Travel Notes on Bali (Part Six): Mount Batur

Mount Batur is the most famous volcano in Bali, standing at 1,717 meters tall. It faces Mount Agung from afar, with Lake Batur flowing in between. Mount Batur and Mount Agung were once part of the same mountain range, but due to long-term tectonic movements, they gradually separated. Mount Batur is an active volcano. At its summit, one can still see smoking holes, but it has been dormant for many years. Even if it were to erupt, the Indonesian government would issue early warnings. The paths on Mount Batur are trodden by people, with fine gravel and steep turns. It starts with a flat gravel path, with soft blackish-gray fine sand underfoot, which the guide says is volcanic ash. After covering one-third of the journey, the path becomes steep, with some large rocks stubbornly blocking the way, and the path underfoot turns into dirt tracks, wild paths, and irregular, rough roads. The huge double-layered crater is hidden at the peak, which is flat like a plateau. It is dormant, and from a distance, it looks plain and unremarkable. Only a slight heat escapes from it, quickly evaporating, making it hard to notice that it is still 'restlessly stirring'. However, the surrounding satellite mountains and dense forests are lush and vibrant. To the left of its ridge, another tall peak rises, forming a semi-circle with it, tightly enclosing the bright Lake Batur; to the right, a barrier-like mountain range rises abruptly, becoming the satellite peaks that surround it. Mount Batur has erupted lava 26 times, with the most recent one in 2000. It is said that during the eruption, the lava flowed as far as 64 kilometers to the coast of Pasar. Mount Batur is both the fire of death and the fire of life. Like a magician, it has destroyed villages, shrines, and lives, and yet it has also spewed out rocks, lakes, rivers, and mineral-rich soil. The citrus, bananas, coffee, coconuts, and other crops around the volcano thrive, and people have rebuilt their homes here. Mount Batur