Climbing Mount Agung, Bali

Hiding from the cold wind and taking photos with the sunrise

With our guide 

Dancer's pose 

Woah?

The way down

Climbing Mount Agung was not one of my greatest moments, especially since I was so unfit, but somehow I managed to struggle my body up that insane mountain to the crater rim before the sun rose. This was honestly the most physically strenuous activity I have ever done in my life. We began early (as I was certain I would take a long time) at Pasar Agung Temple which is supposedly the easier route up Mt Agung. 

It wasn't easy. 

We got picked up at our hotel at at 1030pm by our guides from wayan guides, whom we found recommended by so many others on tripadvisor (wayan.idguides@gmail.com). They provided us trekking poles and headlamps and I definitely would not have made it without the help of those poles. 

The trek started of with climbing up many stairs to reach the temple. After that we entered the forest where the incline gradually increased. We took many breaks along the way and our guides made fires to warm ourselves from the cold. When we hit the rocky bits, we had to hoist ourselves up rocks as if we were rock climbing. Cass even joined up with another group in front of us because she was so fast (and so so fit) while I lagged behind. Feeling especially weak and pathetic, I told the people behind me to go on ahead because I didn't want to prevent them from seeing the sunrise. Our guide, Made was patient and helpful and another boy from Singapore stayed behind me insisting that he had seen many sunsets before and telling me that I could do it when I really just wanted to lie down and cry sit down.

After lots of loud sighing and muttering to myself about how I was almost there, I got to the crater rim which was full of happy smiles, dancing, maggi mee, hot tea and selfies. People were doing all sorts of strange things like balancing on one leg on rocks. It was wonderful and I wanted to stay up there for a long long time despite the insane wind blowing at our faces. I was dreading going down because it would be way more painful. Going down really was much more painful both physically and mentally. I kept slipping and it made me feel weak and lousy. 

After many hours, I was just so tired and somewhat hysterical in wanting it all to be over. I hit my knee particularly hard on a tree and couldn't walk properly for a few days. We finally got to the base of the Mt Agung and hobbled over into the car and slept all the way back to the hotel. We were very smelly. 

Do I regret climbing this crazy mountain? No. 

Would I do it again? Never. 

Do I secretly want to climb Mount Rinjani (which is apparently even harder)? Maybe in a few years haha. 

Tips: 

• Wear better shoes that don't slip 
• Be fitter- train harder for it! 
• Wear gloves and a hat at the crater rim, I wore a thermal shirt underneath and it was hot climbing up (take off outer jacket) but I felt warm and toasty at the crater rim 
• Be mentally prepared for a long night/day
• Knee guards