Speaking after a media briefing in Jakarta on Wednesday, he explained that following the closure of climbing activities on Mount Rinjani due to a number of incidents, the Ministry of Forestry and stakeholders developed new climbing difficulty levels and SOPs.
"We will continue to replicate this on other mountains and national parks," he affirmed.
He said the difficulty and risk levels of mountains would serve as the basis for managing hiking trails, including screening beginner or inexperienced climbers.
The classification will also influence the requirements for climbing.
For instance, to be allowed to climb Grade IV mountains such as Mount Rinjani, climbers must provide proof of having climbed less challenging mountains with lower grades, such as Mount Gede, which is classified as Grade III.
Mountains with higher risks will have stricter requirements, including submitting medical check-up results and being accompanied by an experienced guide for mountains categorized as Grade IV or V.
Antoni added that an application would be used to track climbers’ whereabouts during ascents. This is expected to facilitate search and rescue operations in the event of an incident.
"Hopefully, this will be disseminated well, especially among tour operators," he said.
Mount Rinjani National Park was previously closed following a series of incidents involving climbers, including the death of Brazilian tourist Juliana Marins, who fell into a ravine last June.
Climbing reopened on August 11, with the new SOP in place for the volcano, which is located in West Nusa Tenggara.
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Related news: Government strengthens climbing safety at Mt. Rinjani
Translator: Prisca Triferna, Raka Adji
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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