Hiking Disasters In Bali And Lombok Are A Serious Call For Caution By Tourists

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Tourists traveling to Bali and Indonesia’s most famous volcanic and mountainous regions are being urged to plan their trekking adventure seriously.

There is a prevailing misconception that since many of Indonesia’s most famous volcanic peaks are bucket list adventures, they are easy; nothing could be further from the truth. 

The calls come just days after a Brazilian tourist died on Mount Rinjani in Lombok and after four hikers were rescued from the slopes of Bali’s Mount Batukaru. Officials from the Bali Search and Rescue Office launched a rescue mission that took more than 24 hours to successfully locate a group of four hikers who were lost on Mount Batukaru in Tabanan Regency on Sunday, 29th June. 

Search and Rescue Post Coordinator Kadek Donny Indrawan confirmed to reporters that the four hikers were successfully located at around 7 am on Monday, 30th June. Indrawan told reporters, “At 7.18 am, we received information from the [lost group] that he told his father that he was lost in the Sarinbuana Pura Jatiluwih area.”

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The group of four teenagers, two sixteen-year-olds and two eighteen-year-olds, set off to climb Mount Batukaru a 4.30 am on Sunday, 29th June without the assistance of a guide. The parents of one of the climbers, known by his initials KGS, alerted Bali Search and Rescue teams after receiving a call from their son. 

The Head of the Bali Search and Rescue Office, Nyoman Sidakarya, told reporters, “His mother reported that her son said goodbye to go climbing Mount Batukaru with three other friends. In the afternoon, KGS’s father had contacted the victim at 11 am via mobile phone, but after that, he could not be contacted again.”

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Sidakarya deployed a team of six search and rescue officers to scour the trekking route to locate the group. The group was rescued safely and was able to walk with search and rescue officers back to the Pujungan Village before traveling home. 

The successful rescue mission on Mount Batukaru this weekend is an all too timely reminder to tourists, both domestic and international, to always hire a local guide before hiking and trekking on any of Indonesia’s volcanoes, mountains, and forested areas.

Indonesia’s trekking routes, including those in Bali, are famously poorly mapped and poorly signposted. Rapidly changing weather conditions, along with treacherous terrain, result in hundreds of call-outs to Search and Rescue teams nationwide every year. 

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Following the death of Brazilian tourist Juliana Marins on Mount Rinjani, the Indonesian Government, along with the national Search and Rescue authority and tourism departments, have all pledged to review the Standard Operating Procedures for the country’s hiking, trekking, and climbing areas. Marin’s body was recovered from the slopes of Mount Rinjani after an intensive four-day mission that caught the attention of the world. 

Indonesia’s Minister of Forestry, Raja Juli Antoni, has issued sincere statements confirming his commitment to ensuring the safety and security of trekkers, guides, porters, and forestry staff across the country, yet too called for tourists to seriously consider the risks involved in climbing Indonesia’s volcanoes and mountains. 

Minister Antoni told reporters, “Climbing the mountain is not the same as going to the mall. Requires physical, mental, and adequate equipment. Don’t just follow the trend, because safety should not be at stake.”

He added, “Our imagination about climbing a mountain should not be equated with going to the office, on vacation; this requires physical exercise, complete equipment, and mental readiness.”

Tourists wishing to hike Mount Batur, Mount Agung, or Mount Batukaru in Bali are required by law to be accompanied by a registered local guide.

Tourists are advised to ensure they are fit and healthy before attempting the climb and to carry all necessary safety equipment and survival resources, so they are adequately equipped in the event of an emergency. 

Tourists are also advised that many travel insurance policies do not cover mountain climbing and volcano trekking as standard policy inclusions.

It is essential to understand what is and is not covered by an insurance policy before booking and embarking on adventure activities in Bali and around Indonesia.