Climbing Mt. Batur

Mount Batur (Gunung Batur) is an active volcano in Bali about an hour north east of Ubud. The volcano is active (it steams) and lava from the 1968 eruption is still visible. The lake, Danau Batur, is in the center of the volcano crater.

The two hour trek up the volcano is usually done at night because it makes for a cooler hike and the sunrise to the east over mt Agung and the lake is incredible. We took a taxi from Sanur around 3am to start the hike by 5 for the 6:30 sunrise. Here we are after the climb up rocking volcanic rock and gravel along steep paths and volcanic cliffs lit only by handheld torches (flashlights).

The sunrise is incredible and they sell coffee and tea at this little base camp. What a memorable spot to eat breakfast!

After  sunrise we climbed around the volcano ridge. At the very top shrouded in mist and clouds we met some friendly monkeys who happened to love cheeze-its.

The climb down was a bit spooky, seeing all the cliffs we had passed unawares on the way up.

There are tomatos and chillies growing at the base of the volcano. Maybe I need some lava to get my little chili seeds to thrive. 

After the trek we had lunch and enjoyed the volcano view from the nearby town of Kintamani. We also enjoyed a long nap in the taxi.