Wanna meet some tigers and hear the ‘Sound of Hell’? Try to visit Mount Sibayak. Mount Sibayak is 2,212 meters above sea level. People also call it Mount of the king. It is located in the Karo highlands, part of the Bukit Barisan Forest Park.

Before climbing, we should have determined the path to be taken because there are three hiking trails for Mount Sibayak. The three routes are Semangat Gunung Village, Jalur Uda Village, and Jalur 54. You can go to Berastagi via Jamin Ginting Street or Sidikalang – Medan Street. Several public buses can be found at Simpang Pos Medan, Jamin Ginting Street. Pay IDR10,000, and you arrive at Berastagi City. Then, you can continue the journey by other public transportation to the Mount Sibayak climbing area. You can also drive a car or motorcycle. Parking fees for cars are IDR 20,000–30,000 and for motorcycles are IDR 15,000–20,000.

Semangat Gunung Village is about 15 kilometers from Berastagi City. This trail has neat roads and easy terrain. Beginner climbers often choose this route because the climb is only 30 minutes. You need to pay IDR 4,000 per person at the registration post and write down each name so that if you get lost on this route, the police will know the loss.  Jalur Uda Village is 3 kilometres from Berastagi City. This village is located in Simpang Empat District. The hike via Rare Uda Village takes 2.5 hours. Jalur 54 is the most difficult route. The road conditions are quite steep and dangerous, so that the climb can take up to 6 hours. The distance is 54 kilometres from the centre of Medan city. You can find this route in Doulu II Village based on the Penatapan area, a corn burner on the side of the highway.

Mount Sibayak is an active volcano with a hot sulfur crater. Exotic andesite lava rocks surround this 40,000 meters wide crater. The high sulfur in Mount Sibayak makes a natural hot spring, which emerges from the lava flow cracks at the south of Mount Sibayak. You can enjoy hot water at the Lau Sidebuk-debuk. The crater area emits smoke and a thunderous sound known as the “Sound of Hell”.

Tigers have appeared 3 times near Mount Sibayak’s registration post. On October 16th 2021, Mount Sibayak was closed because of the tiger. Walk with a guide, so you don’t get lost through the hiking trail. Be polite because there are many mystical stories related to Mount Sibayak.

The highest peak of Mount Sibayak is called “Takal Kuda” (Horse Head). From the top, we can see Mount Sinabung and Berastagi City. The peak is full of rocks, be careful. Sunrise atTakal Kuda Peak is magnificent. You can enjoy the dawn by starting the hike at 2 a.m. If it is sunny, you can see the beauty of the sunrise and the valley.