but cell phone technology got us together again. We finally said ‘au revoir’ at the start of the highway in Lebih, which leads to Sanur. Mick shot off in a cloud of dust, and I poodled back to Seminyak.

This trip was enjoyable and strenuous. I think for a healthy person getting up to the summit isn’t too hard but takes some time. While I’m in Bali I’d like to try going from the other side, with better preparation of course. I think the longer route with easier gradients might suit me better.

Hiking Gunung Agung:

•What is it?
The highest point in Bali.
•Where is it?
Karangasem district in East Bali
•How high is it?
3142m
•Is it active?
Not right now. Last erupted in 1963.
•How far is it from Kuta?
About 3 hours.
•Where do you hike from?
Pura Besakih or Pura Pasar Agung.
•Accommodation:
Accommodation for hiking Gunung Agung can be found in the village of Selat, at the Pondok Wisata Puri Agung. (0366) 23037. You can also arrange a car to drop you off at the trailhead from guest houses, as they are fully used to doing it.
•How long does the hike take?
From Besakih side it will take maybe 6-7 hours to summit. From Pura Pasar Agung, about 4 hours.
•How strenous is the hike?
The hike is pretty much a long walk up a 30 degree slope. People who are not used to exerting themselves for more than an hour will find it tough. A generally fit person will be able to summit without a problem.
•What is the trail like?
Footing can be tricky, as it is heavily rutted. Broken legs and ankles are a hazzard. There are no switchbacks. Its straight up and straight down, which is a killer on the knees.
•Best time to go?
Dry season, starting before dawn for Pura Pasar Agung around 4am or at midnight for the Besakih route.
•Equipment needed?
Several liters of water per person, some food, sunblock, a hat, strong boots, a change of t-shirt, light sweater, cell phone in case of accident, flashlight, money.
•Guides:
Guides are available at the trail, and can also be arranged in advance through guest houses. The lower section of the mountian are forested, so it might be a good idea to hire a guide. After the tree-line the summit, or direction to it is always in view.
•Who is this hike good for?
People who like adventure. Fit people looking for a tiring hike lasting several hours.
•Who is this hike not good for?
Older people. People who are not in good physical shape, young kids. People with knee problems.