Climbing Mount Batukaru 2.276 masl - Bali (Thumbnail: A Mystic Meeting) [Part 1]

No need to be afraid to walk alone because the lonely journey will bring us new stories and tales.
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Actually, I have no plans to climb Mount Batukaru. But a promise is a commitment and the promise that I made, I must keep it. In fact, I plan to climb Mount Abang with some friends who are also climbing Mount Agung. However, ‘my debt collector’ is getting ready to leave Jembrana and notified me to meet in Pupuan-Tabanan Village on December 26, 2020, at 1 pm. I left Singaraja with Teguh to meet Lanang, the debt collector.
Coincidently, I met a friend from my university days who lives in this area, Anggih. We have a chat and start reminiscing about our past dreams while waiting for Lanang. After waiting for about 30 minutes, Lanang arrived.
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We are too cool to chat. Without realizing it, the time goes so fast, and it is already 1.30 pm. We end our chat and part ways with Anggih; then, we rush to buy needed food for this climb. Then, immediately, the three of us head to the climbing gate of Mount Batukaru: Malen Temple in Pujungan Village.
Dense clouds seem to cover Mount Batukaru. "Hopefully, the rain doesn't flush us during the climb," I whispered to myself. Finally, we arrived at Malen temple at 2 pm, then pack up the food we just bought while checking other equipment.
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Every mountain base in Bali, there will always be a temple because people believe that a mountain is a holy place - a place where the gods and goddesses are. It is a warning that we must always maintain our attitude and behavior during the climb. Moreover, we believe, and it signals us to always ask permission first before taking the steps to the peak.
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Unlike the other mountains outside of Bali, the mountain management for Bali's climbing activities is self-supporting. During registration, we generally only make voluntary contributions. As far as I know, only Mount Abang has better management. There is a registration post with tickets and officers who are always ready to provide climbers information. At 2.30 pm, we start our steps along the climbing track of Mount Batukaru.
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For us, this track is familiar. The three of us have climbed this mountain several times. However, the track on Mount Batukaru is very different and the toughest when we compare it to other mountains in Bali. Even though the altitude is only 2,276 m, the track challenges our mentality. The forest is dense; towering large trees, typical tropical rain plants always accompany along the route. Mount Batukaru itself is famous for its mountain full of leech: a type of animal that sucks blood from its host - a larger being.
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After only 15 minutes of walking, we are feeling tired already. For a moment, we take a rest and catch our breath. Afraid of being too comfortable and getting carried away, we continue our climb. The track that seems to have just been showered with rain force us to always be alert. The fear that we slip, trip, and fall… in the same arms.
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Like climbing on other mountains, we meet other climbers several times who have just come down from the peak. It is not negotiable. The track on Mount Batukaru requires us to find a comfortable attempt at climbing. However, the track we are on is getting tougher, so it is not a new thing for us to hold on to tree roots that are intertwining along the path.
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In the middle of the challenging route, we meet two climbers from Denpasar: Mr. Beny and Mr. Bambang. We have long chats that unconsciously emerge as we slowly lowered our load (backpack) position. It means it's time for us to exchange phone numbers. Because according to plan, next week I will climb again to Mount Abang, and they are planning to join the climbing. We chat for quite a long time, after about 30 minutes, then we take another step. It turned out that not long after, at precisely 4 pm, we arrived at Post 1.
Like most mountains in Bali, Post 1 is marked by a building in the form of a temple. We take a break here. Not long after, several other climbers arrived and rested for a while. After chatting with us and taking a break, they immediately continue their climbing. While we, as usual, too enjoy the scenery. Suddenly it rains, we hurry to put on our coats and continue climbing again.
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Along the way, the three of us share many stories with Mr. Beny and Mr. Bambang. Every time we found a slope, we always spend a long time sharing stories. The rain stops, but this time, the wind's turn breaks the silence in the forest. It feels so serene. I don't know why, the smell of the earth is so calming.
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We are mentally tested. It feels like we have been walking for a while, telling stories from a-z, resting for many times, but we never arrive at the next post until the rain comes again. It is like moving on after being left by a lover, but suddenly she returns and says, "Hi, honey" LOL.