Mount Yasur

The ride to the volcano was an adventure within itself. We took the scenic route through the White Grass Plains to see the wild horses and coffee plantations. The conditions were wet, and the road (which was mostly a muddy path) was slippery. We were serenaded by some locals as part of an employment creation project. The choir was great, including a surly teenage, pantsless toddler, and kid in a tree. The children gave us bouquets of flowers. It was sweet.

The scariest part of the ride was the cattle crossing, which was some old rusty poles over a ditch about 1 ½ meters wide and a couple meters deep. The poles bent as we drove over them and some even fell in. A guy standing beside the road put them back on. I think that was actually his job.

Driving over the ash plains felt like being on the moon, and the drive back at night (when Brett and I rode in the front seat) with the headlights beaming through endless black sand was one of the most eerie moments of my life. Five thumbs up to Happy Sam, though, for some incredible driving. The road up the mountain was steep and muddy, a single lane with the occasional head-on confrontation.

The weather remained overcast, though thankfully it didn't rain while we were at the volcano. The walk to the top of the crater is about 200 meters. It's steep and like hiking up a sand dune. That's pretty much what the volcano was like: a black sand dune. The ledge is narrow, and you have to get all the way to the top to see inside the craters. And it was WINDY! Forget fear of flying hot lava. I was scared of being blown in!

While there weren't any when we went, some of the people staying at the resort did see young children up there. Obviously these parents are insane and deluded. The travel guides do suggest it's okay for over fours, but I was struggling merely holding onto my camera. If you've come across my blog and are wondering whether or not to take your children to the top of a live volcano, I'm no expert but my advice is, "Leave the kids with the in-laws! Are you crazy?!"

Here are five reasons not to take your children to the top of Mount Yasur:

1)You don't know what the conditions will be like until you actually get there.
2)There is hot lava as big as televisions soaring into the air. As we were walking back down the mountain, one flew about 10 meters to the left of where we had been standing.
3)The ledge is narrow, and as Brett pointed out, one big ka-boom and the whole thing could collapse.
4)It is dangerously windy.
5)It could erupt.

That being said, it was a truly amazing experience, and I recommend it to the young at heart and the fogeys who need adventure in their lives. Don't fret. There is an escape plan. It's called, "Run down the mountain as fast as you can!"

My photos don't do Yasur justice. Because of the delay in the camera and using my softball skills for real life ("Keep your eye on the . . . Lava!"), my shots are all post explosion. Brett, however, got some excellent footage on the video camera. I will try to find a way to upload it. If not, all visitors will be subject to a forty-minute Volcanic Video Experience. I have uploaded a couple of videos from the digital camera merely for the audio. Listen to that wind! It even drowns out the roar of the volcano.