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As I write on a sunny weekend in mid-August in Jakarta, West Java’s largest and most popular national parks are closed to hikers.

Both the Gede Pangrango and the Halimun Salak parks have closed access to walkers until September, the former apparently in “anticipation of forest fires” and the latter due to “adverse weather conditions” — monthlong summer rains presumably.

How the simultaneous occurrence of 31 days of dangerously heavy rainfall and uncontrollable forest fires in such close proximity could constitute genuine reasons for these closures is a question that begs an answer.

Unfortunately, in my experience it is not one which is likely to be answered by the management of either park.

As the editor of GunungBagging.com, an English language guide to Indonesia’s many mountains and volcanoes, I have climbed a large number of peaks across the country over the last 18 months.

Without doubt the most trouble I have encountered has been when dealing with park authorities.

If a mountain peak is not within the boundaries of a national park, it is almost always possible to simply turn up, seek a local guide and set off on an enjoyable trip to the summit.

However, when dealing with gaining access to a peak within the limits of a national park, the process becomes hopelessly complicated.

There is a ludicrous obsession with permits — in the notable case of Gede Pangrango — and an advance reservation is sometimes required.

I am originally from Great Britain, where there is a legal “right to roam,” that is, hikers are allowed unfettered access to most mountain areas except, quite understandably, if it involves walking through somebody’s private property.

This is a fantastic law and one which could help Indonesia attract walkers from across the globe to its superb hiking areas.

Unfortunately, the likelihood of anything like a right to roam in this country currently seems like a wild fantasy.

One of the main problems with national parks in Indonesia is that both their policies and their staff usually attempt to dissuade visitors from attempting whatever it is they wish to achieve.

For instance, arranging access to the summit of Salak 2, Salak’s second-highest peak, has proven to be a mammoth task.

Close to Bogor, this is perhaps the closest significant mountain hike to Jakarta and one that should be accessible to all, regardless of income.

Forgetting for a moment that Halium Salak is closed until next month, one must first obtain permission to gain access to the mountain — I have so far been unable to find out how much that costs and whether I would be able to get a receipt from a park official.

One must also be accompanied by at least one member of the park staff for the entire length of the hike.

Naturally, you also have to pay for the park official to join you.

With that in mind there can’t be many Indonesians who have ever been allowed — and are financially able — to explore the forests of Salak 2.

In Indonesia, it is generally assumed that hikers have very little or no knowledge of terrain, safety and navigation and that people cannot be responsible for themselves.

Surely it would be reasonable to allow hikers to sign a waiver absolving the management of the particular national park from responsibility if they get into difficulty during the hike.

I have said this before, and I will say it again — hiking in Indonesia is a lot safer than trying to cross the road.

Frankly, it would make more sense if city officials required pedestrians to pay for a member of staff to accompany them on all ambles through Jakarta’s tangle of motorized vehicles.

I can fully understand that many of the national parks — Gede Pangrango in particular — see a large number of visitors and so it is necessary to let the terrain recover from the thousands of boots prints and mounds of discarded Pop Mie cartons.

However, I think the onus is on the national park management to open up alternative routes on lesser known peaks to lighten the load on West Java’s more popular mountains.

There are many hikes easily accessible from Jakarta that very few ever explore.

Gunung Sanggabuana near Karawang, Gunung Karang near Pandeglang, and Gunung Parang and Gunung Bongkok near Plered are not within national parks and are easily accessible.

Happy hiking.


Daniel Patrick Quinn is a music composer and a writer and editor for the Indonesian mountaineering Web site GunungBagging.com.