Singapore climbers sticking to plans to scale active Indonesian volcanoes despite recent deaths
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Mr Andyn Kadir, 41, posing atop Mount Raung, which stands at about 3,340m above sea level, in East Java.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF ANDYN KADIR
- Despite a tragic Mount Dukono eruption killing two Singaporeans, many adventure-seeking Singaporeans remain keen to climb volcanoes, often ignoring warnings for "once-in-a-lifetime goals."
- Mount Dukono's fatal eruption has prompted some Singaporean and Malaysian climbers to reconsider trips, while bans on volcanoes significantly impact local guides' livelihoods and force tour operators to adapt.
- The Dukono incident highlights mountaineering risks and boosts safety awareness among climbers, although some still climb active volcanoes if authorities clear them, prioritising contingency plans.
AI generated
SINGAPORE – A week after the Mount Dukono tragedy, avid mountaineer Andyn Kadir was up on Mount Batur, an active volcano in Bali, to take part in a trail run held between May 15 and 17.
The 41-year-old was running in the BTR Ultra race, which offered competitors trail options of between 7km and 100km.
In recent years, he has climbed active Indonesian volcanoes Mount Raung in Java and Mount Rinjani in Lombok. He has also trekked up Ama Dablam in eastern Nepal and Kang Yatse in the Indian Himalayas.
He said he would not scale a mountain if the authorities have imposed a climbing ban.
“Knowing that the authorities have cleared Mount Batur for the race, despite it being an active volcano, I will climb it with other trekkers and hikers,” said Mr Andyn, adding that he is aware that there are contingency plans.
Race organisers have said on their website that they will evacuate people in extreme cases of injury, sudden illness or severe weather conditions, and added that they are monitoring seismic activity via Indonesia’s Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation.
Mr A. Rahim 35, is also keeping to his plans to scale the 3,700m Mount Rinjani by end-2026.
Mr Andyn Kadir and his wife on Mount Rinjani in Lombok.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF ANDYN KADIR
Mr Rahim said that unless there is an outright ban on climbing, he will proceed with his plans.
“With all the preparation and training I’ve invested, I feel it’s a waste if I bail out on the trip just because Mount Dukono erupted.
“I would still carry on with the climb and ignore the Indonesian authorities if they’ve issued only a warning.”
Both climbers said they are aware of the tragedy that unfolded on May 8 at Mount Dukono on Halmahera island in North Maluku, Indonesia.
A group of 20 climbers, including nine Singaporeans, were at the rim of the active volcano when it erupted.
Singaporeans Shahin Muhrez Abdul Hamid and Timothy Heng, and Indonesian Angel Krishela Pradita, were killed on that day.
The Indonesian authorities had imposed a ban on climbing activities at Mount Dukono on April 17.
Mr Pritam Singh from Singapore tour operator Mountain Adventure Travels said some Singaporeans choose to ascend volcanoes to fulfil their bucket list.
The 62-year-old, who organises treks to mountains in Pakistan and India, said: “Another factor (why Singaporeans prefer Indonesian mountains) is it is very cheap.
“For $200, you can fly there on a budget flight. And fly back over the weekend on a short holiday... to fulfil a bucket list.”
Mr Pritam Singh from tour operator Mountain Adventure Travels says Singaporean climbers are attracted to scale active volcanoes so they can fulfil their bucket list.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF PRITAM SINGH
Some concerns
Indonesian mountain tour operator Jetz Herwanto, who runs Kerinci Paradise, said the fatal incident at Mount Dukono has worried climbers from Singapore and Malaysia.
He added: “Several clients from Singapore and Malaysia have said they are not sure if they want to go ahead with their plans.
“While they have not cancelled their journey (with us), they said they would like to study the developments in the next few weeks before making a final decision.”
Mr Jetz Herwanto flanked by two foreign climbers at Mount Kerinci.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF JETZ HERWANTO
Mr Jetz said the climbers are keeping an eye on a possible review of safety protocols for mountain tour operators and temporary bans on activities around Indonesia’s active volcanoes.
There is currently a ban on all climbing activities around Mount Dukono.
The closure has impacted villagers living around the volcano.
Guides charge between 500,000 rupiah (S$40) and 700,000 rupiah for a day trip up Mount Dukono. The monthly wage in North Maluku is between two million and four million rupiah.
Local guides and porters from Mamuya village, about 15km away from the mountain, have little choice but to return to picking coconuts and nutmeg for money or searching for work in construction, said Mr Alex Djangu, a licensed guide and tour operator from North Maluku.
The three-wheeled motorcycle operators from Mamuya village, who transport foreign climbers and their equipment closer to the base of Mount Dukono, will have no work as well.
Mr Alex, 48, who leads about 100 foreigners a year up the mountain, said he may divert his focus to eco-tourism.
He said: “We all have no choice but to make do and wait for Mount Dukono to open again.”
A banner from the North Halmahera police, which appears to be new, showing a prohibition for hikers, at the entrance of the main route towards Mount Dukono from Mamuya village on May 10.
ST PHOTO: KARINA TEHUSIJARANA
Mr Agus Rohmad, who runs Java Heritage Tour, said the same thing happened to him in 2010. His successful volcano tour business in Central Java took a nosedive when the authorities stopped activities around Mount Merapi, Indonesia’s most active volcano.
Massive eruptions on the volcano, which stands about 2,900m above sea level, resulted in more than 350 deaths and the evacuation of 350,000 residents that year.
“We had to think fast (as a business),” said Mr Agus.
“When we couldn’t take visitors to observe the lava flows or see the crater on Mount Merapi, we diverted our tours to surrounding peaks such as Mount Merbabu and Mount Sindoro. It was less spectacular but it was definitely safer to observe Merapi from a distance.”
Mount Merbabu is about 12km north of Mount Merapi, which is still erupting.
Despite the dangers, Mr Agus said many foreigners and locals continue to be “lava hunters”.
Before 2010, he would get two million rupiah per trip up Mount Merapi. Now, he offers climbs up the surrounding peaks, charging rates of about 2.5 million rupiah to cover a guide, national park fee and transportation.
Mr Agus said: “We were just lucky to have options. But the same cannot be said of tour operators at Mount Dukono.”
The Mount Dukono tragedy is not the first time that Singaporeans were killed hiking up mountains.
In 2024, Mr Harry Tan Eng Kwang, a National Institute of Education educator, was killed when he slipped and fell while hiking in the Everest region of Nepal.
Even the seemingly safe Mount Kinabulu in Sabah, Malaysia, can suddenly turn treacherous. In 2015, 10 pupils from Tanjong Katong Primary School were killed when a 6-magnitude earthquake hit the area while they were hiking.
Mr Singh said that while tour operators cannot predict such forces of nature, they do take safety precautions, such as daily health checks and carrying essential equipment such as a medical kit and oxygen tanks.
He said guides also regularly conduct weather checks for blizzards and avalanches.
Even then, things can go awry.
He recounted how his clients were trapped in a town on Pakistan’s high-altitude Karakoram mountain range in 2025 due to a flood, when a catastrophic release of water from a glacial lake occurred due to melting glaciers.
Mr Singh said: “We couldn’t continue with the tour because we had to wait for five days for the army to build temporary bridges.
“But I was glad that my clients understood the conditions were out of my hands and they decided to take the safer option to visit nearby tourist sites.”
