The highlight of my time in Bali so far. really really incredible views of the crater at the top. This was my second attempt and i’m so glad I returned. I counted more than 20 people telling me it was unwise to do this without a guide. “It’s too hard! you’re gonna die. it’s not a hike, it’s scrambling, you won’t be able to find the trail at the top.” Part of the appeal of these types of things is the problem solving that happens when the trail turns into a volcanic field of falling rocks. There were a few people who understood that I wanted to do this in solitude. I asked one guy what the record was and he told me it was a little over 3 hours… broken down roughly 1:45 up, 1:20 down…. I managed to do it in 1:56 up, 1:13 down. It rained the entire duration of the descent. Slippery, slidey, soaked and covered in mud, I wouldn’t have had it any other way.