Illegal hiking activities on Mount Merapi have resurfaced in the public eye after an Instagram account @merapi_via_selo promoted hiking packages via the Selo route in early July 2026. The organizer claims that the hiking route from the New Selo entrance is limited only to the Pasar Bubrah area, which is located at an altitude of 2,680 meters above sea level.
This practice has drawn serious attention considering that the Mount Merapi National Park Authority (TNGM) has officially closed hiking access since 2018. Although the organizers argue that volcanic activity is currently dominant towards the southwest sector, disaster experts emphasize that the risk on the northern route still cannot be ignored.
The Head of the Yogyakarta Geological Disaster Technology Research and Development Center (BPPTKG), Agus Budi Santoso, issued a stern warning regarding the move. According to him, the potential for explosive eruptions at any time still threatens due to a magma blockage that triggers high gas pressure inside the crater. This threat is not limited to just one direction but covers the entire 3-kilometer radius from the peak.
Based on the 2010 Disaster-Prone Area Map (KRB), the Pasar Bubrah area targeted by the illegal hiking is classified as KRB III. This area, located just 400 meters from the summit, is highly vulnerable to pyroclastic flows, volcanic material ejection, lava flows, and exposure to toxic gases. Given the historical records of eruptions in the 1930 to 1992 period which once directed towards the northern sector, authorities urge the public to comply with the hiking ban for their own safety.
