A Night Trek on Mount Batur

My alarm went off at 1:45 am. I rolled out of bed and found my way out of the mosquito net in record time, especially for someone who had just gotten five hours of sleep. I got dressed, slipped on my hiking shoes, ate a couple of biscuits and washed them down with an iced Nescafe that I had bought from the Circle K down the street. At 2 am, a driver arrived at the homestay to transport me and two others to the foot of Mount Batur in Kintamani, which is about an hour from Ubud. The German couple I was traveling with fell asleep during the car ride, but I was much too excited to shut an eye. Riding shotgun, I chatted with our driver and gripped the armrest in fear each time a stray dog ran into the road, which was about once every kilometer. 

We arrived around 3 am, met our trekking guide (a sixteen year old high school student) and began to follow her lead up the active volcano, with our flashlights in hand. We climbed at a quick and steady pace. The terrain was still moist from the recent rainfall, and I had to use my hands several times to catch myself when the gravel-like volcanic rock slipped under my feet. But it was a fairly easy hike, only taking us one and a half hours to complete 1700 meters. 

Once we emerged from the layer of fog that surrounded the two calderas, we were welcomed with a blanket of a thousand stars--the brightest I'd ever seen. Our group of four were the first ones to reach the summit, arriving an hour before the sun, so we sat and waited in the cool mountain air. I spent that time enjoying the silent stillness. I said a quick prayer, thanking God for the many opportunities I've experienced over the course of my travels. And sitting there, dangling my feet over what felt like the edge of the world paradise, counting my blessings on shooting stars, I certainly felt like the luckiest girl in the world.

{the first signs of daylight}

{prayer offerings on top of the volcano} 

{it's possible to see the ocean from this view point on a clear day} 

{beginning the steady descent into "the clouds"}

Advice for hiking Mount Batur:

-Book the tour through a reputable company. For safety reasons, visitors are not allowed to complete the sunrise trek without a local guide. There are several tour companies that offer similar packages, but make sure you're getting exactly what is advertised. I say this because I wasn't 100% satisfied with the booking I made. While I can't recommend that company, I've was pleased with another tour I did with this one, and they also offer a Batur trek.

-Bring your own flashlight or headlamp. I borrowed one from my homestay and the light was so dim that it barely covered the area around both my feet. Be safe and bring your own.

-Wear layers. You might work up a sweat trekking uphill, but it's gets cold once you reach the top, and it can feel like a long wait for sunrise if you're wearing shorts.

-Bring a backpack or small bag to secure your loose items and free up your hand for the climbs. I thought the pockets in my jacket would be enough space to hold everything I needed, but I ended up wishing I had worn a rucksack.

-Pack bottled water. This may be provided depending on who you booked the hike through, but it's a good idea to bring some with you just in case. Same goes for snacks.

-Don't leave your good camera at home. The lighting and visibility can vary greatly at the peak, and you'll definitely want more than just your phone to capture the sunrise. 

-Ask your guide to take you to highest vantage point. Most groups will stop at the lower vantage point, but there's another one just 25 minutes up the slope. All you have to do is ask your guide.