Peakbagger.com
Peak Lists	Climbers	Ranges	Geography	Help	Search	Log In

Ascent of Gunung Agung on 2007-06-23

Climber: Rob Woodall

Others in Party:

Adam Helman
Bob Packard

Date:

Saturday, June 23, 2007

Ascent Type:

Successful Summit Attained

Peak:

Gunung Agung

Location:

Indonesia

Elevation:

3013 m / 9888 ft

Ascent Trip Report

Gunung , 3014m, P3014

Map: None known

Stats: mH; 5+5mi

Time: walking time <11hrs including a fair few stops. A fairly tough day hike. I don't recall any camp sites, and the usual approach is a day hike with an early start.

Accommodation: we stayed at Gunung Agung Inn, in Selat: very pleasant, with an evening view of Agung to die for.

Red tape: no permit needed.

Guide: we arranged a guide via the Inn: around $100 between the three of us, rather a lot compared with later mountains. This included transport to & from our lodgings - 5km each way maybe.

Water: none en route: we took 3-4 ltr each.

Difficulties: a few steep sections negotiated by tree root ladders; just above the tree zone is a section of easy scrambling. The summit ridge is quite airly, and a bit loose at one point.

Start: from Purah Besakih temple complex, SW of the summit. We drove in from the W and took a path which emerged into the complex about halfway up.

Route: we were dropped off on the E side of the temple complex (I assume there's a car park just downhill). From here we walked W into the temple complex, then took the main route uphill and out of the complex. There are a few bends and turnings - follow the main trail uphill. The trail, paved at first, passes farmland and houses, then a small temple. Here our guide stopped to pray for a good outcome, and invited us to do the same (well, in a meditative eastern kind of way). The trail reverts to steep forest, with frequent 1-2m climbs on ladders of tree roots, then after the forest stops, the trail bends L under a cliff then scrambles up R to surmount it. Above this, steep slabby walking leads to a narrow ridge, whence to the W top. A fine crest leads E over a subsidiary top, to the highest point.

Summit: a rock poised airily above the crater. Fine view initially, although the cloud sea obscured Rinjani on Lombok from view.

Trig point: none found.

Notes/report: we arrived on Bali early p.m. from the Lombok ferry, then took a taxi/minibus to Selat. The Gunung Agung Inn was the first place we found offering Agung climbs (Gung Bawa Trekking, mentioned in Lonely Planet, are in the centre of the village, further W). The owner phoned a guide, who shortly turned up on his motorbike. We agreed terms for the next morning, when he met us at the Inn before 4 a.m. We were driven to Purah Besakih and started walking 04:24. The W Top was reached at 10:30, the summit at 10:40. We lazed here, tucking into the boiled eggs and coffee which our guide had brought. We headed down at 12:05, arriving back at the temple complex about 16:30. The temples can be seen well from the route; refreshments and extensive memorabilia are of course available.

Weather: warm and sunny throughout (early start took the heat out of the ascent).

Summary Total Data

Elevation Gain:

2179 m / 7155 ft

Extra Gain:

60 m / 200 ft

Distance:

16.1 km / 10 mi

Route:

from SW, Purah Besakih

Trailhead:

Purah Besakih temple 954 m / 3133 ft

Grade/Class:

YDS 3

Route Conditions:

Maintained Trail, Unmaintained Trail, Scramble

Gear Used:

Guide

Weather:

Hot, Breezy, Partly Cloudy

Ascent Statistics

Time Up:

6 Hours 16 Minutes

Descent Statistics

Time Down:

4 Hours 25 Minutes

This page has been served 1285 times since 2005-01-15.