Be forewarned: it’s not all fun and games. Even though this ride is a “shuttle run,” it’s an arduous day in the mountains fraught with challenging mountain biking and frustrating navigation.

The trail itself consists of a mix of dirt roads, doubletrack, and some stretches of singletrack. A few sections of sublime singletrack make for good photo ops, but the top-tier bits of trail are few and far between. The vast majority of the route is boring or downright difficult, with unpredictable washouts in many places. In others, moon dust and shifting soil add additional and seemingly unnecessary challenge. Some portions of this trail do provide delightful, chunky rock gardens and a few ledge drop opportunities. And some sections of the doubletrack are fast and wide-open!

This mountain bike ride is difficult to access and almost impossible to navigate, even with a guide. Without a guide, traveling here is ill-advised. I rode with Bali Mountain Biking, and wouldn’t consider going back to ride this again without them.

Mountain biking the Bali Crater Rim is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but this unique experience is a mixed bag with dramatic highlights and low points alike. Brave it if you dare!