A social climb to the cloud-covered Gunung Abang peak

On my (gradual) quest to summit the ten tallest volcanic peaks of Bali, I’m setting off on a Very Early Morning hike to the peak of Gunung Abang – or Mount Abang – the third-highest of Bali’s many volcanic mountains. After meeting my guide Ketut, we set-off on our route via the more popular route from Suter Village to the south-west (which is also the closest trailhead from Ubud). The ascent consists of three “sections” separated by shrines, which for convenience I shall label as the Easy Bit, followed by the Very Steep Bit and finally the Steep Bit.

A lesson quickly learnt: avoid weekends for this hike. Unlike the super-popular Mount Batur which is busy every day with a mostly tourist-crowd, Mount Abang has hundreds of locals making their way up the track. In hindsight, a guide isn’t essential for this walk, with the entire trail well defined – and on a weekend, you can just follow the crowd! (The advantage of having a guide is that the cost includes the entrance fee, which seems to vary wildly for tourists depending on the “local mafia”.)

Sadly, the summit of the 2,151.2m high Mount Abang – the highest point on the rim of the Batur caldera – is shrouded by cloud and offers no view. On a clear day, the summit offers a view of Mount Batur and Lake Batur on the west side, with Mount Agung on the south side.

The good news is that there are some outstanding views from the ridge once we drop out of the summit clouds… the Mount Abang route consists of three “sections”: (wihtthe

from the top (as it was too dark to take many photos on the ascent), the first section is fairly steep, with a number of fixed ropes which are not really needed.

There are glimpses through the trees of Lake Batur, and the twin peaks of Gunung Pengelengan (2,102m) and Gunung Pucak Mangu or Mount Catur (2,096m).

To the south of Gunung Pengelengan / Gunung Pucak Mangu are many peaks of the Batukaru mountain range.

The eroded trail continues to descend steeply, with frequent glimpses of Mount Batur on the opposite side of Batur Lake (which is the largest active caldera lake on the island).

Despite the large number of (very friendly) hikers, it’s a very pleasant trail that is shaded the entire way by enormous rainforest trees.

(The descent took longer than the ascent – partly because I’m taking lots of photos, and partly due to human traffic jams – but some of the younger and braver locals slid down the slippery trail at high speeds!)

The end of the Steep Section is marked by a Pura Andong (1,808m elevation) where there is a small shrine for praying.

Pura Andong also This marks the start (or end, if you’re ascending) of the Very Steep Section.

The trail is most eroded and slippery along this middle section, and the ropes are useful for avoiding an unintentional and uncontrolled slide.

It’s more exhausting but quicker going up than down…

…with careful foot placement needed on the rough trail.

The Very Steep Section finishes at Pura Peyawat (1,575m elevation), another small mountain shrine: between the two mountain shrines, the route ascends or descends 235m over about 700m of distance. From here is one of the best views of the entire Gunung Abang hike, with a sweeping vista of Lake Batur.

Almost directly below is the town of Abang Batudinding, with its floating net cages. Lake Batur is a vital hub for freshwater fisheries in Bali, with tilapia (nila and mujair) cultivated in the cages.

Now only the Easy Section remains, with a descent of about 200m over two kilometres. By comparison to the rest of the trail, it’s almost flat… Just after Pura Peyawat you can see the top of Gunung Abang which is still covered by cloud, and the lower Trunyan Hill peak (which you traverse if approaching Mount Abang from the northern side).

The last kilometre is easy walking back down to the trailhead.

There’s a small stand selling drinks where the hiking trail meets the road, and a few last views over Lake Batur and Mount Batur on the final stretch back to the parking area.

The total hiking time was about four hours – about an hour and a half up, but over two hours for the descent – partly because I was taking photos (the ascent being mostly in the dark), and mostly because of the many narrow, steep sections where we had to wait for people climbing up. On a quieter day, you could complete Mount Abang in 3 – 3.5 hours.

Getting to the Gunung Abang (Suter) trailhead

The route starts at Sutaer, on the south side of Batur Lake in Kintamani, Bangli Regency – about a 1:15min drive from Ubud. Just before the trailhead you pass the Mount Abang Trekking Office, where you need to register and pay the official fee to climb Mount Abang, which (in 2026) was 150k rupiah for foreigners. From the ticket office it’s 1.5km to the trailhead and parking area along an unsealed road.

Why hike Gunung Abang?

If you’re looking for a less-busy alternative to Mount Batur, Gunung Abang is a great choice (especially during the week)! But even on a weekend when the trail itself is busy, there are only a handful of people on the summit. It has a far more “chill” vibe of locals enjoying a hike – rather thanguides herding tourists up the mountain – and great views from the trail and from the summit. It’s also fairly easy to find a guided tour.

Gunung Abang (Mount Abang) routes

There are two established trails to the Gunung Abang (Mount Abang) peak:

• From Suter (south) as described here is the most common route, which is not busy during the week – but I would avoid on weekends. 7km / 800m ascent / 3-4 hours.
• From Terunyan Village (north) which is slightly longer and a bit harder as it traverses Abang Trunyan (Trunyan Hill) on the way to the Gunung Abang summit. About 1:20min drive from Ubud if you start at Terunyan Village, and 2:30min to the Terunyan Hill trailhead. 9.3km / 1,280m ascent / 5-6 hours.
• Two additional trails lead to the summit from the east (which merge just below the summit) – they are much longer, and no information is available on these routes.