Mt Agung Bali

Posted on by Bali Jungle Trekking in Best Place for trekking in Bali

Mount Agung Bali Active Volcano

Mount Agung is the highest active volcano located in the eastern part of Bali. The height of the mountain is 3,033 metres above sea level. It is also the fifth highest volcano in Indonesian archipelago. Mount Agung has significant spiritual values to the people of the island. Besakih temple as the mother temple of Bali is located on the slope of the mountain. The last eruption of the mountain was in 1963. It was one of the largest volcano eruptions in 20th century on earth. The history of the volcano eruptions are not well recorded, but it was surely that it occurred once in the 1820s.

Mount Agung is the Highest Volcano in Bali

The lower slopes of the mountain is covered in green forest, but this soon gives way to a remote landscape of dry volcanic rocks and ashes. At lower slopes it also remains tropical but becomes quite cold but often very windy on the high bare rock slopes. From the summit of Mount Agung the views are extraordinary in all directions, but perhaps the most dramatic is the view to the east where the sun rises above Mount Rinjani in Lombok island.

There are wild pigs and macaques settle on the forested slopes of Mount Agung. There are also birds, hawks and eagles, but is not as obvious and easy as to observe compared to those in the West Bali National Park. A pair of monkeys is often seen at the crater rim above Pura Pasar. Mount Agung has dominant role in controlling the climate of the surrounding area. Mount Agung takes the water of the clouds that come from the west so that the west becomes lush and green and the east suffers from drought.

Mt Agung is a Holy Volcano in Bali

Mount Agung Sunrise Trekking Tour

The best time of climbing Mount Agung is in the dry season of April to October. January and February should surely be avoided if possible because of heavy rain, possible flooding and even landslides in the area. Most groups of climbers climb Mount Agung on a guided day trip package, with a pickup late night from your accommodation anywhere in Bali and drop off after the climb back the next late afternoon. It takes 2-3 hours by car to reach either the Besakih or Pura Pasar Agung trailheads and all logistics will be provided of for you. You can also reach the same trailheads independently by renting motorbikes/scooters with the aid of Google Maps and GPS navigation on winding country roads with almost no sign at all. In this way, you will pass many villages with petrol stands and shops for basic needs, interspersed among stretches of terraced rice paddy fields and low mountain passes with sweeping views as the mountain looks nearer and nearer on the horizon. Mount Agung is considered holy and for that reason it is usually prohibited for climbing during important ceremonies, especially during April.
Whether guided or not, appropriate gears are crucial in trekking or climbing. Foot wears, jackets, should absolutely be well prepared. Somebody in the group (the guide for example) should carry a minimal first aid kit, working cellular phones with a local SIM card, GPS compass and maps, and knowledge of how to call for a rescue, kept in a waterproof case, and ideally with additional battery. It would also be considered foolish not to carry a headlamp even if you start your journey during the day, an emergency blanket, backup food & water and further first aid equipment such as compression tape. You should challenge any guide if they do not have those equipment.