Mount Batur Sunrise Trek

Mount Batur Sunrise Trek-Pineh Trekking

When we started talking about doing the sunrise trek I was thinking that we would be picked up around 4am. No no- pickup time was at 2 am which meant a very early night the night before to try and get a couple hours of sleep before the hike. 

Myself and Anthony were collected first and then we made two more stops to pick up two other pairs. We drove about half an hour out of ubud town to a campsite for (first) breakfast. We sat at a table and were brought tea and coffee and a banana pancake. After breakfast we were given water bottles and headed to the base. 

We met our guide for the trek in the parking lot. Quick bathroom break (there are no bathrooms  on the trail or at the peak) and we were off. The walk starts on a paved road but after five minutes or so we were off the road and onto a sandy path. I was expecting the ground to be more solid but it was a mixture of sand and small volcanic rock—which made the ground a little tricky to walk on. We were all given flashlights to guide our way up- it was a different experience walking in total darkness- we really couldn’t see anything around us. Our guide didn’t speak much English but she did point some things out to us on the way up and was always there to help us climb over rocks or warn us of tricky parts. There were a few clearings along the way where we could take a water break and then guide stopped at a shrine on the way up to leave an offering and pray. The trek took two hours up- and the last half hour was really steep- but overall it was a pretty steady incline nothing too crazy. 

At the top our guide brought us over mats to sit on and we had a perfect view- even though I don’t think there could’ve been a bad view. Just as we reached the top the sky started getting lighter and there was red starting to appear in the sky. We had our second breakfast- a hard boiled egg and two slices of bread- as the sun was starting to rise. The view of Mt Agung across from lake Batur was beautiful with the sun starting to rise and clouds clearing in front of it. I don’t think any of the pictures do it justice for how beautiful it was to see. 

The climb down was almost harder than the climb up. The loose sand that you’re walking on really needs a lot of attention- and even at that it’s pretty easy to slide. Everyone from the peak heads down at the same time so it was slow going- except for the annoying people who would run down in front of you sending dust everywhere. There is a crater from one of the volcanic explosions that we stopped out. Which was very cool except for the monkeys- which I’m really not a fan of. The monkeys were eating the leftover hard boiled eggs and bread that people had- and there were a few fights over the scraps between the monkeys and the stray dogs. Our guide showed us a hot spot from the volcano where there is steam coming out- she lit incense that we could hold in-front of the steam. 

I wore a lot of layers for the climb- it’s cold starting at 2am and you get warm as you climb up- but then the peak is cold to sit up at for the sunrise. Walking back down you’re layered up again but soon enough you can feel the heat of the sun and the layers come back off. 

There is the option to stop at the coffee plantation as you leave the base- but we decided to save that for another day. 

Our driver stopped at a viewpoint for us on the way back. It’s a great point to get a picture of both volcanos- and really take in how far we climbed that morning! 

Cost: 900,000rp-hotel transfer, 2 breakfasts, water, flashlight

50,000rp tip for guide