Trekking Mount Batur at Sunrise

But words cannot describe how overwhelmed, and proud I was when we finally reached the top of Mt Batur. It was one of the hardest physical things I've ever done, conquering not only the world but also myself and my own abilities. In this article, I want to share with you the whole process from booking and preparing for the actual trek itself and show you the true side of the entire hike. We booked our trek about three weeks before our trip to Bali, only because it was our first time in Asia and we weren't sure if we could book trekking over there. But after our visit, I can tell you that you can. You can book pretty much everything over there, but a little research is always a good idea!
Preparing for the trek
If you are visiting Bali for the first time and plan to hike Mt Batur, you probably wonder what shoes and clothes you should take. It all depends on all the other activities you have planned and how much luggage you are carrying, but a good pair of trainers or water/hiking shoes will do. I wore pretty much my entire gym outfit, starting with a sturdy pair of trainers, leggings, sports bra, top and a jumper. I also packed my waterproof foldable raincoat into my foldable backpack. Comfort and warmth is the key as it will be freezing on the top!
The Trek
We set off. Excited, tired, and maybe a little bit scared. Well, I was, for sure, perhaps for the first few minutes because I didn't know what to expect.Our group consisted of our tour guide Nyoman, Carl and me and the three other people. We all started off pretty fast, catching up with different groups of people ahead of us and slowing down when the narrow road started to climb. It was exciting, I think the adrenalin started to kick in, as soon we approached the forest, using head torches to light up the giant trees, all the tiredness disappeared, and I wanted to approach the top immediately. Although I knew that wasn't quite possible yet as we had a long journey ahead of us.
I joined the gym six months before the trek because I wanted to build up my stamina and overcome my low cardio due to my asthma. When we kept stopping every few minutes due to the rest of the group being unable to keep up, I was glad and grateful I didn't have the same problems. Bear in mind, this was only maybe 45 minutes after we set off and a few people were already struggling!The trek started to get steeper, curvier, narrower, sometimes way too narrow, but it was worth it. I felt so pumped up with adrenaline, that I didn't care, I didn't talk, just went for it, overcoming my fear of asthma or panic attacks. I worked so hard for this, I didn't want to give up. And I didn't.
Mount Batur at sunrise
We made it. We reached the top of Mt Batur just after 6am when the sun was slowly appearing in the misty horizon, and the island was stretching out in front of us dressed in a golden coat. It was totally worth it. Sunrise on top of Mt Batur was the most incredible sunrise I've ever experienced, and because images sometimes speak for words, I leave you to enjoy the views.
Do it. Climbing Mt Batur at such crazy early morning hours (or night?) was the most insane, hardest but also the most exciting thing I've done. I have never done anything like this, I am not even a hiker (just recently bought a pair of hiking shoes), but if I could, I would do it again. From the clumsy morning to the physical struggle during the hike, to squatting in the jungle trying not to pee in my trainers, to the picturesque views, fog and volcano mist hiding the island, to the total exhaustion and excitement. There is nothing like it, I promise you, if you do it, you will take back home with you the best memories and stories. And some dusty clothes too!