Spiritual Leaders Urge Tourists To Respect Temporary Closure Of Bali’s Mount Agung

Share The Article

Tourists in Bali are being urged to respect the temporary closure of sacred Mount Agung.

The active volcano and deeply sacred landscape are closed to the public until the 30th of November for ceremonies, but some tourists have not only disobeyed the rules but have also required rescuing. 

The Public Relations Manager for Pura Pasar Agung, Wayan Suara Arsana, has confirmed that two tourists had to be rescued from the slopes of Mount Agung this weekend.

Not only did the couple flout the rules regarding the temporary closure of hiking routes, but they embarked on the hike along a route that was experiencing a wildfire.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by MOUNT AGUNG TREKKING TOUR (@mountagungguide)

Arsana said that the pair had embarked on the Pura Penugubengan Besakih Route in the early hours of the 12th of October.

Issuing a statement live on from the scene, Arsana explained, “For the time being, the identities of the two foreigners are still unknown. There was only a motorbike placed in the Pura Penugubengan Besakih area, and the two of them rode it in at night.”

Arsana reported that he did not harbor any upset against the two hikers, who are now known to be German and Russian nationals, noting that they may not have known that the hiking route was closed.

However, he is calling on local tour guides, local tour agencies, tourism stakeholders, and the public to come together to reiterate the information that Mount Agung is closed to the public until the 30th of November. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by 🌊 𝐷𝑒𝑑𝑦 W 𝐾𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑎𝑤𝑎𝑛 은혜 하늘 (@dedybaliagung)

He added, “We have [all] previously been advised not to climb Mount Agung from the 1st of October to the 30th of November 2024 because there is work at Pura Pasar Agung, and for now, the two foreigners who are on top are being searched for by the relevant parties considering that there is currently a forest fire on the slopes of Mount Agung, we are afraid that things will happen that we don’t want.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Something Incredible Took Place (@somethingincredibletookplace)

Speaking to reporters after the pair were successfully located, the Coordinator for the Karangasem Regency Search and Rescue Post, I Gusti Ngurah Eka Wiadnyana, confirmed that the pair were found by a local guide who was supporting the rescue mission. 

Wiadnyana explained, “We only monitored from below because the targets had been found by a local guide, and they made their way down safely. The foreigners were trapped when they were about to come down because there was a fire on the slopes of Mount Agung and tight on the path the foreigners were climbing.”

In September 2024, the Chief of the National Search and Rescue Agency, Kusworo, called out domestic and international tourists for attempting to hike the country’s most dangerous peaks, including those in Bali, without guides and without the right equipment.

Kusworo called hikers who disobeyed the guidelines ‘reckless,’ and He told the media he wants to see hikers prioritize ethics on Indonesia’s active volcanos and mountain peaks. 

Mount Agung will be closed for the next month and a half so that the community and temple leaders can conduct Karya Tabuh Gentuh Wana Kertih, Segara Kertih, and Nubung Pedashan at Pasar Agung Temple in Sebudi Village.

In statements issued on the 1st of October, Arsana communicated, “This work is done once every ten years. The last time was held in October 2014. So this is a big ceremony at Pasar Agung Temple. The [leaders] of Pura Pasar Agung and I really hope that the entire series of works this year will run smoothly from the beginning to the end.”

Bali’s other major peaks, including Mount Batur, Mount Batukaru, Mount Abang, and Trunyan Hill, are all still open for hiking; however, hiring a licensed local guide is a must. Hiking on Mount Agung is set to resume on the 1st of December.