Above Bali’s famous Bedugul lakes, Mount Catur (or Gunung Catur) rises into a cool belt of rainforest where coffee farms give way to mossy paths, dripping ferns and mist. The destination is not simply a summit: at the top stands Pura Pucak Mangu, one of Bali’s important mountain temples. Mount Catur is the sixth highest mountain in Bali – although it’s not actually the highest point on the ridge (more on that later!). Of Bali’s tallest mountains, Mount Catur has one of the easiest trails to the summit.
Ascending from Tinggan (Pelaga)
The Mount Catur trail from Tinggan (at least initially) is more of a paved path than a hiking trail, as it ascends gently through the jungle under the canopy of enormous trees.
It feels more like a pilgrimage to a temple, than a rugged mountain hike.
Although the trail deteriorates a little and eventually becomes hard-packed dirt, it’s easy walking. After about three kilometres of steady climbing, the trail briefly levels out.
At the end of this short, level section is Pura Pucak Tinggan, a small temple complex where hikers or Hindu pilgrims may pray for safety before continuing upward to the Mount Catur summit.
From this lower temple, the trail gets a lot steeper for the final 0.6km stretch, with a combination of stone steps and a slippery, dirt slope where the steps have been washed away.
At the top of Mount Catur is Pura Pucak Mangu, one of Bali’s directional “six spiritual pillars” (Kahyangan Jagat) which guards the island and serves as the northwest protector. Legend connects Pura Pucak Mangu with I Gusti Agung Putu, the founder of the Mengwi kingdom: after suffering defeat in battle, he is said to have undertaken meditation or tapa brata at the mountain. There is no clear date of when Pura Pucak Mangu was constructed, but scientists believe the stone in the temple’s courtyard dates back to the megalithic era. The temple was severely damaged in a 1927 earthquake and unmaintained till the mid 1930s, and then damaged again in the 1970s by a storm.
On a clear day, there’s a great view from the Mount Catur summit, situated along a prominent section of an ancient volcanic crater rim. To the south-west is Lake Beratan and some of Bali’s highest peaks: Mount Adeng, Mount Batukaru and the twin peaks of Mount Sanghyang and Mount Tapak.
To the east is Mount Abang, and behind it the much higher and distant peak of Mount Rinjani on the isand of Lombok.
Even further away to the west are the peaks of Mount Merapi, Mount Ranti and Mount Raung – some of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes located on the island of Java.
Along the ridge to Mount Pengelengan
While the “summit” of Mount Catur (sometimes called Pura Pucak Mangu or just Mount Mangu after its temple) is widely claimed to be Bali’s fourth highest peak at 2,096m elevation, it’s not… the temple sits at 2,023m elevation making it Bali’s sixth-highest peak. The error is likely to come from the fact that the temple doesn’t sit at the highest point of the long ridge, which is about a kilometre further north along the rim. A hiking trail which starts behind the temple continues along the crater rim.
While the trail clearly doesn’t get a lot of traffic, it’s well defined as it follows the heavily forested crater rim with just a couple of steep sections.
The true summit of the Mount Catur crater rim is Mount Pengelengan with an official height of 2,098m (it’s also been incorrectly documented as being 2,102m and even 2,153m in elevation). There’s no obvious summit and no views from this “high point” of the ridge. Just tall, tropical hardwoods towering overhead.
I return the same way to the temple; the detour along the crater rim takes about an hour, and with only the occasional filtered view through the trees it’s only worth doing if you want to “bag” the true Mount Catur summit.
Down from Mount Catur via the Bedugul and Lake Beratan route (Catur Trail)
Rather than descending the same way, you can take a longer trail to the south that offers a more tranquil experience: I don’t see a single person the entire way. Unlike the Tinggan / Pelaga route to the east, there are a few views near the start of the trail.
The reason for this trail being a lot less popular is that, as well as being longer, it’s much steeper. The first kilometre has multiple heavily eroded sections with ropes in place to assist in scrambling down (or up).
The track gets a little less steep for a short distance…
…before the trickiest section where there are a couple of vertical drops that need careful scrambling down the slippery slope.
For the last three kilometres the trail descends (or ascends) more gently as it passes a series of five basic shelters. The first is at around 1,550m elevation.
The next at 1,512m is in poor condition, with just the steel frame remaining.
The rest have fared no better, and don’t offer any protection from the elements.
Towards the end of the trail there are glimpses of Lake Beratan through the trees, before the Catur Trail joins an old road.
The last kilometre is fairly level, as the road passes small agricultural plots and offers a view of Mount Adeng and Mount Pohen to the west.
A small hotel and restaurant (Navalia Villa Bedugul) next to Lake Beratan is a convenient landmark if you’re being picked up or dropped off here. On the opposite side of the lake is Mount Catur (which from here looks like the highest point of the ridge) with Mount Pengelengan on the left.
It’s taken just over four hours for the Mount Catur hike, but allow up to five hours if you’re climbing from Bedugul / Lake Beratan, as this a much tougher ascent than from Tinggan (Pelaga) to the east.
Getting to Mount Catur (and Mount Pengelengan)
The shorter route starts from Parkiran Atas Pura Pucak Mangu in Tinggan (sometimes also described as Pelaga, which is the nearest large village). There is a carpark here and the trail is signposted and very obvious.
From Lake Beratan (Bedugul) you can drive as far as Navalia Villa Bedugul on Jalan Puncak Mangu, although there is limited parking here. The route is less obvious, but follows a road past small farms before reaching the signposted Catur Trail.
Both trailheads are about 1:20min from Ubud – and almost an hour apart by road.
Why climb Mount Catur?
Mount Catur (Gunung Catur) is a rewarding alternative to Bali’s much busier Mount Batur and Mount Agung. It offers some great views as well as the culturally significant temple at the summit, with the option of combining two very different trails. It can be done as a guided tour or you can do it solo (without any fees, and you won’t get hassled by locals if you don’t have a guide).
Mount Catur (Gunung Catur) and Mount Pengelengan routes
There are two established trails to the Mount Catur (Gunung Catur) summit and Pura Pucak Mangu – either of them also provides access to the trail to Mount Pengelengan.
- The trail from Tinggan (or Pelaga) to the east is the most popular and easy route. 6.3km return / 700m ascent / 2-3 hours.
- More concrete paths and steps
- Clearer, more constructed trail.
- A shorter approach to the summit.
- More obvious use by local worshippers travelling to the temple.
- Much less used is the longer and steeper trail from Lake Beratan (Bedugul) to the south. 10.2km return / 770m ascent / 4-5 hours.
- Early views of Lake Beratan.
- A longer passage through natural rainforest.
- More obvious connections with the Bedugul lakes region.
- It’s a quieter and less developed trail than the Tinggan approach.
- Combine these two trails for the best of both trails – this requires a pre-arranged drop-off and pick up at the two trailheads which are about an hour apart by car. 8.7km one-way / 720m ascent / 4-5 hours.
- From Pura Pucak Mangu (temple) a rough but distinct trail follows the ridge to Mount Pengelengan which is the highest point. 2.5km return / 180m ascent / 1-1.5 hours
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