Foreign Climbers Injured On Mount Rinjani, Safety Issues Plague Indonesia’s Popular Hiking Destination

Friday, July 18, 2025

Indonesia’s second-highest volcano has been erstwhile again successful nan spotlight aft 2 overseas visitors reportedly fell into a valley wrong a 24-hour period, adding much brackish to nan coiled astir nan information of nan mountain’s hiking trails. The latest incidents, pinch a Dutch climber and a Swiss hiker, travel connected nan heels of a deadly mishap earlier successful nan year, wherever a Brazilian tourer met an unfortunate fate. The incidents person prompted broader discussions astir nan country’s information measures and section authorities’ efforts to safeguard visitors to nan quickly increasing tourer destination.

A Day Apart: The Accidents That Sparked Concerns

On July 17, 2025, a Dutch climber, Sarah Tamar van Hulten, fell into a valley adjacent Segara Anak Lake, situated astir 1 km beneath nan summit. The incident occurred astatine astir 2 p.m. section time, soon aft a Swiss national, Benedikt Emmenegger, suffered a akin autumn nan time before, connected July 16. Emmenegger, aged 45, was descending from nan 3,727-meter acme erstwhile he fell into nan ravine, suffering aggregate injuries, including surgery limbs and terrible facial bruising.

In consequence to some accidents, nan Indonesian authorities quickly mobilized hunt and rescue teams. A chopper from adjacent Bali was dispatched to nan segment of each mishap to assistance successful evacuating nan injured climbers. While nan removal of Emmenegger went comparatively smoothly owed to favorable upwind conditions, nan challenges faced during van Hulten’s rescue were much complex. Efforts to airlift van Hulten were initially delayed, but rescue teams yet succeeded successful evacuating her safely.

Both climbers fell wrong proximity to each other, drafting attraction to nan peculiarly treacherous quality of this portion of nan trail, wherever erstwhile accidents person besides occurred. Their falls were reminiscent of an earlier calamity that occurred connected nan mountain, erstwhile a Brazilian tourist, Juliana De Souza Pereira Marins, tragically fell into a valley and died successful June 2025. This latest information of incidents has raised questions astir nan wide information of hiking connected Mount Rinjani.

Previous Accidents and Growing Public Scrutiny

The 2 caller falls bring nan full number of superior accidents connected Mount Rinjani successful June and July to four. These incidents travel only a period aft Marins’ death, which was wide criticized for nan slow and inadequate consequence by section rescue teams. Marins, who had fallen connected June 21 from a narrow, vulnerable conception of nan way adjacent nan summit, had reportedly survived for immoderate clip aft nan fall. However, owed to mediocre upwind conditions and difficult terrain, rescuers were incapable to scope her until respective days later, by which clip she had passed away.

Public outcry complete nan handling of Marins’ rescue was widespread, pinch galore questioning nan competence of section authorities and their preparedness for specified situations. The hold successful her removal has go a focal constituent successful nan ongoing discussions astir Mount Rinjani’s information protocols. Reports of disappointment family members and comments from Brazilian citizens person only intensified calls for improvements successful nan handling of emergencies connected nan mountain.

In nan aftermath of these incidents, Indonesian officials person vowed to re-evaluate hiking routes and enforce stricter information measures. Local authorities person promised to instrumentality a much effective reappraisal of regulations related to hiking procedures and licence requirements for tourists.

Improving Mount Rinjani’s Safety Measures

The increasing number of overseas tourer accidents has prompted nan Indonesian authorities to reconsider its existent information infrastructure. Authorities person acknowledged that while Mount Rinjani’s rugged terrain offers stunning views and attracts a important number of world trekkers, nan risks progressive successful climbing nan upland are considerable. As a result, respective cardinal initiatives person been projected to trim nan likelihood of accidents and amended information standards connected nan trails.

To reside these concerns, plans are underway to instal imperishable information ropes on captious sections of nan mountain. This will beryllium accompanied by amended informing signs to guideline hikers done much vulnerable parts of nan trail. In summation to these beingness improvements, nan authorities has committed to strengthening training programs for section guides and porters, ensuring they are decently certified and equipped to woody pinch emergencies.

There person besides been calls to overhaul nan rescue protocols utilized by nan Mataram Search and Rescue Agency and different organizations progressive successful upland rescues. This includes ensuring that rescue teams are much adequately prepared to grip specified emergencies, particularly successful nan arena of bad upwind aliases difficult terrain. The challenges faced during nan rescue of Marins and nan much caller evacuations item nan request for amended instrumentality and coordination betwixt section authorities, tourism providers, and world travelers.

Mount Rinjani’s Popularity and Its Perils

Despite nan increasing information concerns, Mount Rinjani remains a celebrated destination for trekkers seeking an adventurous hiking experience. The mountain, which stands astatine 3,727 meters, is renowned for its breathtaking views, including nan spectacular Segara Anak Lake located successful its crater. Many visitors travel to nan region from astir nan world to witnesser nan yearly migration of wildlife, nan stunning landscapes, and nan challenging yet rewarding trek to nan summit.

However, nan allure of Rinjani’s beauty must beryllium balanced against nan inherent dangers posed by its steep cliffs, unpredictable weather, and rugged terrain. Since 2016, location person been complete 200 recorded climbing accidents, pinch 17 fatalities, galore of which progressive overseas tourists. These statistic service arsenic a grim reminder of nan risks progressive successful hiking connected specified an unforgiving mountain. Mount Rinjani’s history of accidents underscores nan request for much robust information measures to protect visitors while preserving nan destination’s appeal.

Conclusion: A Call for Better Regulation

As leases for Mount Rinjani support drafting group from each complete nan world, nan telephone for stronger information measures becomes stronger and louder. Despite promises by nan Indonesian authorities to act, nan latest accidents person underscored nan urgency of an overhaul not conscionable of nan mountain’s information infrastructure, but besides of rescue protocol. With nan authorities now making a concerted effort to cleanable nan spot up to make it safer and much family-friendlyfor visitors to visit, surely different balancing enactment tin beryllium to guarantee that climbing Mount Rinjani becomes an activity that visitors tin undertake without fearfulness of worrying astir what would hap if they should get into a sticky situation.

In nan meantime, much than 2,000 trekkers per period will not beryllium stepping ft connected nan volcano that was their main logic for coming to Lombok, and that move is expected to person a large effect connected section businesses. The bully news is, pinch nan caller information measures being put successful place, Mount Rinjani should beryllium capable to support its position arsenic a premier escapade recreation destination while offering further information to nan group who want to climb its challenging trails.

References: Mataram Search and Rescue Agency, Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy of nan Republic of Indonesia