After three months of closure, Rinjani National Park on neighboring Lombok has lifted its ban on climbing to the summit. There are several routes up the mountain — Aik Berik, Timbanuh, Sembalun, Torean, and Tete Batu — and more than 700 people have already made the trek in the first few days after reopening. Rinjani is a truly stunning volcano with incredibly scenic views, so the excitement among hiking enthusiasts comes as no surprise.
Rinjani is an active volcano with a unique crater, inside which a new mountain — Gunung Baru — has formed. The summit had been closed since the beginning of 2025 due to seasonal changes and worsening weather conditions. Such closures usually occur at the start of each year. They give Mount Rinjani time to recover and help protect climbers from risks.
“Today is a full house. The enthusiasm from tourists is amazing,” said the head of the national park, Yarman. According to him, the Torean route in the Bayan area of North Lombok was crowded with both local and foreign tourists. The same was seen on the Sembalun route in East Lombok — the two most popular climbing trails. Most visitors head to Segara Anak Lake and Pelawangan.
“Many hikers go to Segara Anak Lake via the Torean route and then continue to the summit of Mount Rinjani,” said the park head.
The park is now implementing a zero-waste, eco-friendly climbing program. Tourists are required to use reusable water containers instead of plastic bottles. “There must be no plastic waste during the climb. This approach helps reduce waste and preserve nature,” Yarman emphasized.
Rinjani National Park sadly reported that in 2024, tourists left behind 40.8 tons of garbage along the mountain trails. Most of the waste consisted of non-biodegradable materials: plastic, cans, glass and plastic bottles, paper, and napkins.
Recently, park officials have blacklisted 202 tourists for failing to follow waste disposal rules during their climbs. Most of them were Indonesians. Unfortunately, local residents often show a complete disregard for the ecology of their own islands. That’s something we may not be able to change — but what we can do is make sure we don’t leave trash behind, whether it’s on Mount Rinjani or the streets of Canggu.
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