10 Comments

Wise words, which is what we expect from you! Given that the issues here are very similar to those currently being experienced on Fuji-san and Machu Picchu, it would be great to see the likes of Japan, Indonesia, Peru, etc come up with a system of restricting access that can be applied (with locale-specific modifications) to oversubscribed AONBs around the world. Priority given to religious pilgrims, and a lottery for limited tickets for everyone else.

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Yup, totally agree. All these peaks, walks could benefit with some kinda universal baseline math and management, rather than the ad hoc treatment we see today. Better for the peaks, the people, and tourists.

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Sep 13, 2023Liked by Stuart McDonald

That narrow ridge leading up to the summit would have to be very dangerous to negotiate with the crowds of climbers you experienced. Capped numbers surely needed for climbers safety reasons alone.

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That ridge in the pics is one of the alternative routes up, tho most take it going down rather than up, coming up the broader route in the last pic, so taking a circular approach. But yes, no shortage of sheer drops--other peaks far more iffy, Rinjani for example, or Tambora which has an oversupply of ridges to fall off!

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Those reforms all sound very common sense.

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Cheers, it’s a complex one, particularly the local politics behind the current situation, so hard to tie down in under 10,000 words, but brass tacks, seems a means to encourage a longer stay.

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Thanks for shedding some light on what seems a critical issue.

Other famous treks like the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru limit the maximum number of hikers to 500 a day, with hikers booking months in advance to secure a spot.

I’ve done the Inca Trail earlier this year and the trails were clean and didn't feel overcrowded.

Sure it’s a bit more expensive and it can only be done with a tourist guide, but why not do the same here?

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I’m not all that familiar with the Inca Trail, but I think it’s scale is bigger, so perhaps can handle more people? My core consideration I guess is Batur, through promoting the climb above all else, is a bit of a one trick pony, and by tying a climb to a longer stay, there’s the opportunity to get away from that a bit.

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Would you make exceptions for Indonesian visitors?

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No. Religious yeah I guess so, but recreational hikers, no. Into the same mix. Perhaps a greater portion of tickets could be apportioned to domestic travellers, not sure. Would really need to be based on the current mix.

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