Sun Rise at Batur

On Friday, February, 26 2010 I hiked to Batur mountain with some of my friends (Yoyok, Salmon, David, Amruh, Tanti, Pram and Ola). Batur mountain is an active volcano in Kintamani, Bangli District, Bali, Indonesia. Located in the northwest of Mount Agung, the mountain has a caldera measuring 13.8 x 10 km and is one of the largest and most beautiful in the world (van Bemmelen, 1949). This place can be reached from Kute for two hours by motorcycle with high-speed. Batur’s heigh is 1.717 metres above sea level.

We started to go there in the evening at a half past eight from Kute by four motorcycles. After an hour, we stopped to have a break near Tampak Siring Palace (about thirty minutes from Ubud). Unexpectedly my stomach was trouble, might be it was caused by rootbir that I drank in the afternoon before having the trip (a friend of mine was also trouble with his stomach after drinking rootbir).

We continued the trip and arrived at Pura Jati at about eleven o’clock. There were two routes to start hiking. The first one was Pura Jati route and the second one was Toya Bungkah route. We decided to start from Pura Jati because that route was clearer than Toya Bungkah route and local people (Perhimpunan Pencinta Alam Gunung Batur) suggested to choose that route. We took a break at a pendopo near main road before starting to hike. We prepared a mattress and sleaping bag and made some hot drinks and noodles to warm our body. We also prepared Arak Bali to warm our body.

We decided to catch the sun rise, so we had to start hiking at three o’clock. We slept with sleeping bag prepared and mattress at the pendopo. There were only us at that pendopo. I didn’t sleep that night since my condition was really bad and I puked T_T. At two o’clock in the morning we woke up and tidied everything. Once ready we parked our motorcycles at that place and entrusted them to local people there.

The track was so dark, I hardly saw anything without flashlight. We should have brought a flashlight for each person instead of just five. I experienced that it would be better if we had put everything in the bag-pack without burdening our hand with handbag or other stuff. At some points it was difficult to be passed since it was dark and more sheer. My stomach was getting worse and so did a friend of mine. On every step I passed I wish I had reached the peak since I was so tired and exhausted. There was another group behind us, might be we were slow that was caused by me (my condition was so bad). Finally after hiking for two hours we reached a place where there were many people that were having a break. Some of them were foreign tourists and some of them were local tourists, For a brief moment I thought it was the peak of the mountain and then my friend said that we were at the mountain’s crater.

After having a rest for a half hour, we decided to continue to the peak, but four of us wanted to stay at the mountain’s crater. That time the track was cleared since the morning was coming. There was a slippery soil that could make us slip or dragged behind. It could jeopardy us if we weren’t hike carefully. Finally, we saw a few people there and that time I could ensure that it was the peak of the mountain. It took thirty minutes to reach the peak from the crater. I could see clouds, mist, mountain sides, a lake with a village around it and another mountain clearly from the peak. We also saw a sun rise from the peak. It was so beautiful to see the scenery from the peak of the mountain even though it was cold there. From reaching the peak I learnt that we should never give up and be firm until we reach our purpose since it will feel so nice if we can finish something we start.

We spent more than an hour on the peak while enjoying the sun rise and the view and then we went back to the crater from different route. We went along the edge of the mountain. It looked a little bit scary since the left side and the right side was mountain side and the route was double longer than the route we came to the peak. There were local tourists that boiled some eggs by graving them on the ground that contained sulphur. We saw a circle rainbow on the mountain side, I didn’t know where it came from. The way back to the crater wasn’t easier than the way that we came to the peak. It was caused by the slippery soil that make us to be extra carefu. If not we could fall a part to the mountain side. After walking about an hour, we arrived on the crater, then some of us ate noodles or snack to fill our stamina.

At a quarter past nine we went down back to the starting point. I was so exhausted and tired. I just ate two pieces of bread since my stomach was trouble. I also felt so thirsty on the way back and drank much water. Finally, we arrived at the starting point at about eleven o’clock and took a break on coffee shop. We continued to go to a famous Hot Spring in Toya Bungkah. The ticket price was thirty five thousand rupiah. We swam and took a break on the hot pool for an hour. After cleaning ourself, we continued to go back to Kute. It was an expensive experience .

Pendopo

Sun Rise Is Coming

Sun Rise Is Coming

Sun Rise Is Coming

Sun Rise Is Coming

Four of Us at The Peak

Me at Batur's Peak

Eight of Us at The Crater

Mountain Monkey

Scenery

Scenery

Scenery

Scenery

Thank to Salmon for the photos and everyone helped me reached the peak..

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