Mount Prau to be closed to hikers for three months starting Jan. 6

GUNUNG - JAKARTA. The hiking trail on Mount Prau in Central Java is to be closed for three months between Jan. 6 and April 5.

The closure will include all hiking base camps on the mountain, as decided during a meeting conducted by the Indonesia Mount Prau Coordinating Forum in Kalilembu, Wonosobo, on Nov. 26.

Among the reasons for the closure are the needs to repair the trail, clean up trash, conduct reforestation and collect and evaluate ecosystem data.

Hikers, tour guides, travel agents and base camps that do not comply with the closure would be fined, kompas.com reported on Dec. 3.

However, climbers are still allowed to visit the mountain on Jan. 9 to participate in reforestation. To join in, they can simply go to the Dieng base camp on Jan. 8 or early morning on Jan. 9.

The reforestation is to be conducted around the Telaga Wurung area with at least 1,000 plant seeds. The seeds will be provided for free by the event committee; hikers are only requested to bring their personal supplies and small shovels if possible.