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Volcano ascent

Adventures · To the rim of something that is still deciding what to do

Volcano ascent

Volcanoes set their own rules: an alert level, a plume that moves with the wind, a rim that closes without notice. Yasur on Tanna, Erta Ale in the Danakil and the rhyolite mountains and hot rivers of Iceland’s interior.

A volcano is a place that publishes its own risk level, and the trip begins with reading it. Yasur’s daily alert level decides whether the rim is open; the Danakil’s tours run only with escorts and only in the winter; the Icelandic highland roads open for ten weeks. Within those rules the fire realm is the most dramatic thing a traveller can stand next to, and the etiquette is short: follow the guide, move with the wind, respect the line.

What it asks of the body

Two-hour ascents at most: Erta Ale at night in the heat, Bláhnúkur above Landmannalaugar in the cold, Yasur’s ten minutes from the car park. The Laugavegur trek behind Landmannalaugar is the exception and a proper trek, covered under that adventure.

What it asks of the calendar

A dry season, a winter or a road window, and a buffer day for the closures. The Monte Carlo run is built for this: it models the probability that the rim, the road or the convoy is open on the day you booked.

What it costs

Tanna and Iceland sit in the low to mid band; the volcano fee on Tanna goes to the village that owns it. The Danakil is a tour with escorts and vehicles and costs what that costs.

Essentials

  • A mask for sulphur dioxide and a torch for the dark walk down
  • Closed shoes with grip on cinders and lava, gloves for sharp rock
  • Earplugs on Yasur; the eruptions are felt before they are heard
  • Two litres of water on Erta Ale; the walk up is at night and still hot
  • The daily alert level or the operator’s status, checked before you commit

Risks

  • ▲▲Bombs and gasEvery fatality on Yasur has been beyond the safe line; the plume is avoided by moving, not waiting.
  • ▲▲HeatThe Danakil’s volcano is climbed at night because the day is 40°C; water and the escort’s pace.
  • ▲▲Cold and weatherIceland’s interior has hypothermia in July and whiteouts on the plateau; the shell and the warden’s advice.
  • ▲▲ClosuresAlert levels and road openings cancel plans; the Monte Carlo run has the probabilities.

Questions people ask

Is it safe to stand on a rim?

At the published alert level and where the guide stands, the record is good. The risks are gas with the wind and bombs beyond the line, and both are managed by moving and by rules.

Which volcano first?

Yasur: drive to the car park, walk ten minutes, watch the fire after dark. The Danakil is a serious tour with escorts and heat.

What about the smell?

Sulphur, constant, and the mask helps. On Erta Ale the plume in your face at the rim is a reason to step back for a minute, not a danger with the guides watching the wind.

Places for this adventure

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