Agung

Agung is a difficult Volcano. Ascent is tiring, weather is often bad and there is not much water on the track. But rewards are great once you reach the crater rim.

I rented a motorbike in Candidasa, and it took me around 1h to reach Pura Pasar Agung temple early morning. 

Don't miss the right turn to take Jalan Gunung Agung, at a place called Sangsang.

There were nobody in the carpark, saving me the hassle of arguing with guides. I started escalating the steps and crossing the temple area, when a guy suddenly asked me to wear a kind of doti around the waist as it was a sacred place. I agreed to rent one for 10k. 

I went at the back of the temple, climbed the wall and discovered a trail heading up North, besides a few water tanks. I had no idea how long it will take me, so I had only a pack of biscuit and a bottle of water on me, and also my goretex. In fact my original plan was not to climb the Agung but only to visit the Pura Pasar and Besakih surroundings. 

But then I thought, oh, Pura Pasar is at 1600m, Besakih at only 1000m, and the crater is at 2800, so it's only 1200m more, I can do it! Why go to Besakih? I don't like going down. It s still early, I have time.

I had no idea it will take me all day to go  up and down! Luckily after 90min of ascent, I found a very small dam with some muddy water in it, I refilled my bottle and drink a full liter before going on. I was surrounded by monkeys happily drinking there so I put 2 water tablets in my bottle instead of one.

The hard part started from here. The path is steep,  not well marked, but as it is straight up the slope, you cannot miss it. Hours were passing fast, and still no view of the crater. After 2h, I reached a place with big rocks, and some marks on the rocks meant that, yes I had to climb them. After another exhausting hour, I reach a ridge, and at this moment, by luck, the clouds were swept away by the very strong wind up here, and I could see the crater in its entirety! Fabulous, it lasted 30s, but was enough for me and justified all my pain. With no more food or water on me, I decided to go down immediately by the same way.

I refilled my water at the little dam with the same monkeys, and reached the temple in time to give back my doti. Exhausted but done.

Total ascend: 4.30h, descent: 3h