Enjoying the experience of hiding from the cold wind and taking photos with the sunrise with our experienced and helpful local trekking guide is really joyful. Taking photos in endless poses is really exciting, too. The challenging routes of the trek are adventurous.

MISERY OF CLIMBING MT AGUNG BALI

Now let me tell you about my journey way down the route heading to Pasar Agung temple. Unfortunately, Climbing Mount Agung was not one of my greatest moments, especially since I was so unfit at that time, but somehow I managed to struggle my body up that insane mountain to the crater rim before the sun rose. This was honestly the most physically strenuous activity I have ever done in my life. We began early (as I was certain I would take a long time) at Pasar Agung Temple which is supposedly the easier route up Mt Agung.

IT WASN’T EASY.

Our local and experienced guides from Bali Jungle Trekking, whom we found recommended by so many others on tripadvisor picked us up at our hotel at 10.30 p.m. They excitedly provided us useful trekking sticks and head lights and I definitely would not have made it without the help of those very useful sticks.

The trek began with climbing up many stairs to arrive at the temple. After that we came into the forest where the incline gradually increased. The challenging trek made us took many breaks along the way and our guides made fires to keep us warm as it is quite cold there. When we hit the rocky bits, we had to hoist ourselves up rocks as if we were rock climbing. Cass even joined up with another group in front of us because she was so fast (and so so fit) while I lagged behind. Feeling especially weak and pathetic, I told the people behind me to go on ahead because I didn’t want to prevent them from seeing the sunrise. Our guide, Made was patient and helpful and another boy from Singapore stayed behind me insisting that he had seen many sunsets before and telling me that I could do it when I really just wanted to lie down and cry sit down.

After undergoing lots of loud sighing and muttering to myself about how I was almost there, finally I got to the crater rim which was full of happy smiles, exciting dancing, maggi mee, relieving hot tea and many selfies. We could see People who were doing all sorts of strange things like balancing on one leg on rocks. It was wonderful and I wanted to stay up there for a long long time despite the insane wind blowing at our faces as if slicing our face skin. I was dreading going down because it would be way more painful than climbing up. Going down really was much more painful both physically and mentally for me. I kept slipping and it made me feel weak and lousy along the way down the active volcano.

After many hours of hiking extremely down, I was just so exhausted and somewhat hysterical in wanting it all to be over quickly. Accidently, I hit my knee particularly hard on a tree and couldn’t walk properly for a few days after the trekking tour. We finally got to the base of the Mt Agung Volcano and hobbled over into the car and slept all the way back to the hotel. As a matter of fact, All of us were very smelly.

Do I regret climbing this crazy mountain? No.
Would I do it again? Never.
Do I secretly want to climb Mount Rinjani (which is apparently even harder)? Perhaps in a few years ha ….ha. …ha.

USEFUL TIPS:

Put on better shoes that don’t slip
Be fitter- train harder for it!
Put on gloves and a hat at the crater rim, I wore a thermal shirt underneath and it was hot climbing up (take off outer jacket) but I felt warm and toasty at the crater rim
Be mentally prepared for a long night/day
Knee guards