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Active Volcano Eruption
Last year, my partner and I visited Vanuatu. The highlight of our trip was the time spent on Tanna Island, the home of Mt. Yasur. Mt Yasur is known as the world's most accessible active volcano. Depends what you mean by accessible, of course. A one and a half hour trip on unmade roads, the last
thirty minutes of which was as rugged as I ever want to see. During the wet season, the drivers carry their spades and repair the track as they go. Fortunately, it was ok
when we went, although scary. Around the foot of the cone is an ash plain, where rocks and ash fall just about daily.
Mt Yasur has been in continuous eruption since 1774. At that time, it was discovered and reported by Captain James Cook. He wasn't permitted to climb the volcano by the Islanders, as it was taboo to him. We arrived at the foot of the volcano in the afternoon, and stopped for a photo shoot. There was a very loud explosion, and puffs of smoke and ash from above, and some of our group were heard to exclaim that they didn't think we should go any further. Some of us, however, were all the more eager to get to the summit! Back into the four wheel drive and up a steep ash track to approximately 100 metres from the crater. It was a steep climb to the top, and rough going, although there
was a marked track. Since the activity level of Mt Yasur was pretty high, we couldn't go into the lower crater to look down at the lava, and the inner craters, but had to be satisfied with staying on the rim of the outer crater. We were on the opposite side to that which the volcano was currently throwing rocks and ash. If it had been more active, we probably wouldn't have been able to go at all. It was fantastic, sitting on the edge of the crater, watching scores of minor eruptions take place - a once in a lifetime experience, which I, for one, will never forget. We were there for several hours, and watched to eruptions change from daytime smoke and ash, to night-time molten rocks and red heat. Night-time was more spectacular, but both were great. My partner and I were sitting on rocks as close to the edge as we could get, much to the horror of some of our travelling companions, and everyone else, except our guide, had been behind us. We were surprised to be tapped on the shoulder by him, and told we had to leave to get back to our resort for a late dinner. No-one else, from our party, or
any other, were left on the summit - we were so engrossed we hadn't noticed anything going on. Reluctantly, we took a couple of final shots of Mt Yasur, gave it a sacrifice, ( A bunch of flowers!) and left, grimy with ash, and very happy to have seen it.
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Mt Yasur in Eruption
View from the outer crater rim
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May, 2012
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