Had Closed Due To Bad Weather, Mount Rinjani Climbing Reopened April 1

Panorama Gunung Rinjani, Lombok, NTB (ANTARA)

MATARAM - The Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) will open Mount Rinjani climbing tourism on Lombok Island, West Nusa Tenggara starting April 1, 2023, as weather conditions have improved.

"The natural tourist destination climbing Mount Rinjani National Park, which was previously closed, will reopen on April 1, 2023," said Head of the Mount Rinjani National Park (BTNGR), KLHK, Dedy Asriady, quoted by ANTARA, Saturday, March 25.

The Ministry of Environment and Forestry closed the climb of Mount Rinjani on the island of Lombok from January 1 to March 31, 2023 due to extreme weather conditions that endanger life safety.

The closure of the hiking trail is also in the context of restoring the ecosystem in the Mount Rinjani National Park area.

Dedy said that the climbing tourist destination of Mount Rinjani National Park, which was opened, includes the climbing tourist routes of Senaru and Torean in North Lombok Regency. In addition, the climbing routes of Sembalun, Timbanuh, and Tetebatu in East Lombok Regency, as well as the Aik Berik hiking trail in Central Lombok Regency.

Visitors who will carry out climbing activities can register or book online via the eRinjani application starting March 27, 2023.

"Registrations for climbing natural tourism visits of Mount Rinjani can be carried out from 05.00 to 20.00 WITA," he said.

In addition to climbing nature tourism, he said, his party will also reopen two non-hit natural tourist destinations which were previously closed due to extreme weather conditions.

At the same time, a new non-hit natural tourist destination will also be opened, namely Tiu Ngumbak Waterfall in Kayangan District, North Lombok Regency.

Dedy said the quota for natural tourist visits to Mount Rinjani National Park was enforced at 100 percent of the normal visit quota with a climbing duration of four days and three nights.

"All climbing and non-hipping natural tourism activities apply general guide discipline and follow the revision of standard operating procedures," he said.

Data from BTNGR recorded that the number of tourists climbing Mount Rinjani for the March-December 2022 period was 55,348 people, consisting of 45,390 domestic tourists and 9,958 foreign tourists.

The number of climbers in 2022 has increased compared to the April-December 2021 period of 39,226 people, consisting of 38,785 domestic tourists and 441 foreign tourists.