Dawn Breaks at Batur

sitting in small warung beside the lapping waters of Bali's lake batur, in the fishing village of toya bungkah, we tucked into steaming bowls of fried rice to prepare for our early morning rise. the village, one of eight 'bintang danu' (stars of the lake).dotted arround the water's edge, is the main starting point for trekking up gunung batur-one of Bali's most photographed active vulcanoes built along side sulphurous hot springs that bubble into the lake, even the village's cheapest home staysboost a constant supply ao hot water, perfect for easing the aching limbs of weary hikers.

the crescent -shaped lake batur is set within the gigantic caldera of an exitinct volcano. it is reminiscent of a huge sup bowl with a serrataped lip, a floor half covered in water and so set of volcanic cones-the volatile mass of mount batur-budding in the centre. at 1717 meters, batur is by no means Bali highest volcano but it'is Bali's second most sacred mountain after gunung agung, and has erupted more than 20 times over the last two centuries.
it was only 8pm when we decided to head back to the pavvilion to sleep. we needed as much as possible before our wake up call at 03.00am, when we have summit attack in the darkness up the slopes of the mountain.
nine of us had originally planned to undertake the trek but my friend, edo, the least enthusiastic member of our team, had found on excuse to drop out of the expedition. within five minute of arriving at toya bungkah, we'd been approached by a woman carrying two fluffy ball of fur- the region is famous for the kintamani dog, Bali's only officially recognized breed. kintamanis are allegedly endowed with the social attributes of semi-tame dingo. nevertheless, we had succumbed to the charms and sweet faces at the puppies and had purchased the least woolly of two and taken her back to the homestay, edo then announched that he had assumed the role of tour manager and puupy-sitter, promising to wave us off in the morning and meet us with the car at the end of our trek. a full mean had risen, like a slately clock-face, above the shadowy jagged contour of the ancient creater walls. within minutes it's reflection had pierced the inky black waters of the lake like a ribbon of shimmering mercury. i shivered slightly, unaccustamed to the chill mountain air. it was the end of the third week of september, the time in europe of the autumn equinox when the full moon is known as the harvest moon. i wondered about the significance of such a moon on a bountiful tropical island that yields a continually rotating harvest of rice. to the balinese, a full moon is always auspicius. musings concluded i turned to my companions, " i think we've inadvertently chosen the perfect night for our adventured." later, from the west-facing veronda of our room, i regarded the towering silhoutte of gunung batur under a diamond-studded black velvet sky , unsullied by steetlights, behind me, to the east, the moon had ascended higher in its journey across the heavens, in preparation to navigate us up the volcano during the final two hours before sunrise.
it was suprisingly cold when we set out at 4am. dressed in jeans, socks, hats, sweaters and warm, waterproof jacket, we strode to the starting point at a brisk pace. with four craters to choose from, there are numerous routes up the vulcano.
our plan was to be at the very top in a time for the sunrise, and we'd choosen the shortest but steepest route through the forrest o the northeast side.
despile carrying torches, it wa still easy to stumble on the rough stony ground. within ten minutes i was feeling hot and uncomfortable in my nylon cagoule and had stop to remove the top layer of my clothing. naturally, i was looking forward to reaching the summit but hiking up the precipitous slopes of an active volcano in the dark had suddenly lost in attraction. meanwhile, our party had increase in number- we'd been joined by a friendly dog which appered to have for move enthusiasm and energy than i did.
it wasn't long before we entered the forest corpeting the lower slopes of the mountain. although the moon was still visible, its light had been diffused by the thick curtan of trees and branches, so our route became dark and rather eerie. up ahead a light appered and as we drew closer, i realized to my amazement that we were approaching a small house; its inhabitants were cleary awake and aking their preparations for the day a head. it seemed extraordinary and memories of the fairytale hansel and gretel come flooding back to me - a wood man's cottage in a clearing in the forest. a mon come out of the house carrying a gas lamp, his wife followed with atorch and a large cool-box. they spoke briefly to us and the woman said goodbye to her husband before dissapearing up the steep path at remarkably fast pace. my friend explained that she needed to get up the mountain ahead of us as she would be making the tea at top. apart from us and the dog, the tea lady wasn't the only one in the forest. i soon realised that the slopes were huming with activity ; groups of local people were also ascending the mountain to collect fire wood to bring back and sell before the heat of the day set in. before we even neared the summit, we met some of them already on their return journey, laden down by the huge baskets on their backs ; i couldn't imagine what i must be like to do the climb on daily basis.
when we reached the end of the forest, the terrain changed and our path became steep and rocky. looking back we could see the shadowy outline of gunung abang towering above lake batur and the early glow of the dawn in the eastern sky. to the west, the full moon was still guiding our way. i was struggling with the steep ascent and a kind- hearted drinks vendor in pink trousers, who'd joined our group, took my hand and helped me negotiate the sharp ridges. i made in a mental note to buy one of his drink at the top.
we finally reached the crest at about 6 am and were greeted by the awesome view of the sun rising from behind the mighty Gunung Agung. the ethereal summit of Bali's most revered mountain was a misteriously ghostly image behind Gunung Abang..
perched on the narrow rim at the creater, we watched the radiating colours of the sky change from indigo to violet to vermillion. greeting the sun, i surveyed the stronge lunar landscape around is which was punctuated with bizzare hillocks, a zeries of craters and steam. puffing holes in the ground. the early morning exertion had inspired quite a hunger and the uniqe breakfast of baked bananas, hard boiled eggs and hot tea, cooked to perfection in the natural heat belching from the belly of the vulcano, went down extremely well indeed.
after enjoying the beauty of the summit for about an hour, we set off an amore leisurely descent down the long easy route, stopping to rest beside the black solidfied lava flow that once caused so much terror to the surrounding villages. footsore yet exhilarated, we returned to our rooms for a well-deserved massage and a relaxing bathe in the nearby hot spring. it was not yet midday but i was completely exhauted and ready again for bed!




Text by : michele gearaves
photo : -