Other Important thing that should be brought during Hike to Mt Agung

During the Trekking trip I took my iPhone and Nikon D90 with me. Indeed It is definitely worth having a decent camera for sunrise and for the walk down. On the walk up it is unlikely you will need to use your camera other than for a few pictures of the city lights in the distance. I meant to take a tripod, but I forgot to bring it with me. In any event, the summit was so crowded that it would not have been practical to set one up as there simply was not any space to do so. My advice would be to leave the tripod at home (unless you are going for the summit of course as you are far more likely to have that to yourself). There is very little phone signal coverage on the way up so that you should consider it. I had a small daypack — ideally you bring as small a backpack as possible with you.

Drugs that you need
As a matter of fact that the climb up in Mt. Agung is extremely strenuous and, if you are not an experienced climber, you will need to have your wits about you. As it is suggested so, I used a moderate pain killer/anti inflammatory (Nurofen 400) on the way up and down back. I took two tablets before the start of the trek, two more two thirds of the way up and two more at the summit before starting back down. I am glad I did. (This is more than the recommended dose — you should follow the instructions on the pack of the drugs. Or you can talk to a doctor. Also, Make sure that you eat something before you take any of the drugs.)

Take a good rest often
Another fact is that the trail is more or less straight up — there are almost no switch backs and, of the entire climb, perhaps 100 metres is on relatively flat terrain. The relentless nature of the trail itself is extremely tiring. Matters are made worse by the quality of the trail surface. Up high you are often scrambling on bare rock with plenty of rubble — big and small — while down low the trail can be slippery and very muddy too, often with exposed tree roots ideal for tripping people up. Because of this fact, then you must watch every step. This is serious. There are no safety barriers and no safety ropes along the trail.

These factors which are combined with the physical drain of climbing, means that you are well suggested to take good rest often. At that time I rested perhaps for 15 times on the way up, fewer times on the way down, each time lasts for around two until three minutes. This good rest gives you time to compose yourself and catch your breath for the next journey. This journey is not a race and do not try to treat it as one. Consequently your guide should not push you and should keep it to your pace. If your guide is outpacing you, just ask them to slow down.

Kindly please use a guide
Although guides are supposedly compulsory I saw six Russian people climbing during the day without a guide. I would say that this is extremely unwise. I used Bali Jungle Trekking Company on both my climbs and recommend its guides. It charges us for the climb before any costs for transportation (I had my own car so I didn’t need to be picked up from Sidemen). Guidebooks and other travelers are also good sources for recommendations. Regardless of who you use, arrange to meet the day before so you can discuss the climb and so that the guide can address any queries you may have.

Please don’t freak out
An incident occurred at around 2,500 meters just as I was about to traverse a fairly steep rock section, I involuntarily vomited. This incident was followed by what I can only describe as a wave of, “I’m freaking out now”. I halted and rested for a few minutes (I actually hid the vomiting from my guide as I didn’t want him to make me turn back as it is so close to the summit). Then I drank some water and just chilled out till I got myself together. From there I went on to reach the crater rim. In my mind, just keep your head.

Make sure to do some stretches
As a matter of fact, unless you go climbing a peak every other day, climbing Agung is perhaps going to be a bit of a shock to the system. So, ensure to do some simple stretches before starting to wake those legs up. If you feel cramping coming on during the climb, just take a rest and do some more stretches. At the end of the climb, when you already arrive back at your guesthouse, please take a good rest. If you have time, book a massage for the following day (you have earned it!) — The chances are that you will be sore for a few days after the exhausting climbing tour.