Mount Merbabu Ascent via Thekelan to Close from 29 May, What's the Reason?

Climbing activities on Mount Merbabu via Thekelan will be temporarily closed from mid-May 2026 to early June 2026, specifically from Friday (29/5/2026) to Tuesday (2/6/2026). The closure of the Thekelan route is to honour traditions, customs, and local community activities. “During the closure period, all climbing activities, camping, or tourist visits through the Thekelan route will not be accommodated,” quoted from the official announcement by the Head of the Mount Merbabu National Park Authority, Anggit Haryoso, on Saturday (25/4/2026). All prospective climbers must make online bookings through the official website www.tngunungmerbabu.org. “All visitors must comply with climbing tourism protocols and maintain the safety, cleanliness, and preservation of the Mount Merbabu National Park area,” Anggit stated. For information, ascents to Mount Merbabu can be done via several routes including Selo, Suwanting, Wekas, Cunthel, and Thekelan. The Thekelan route is located in Kopeng Village, Getasan Subdistrict, Semarang Regency, Central Java. As reported by Kompas.com on Thursday (20/6/2019), the Mount Merbabu ascent route via Thekelan will be unified with Wekas and Cunthel. In addition to passing through quite steep inclines, climbers must also go through a fairly extreme route near the summit, namely Ondorante.