The Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park Authority (TNBTS Center) has officially increased the intensity of supervision in the Mount Semeru area. This firm measure was taken in response to the widespread hiking activities via illegal shortcuts or unofficial access points that pose high risks to climber safety.
Head of Administrative Division at TNBTS Center, Bambang Suriyono, stated that his agency will strengthen cross-sectoral collaboration. This synergy involves local governments, law enforcement agencies, community elements, and volunteer groups to carry out extra supervision to preserve the ecosystem and ensure visitor safety in the conservation area.
This policy emerged following an incident involving a hiker named Cakra, who reportedly fell into a 375-meter-deep ravine. The victim accessed the mountain via the Candi Jawar Purbakala route in Ampelgading District, which is not an official hiking trail. Fortunately, the evacuation process successfully rescued the victim, who suffered a dislocated ankle.
Bambang emphasized that to date, the only official access to Mount Semeru remains through the Ranu Pani entrance in Lumajang Regency. Given that the volcano's alert status remains at Level III (Alert), the relevant authorities are restricting the hiking area up to the Ranu Kumbolo zone only. Additional preventive measures, such as installing prohibition signs at vulnerable points, will soon be implemented to minimize potential violations.
TNBTS data recorded high enthusiasm for hiking, with a total of 5,157 hikers registered during the period from April to May 2026. Through this tightening of supervision, the management hopes the public will be wiser in complying with hiking regulations to avoid similar accidents in the future.
