Indonesia has a lot of volcanoes. This because Indonesia placed in volcanoes line. Mount Batur and mount Agung are two of those volcanoes line that located in Bali island. As tourist love to do mount Batur Trekking, will the erruption affect to the tourism? Let’s see.
The Condition Of Mount Batur
Mount Batur trekking can do in Kintamani District, Bali. This mountain has 1617 meters height from the sea level. It has a very wide kaldera. Not every volcano has wide kaldera. This made mount Batur special and famous. The kaldera itself is special, too. It looks like crescent.
In Bali’s traditional religion, mountain is a sacred place. The mountain may be the place of special spirit that protect the villages around. That’s why lots of traditional people are so respectfull to mountain. As other mountain, Batur is a habitat of many plants and animals. In some part, mount Batur has rocky land that covered by green plants. To give the same respect like the traditional citizen, hikers should do the same. First thing we we can do is never put living plants from theis habitat, especially if the purposes are just for fun or other egoistic reasons. The second way is respecting the mountain by never waste anything around the mountain. No wasting plastic, dirt, or others that can make the place uncomfort.
Mount Batur also has a wide lake, named Batur Lake. This lake located 1.050 meters above sea level. It has about 50 meters depth and 16 km squares wide. This lake is beautiful and serve the irrigation for the villages around. At night, from the mountain side, these villages and lake is so beautiful.
Mount Batur Trekking
Mount Batur trekking start from Pura Jati Luhur. This place can reach by about 30 minutes trip with cars or motorcyles, that you can find from Ubud. Visitors may charged with entering fee. But don’t worry, because the fee is not that expensive if compare with the experence you’ll got. If visitors need mount Batur guide, the management that stay around the Pura will help. With cheap enough fee, the guide will help new visitors find the way to mount Batur’s summit.
The trekking usually start before dawn, so that hikers can reach the summit on sunrise’s time. Hikers can reach the summit with about two hours trekking. The path is flat at first. But it getting steep more and more untill summit. Hikers should prepare their energy and mind, because the trekking will be harder and harder. Along the way, hikers can see the lamplight from villages around the mountain. Prepare water for the body’s suply. You’ll need flashlight to help you see the situation around. For your information, some path of mount Batur are slippery. You’ll need the flashlight on foggy situation, too. In a high level of fog, trakker may only has limited sight. The hiking effort is so high, but the situation and the view from summit will be the reward.
Sunrise from mount Batur’s summit is so beautiful, because hikers can see sunrise that meet mount Abang and the lake. This won’t be found in other places. The beautiful view is not only the sunrise, but also the other sides. Combination of rock and green plants will be a nice object in photos.
Mount Batur’s Eruption
Untill this day, mount Batur is still categorized as active volcano. There always be possibility of eruption along the mount Batur trekking. Mount Batur erupted many times. The last eruption happened in 1998 and 2000. The history said that the bigest erruption happened in 1963. The victim said that they should leave their home to move to safer place. They should bring ‘obor’ to see the road.
It’s danger to hike on a mountain along the eruption. That’s why visitors should know the update condition of the mountain. Browse online to find news about the situation. If it seems danger, you better cancel your plan to do the trekking. The view from the summit is beautiful, but put yourself into danger is not wise. You still can hike it later.
But in a condition you are hiking a mountain, here are some tips or what to do if you feel unusual earthquake or other eruption’s signs.
- Be Calm, Never Panic
Many people become victims of a disaster because they’re panic. If you’re panic, you’ll loose control of yourself. You’ll forget safety procedure that you may ever trained. You may do something unreasonly, that can bring you and peoples around you into dangerous situation.
Learn to control yourself in any situation, so that you can think clearly how to safe yourself and peoples around you. Be calm and then think to find safer place. In volcano eruption situation, you should leave the mountain as soon as you can. If you find animals, they can be your pattern. They can be a guide where’s the safer place. There might be also a direction from lifeguards or chiefs who placed around the mountain. They’ll show you the safe path to save your life.
Maybe you should leave the stuff you bring to make you can move easier. Your life is more important than those stuff.
- Cover Your Nose
Eruption not only produce lava. It also may produce toxic air and vulcanic dust. To protect your respiration system, cover your nose with a fabric. This will avoid the toxic air and dust entered your respiration system, or at least reduce them.
In some situation, glasses also function to protect your eyes from dust.
- Back Soon And Leave The Summit
As you feel unusual earthquake or other vulcanic eruption sign when you hike Batur Mountain, go back soon. Leave the mountain.
Hiking a mountain is a fun activity that can refresh your body and soul. Be sure to do it safely by choosing the right place, time, situation, and preparation. Mount Batur trekking tour will be the unforgetable journey. Be sure that the memories about it are the good ones.