East Java's Mount Semeru to Reopen for Public on Dec. 1

East Java's Mount Semeru to Reopen for Public on Dec. 1
By : Jakarta Globe | on 11:01 PM November 28, 2015


Jakarta. Mount Semeru will be reopened for hiking and mountaineering activities from Dec. 1 after its closure on Oct. 22 due to wildfires that scorched the forests on the volcano's slopes.

The highest mountain on Java, at an elevation of 3,676 meters, Semeru will stay open for a month and will close again on Jan. 5 to give some time necessary for its ecosystem to heal completely, officials said.

Ayu Dewi Utari, the head of the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park (TNBTS), said officials had checked the hiking trails on the mountain following the recent fire and declared them safe for the public.

“The hikers have to stay alert, though, especially at Post 3 since it is prone to landslides. And the officials have also made the hiking trails different from the trails in Waturejeng [a hiking track on the mountain],” Ayu said on Saturday as quoted by Antara.

Despite the highly anticipated reopening, hikers will not be allowed all the way to the summit, known as Mahameru, because it is still too dangerous. The highest point they can reach is Kalimati, at an elevation of 2,700 meters.

“All hikers have to be very well-prepared and equipped with proper hiking gear because the rains have started, causing the temperature to drop as low as 5 to 15 degrees Celsius,” Ayu said.

Mount Semeru located on the border between Lumajang and Malang districts in East Java. It has lost 440 hectares of forest in the recent blaze, reportedly caused by a campfire that was not properly extinguished.