Indonesian outdoor equipment brand Eiger Adventure has advised consumers against any hiking trips amid the ongoing pandemic.

After months of closure, some reopened mountain trails have been flooded with hikers. In August, hundreds of visitors flocked to Mount Lawu in Magetan, East Java, where management was overwhelmed in controlling the crowds. In the same month, more than 15,000 hikers swamped Mount Bawakaraeng in Gowa regency, South Sulawesi, to celebrate Independence Day. Mount Gede in West Java also saw a spike in the number of travelers visiting the area in September, prompting management to close the hiking trails again.

Galih Donikara, a senior mountaineer who is also part of the EIGER Adventure Service Team (EAST), shared his views in a statement. “For the time being, we have to play safe. Stay active by doing small simulations around the house or small hills in a remote area. Do it during weekdays so you can avoid crowds and go only with small groups,” he said. 

“Our common goal in hiking is to get healthy, and we don't want to bring diseases back home. Remember, the point of hiking is to come home safely.”

Read also: More visitors now allowed at Mount Bromo

Based on his most recent hike on Mount Ciremai, West Java, to check whether or not health protocol was applied, Kang Bongkeng from EAST shared his suggestions for hikers as well as mountain management.

“Officials need to be consistent and assertive in keeping the hikers disciplined. Deploy patrols to make sure health protocols are heeded. There should be limits to the number of hikers and hiking trails. Finally, hikers should arrange excursion times in an efficient manner,” he said. (gis/wng)

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