62E Ethiopia - Danakil Depression Part 3
Thursday, 21 September 2017 3:06 am
Last night was goat stew
Camp 239:
Abaala “home stay”
Cost Nil /part of the ETT
Altitude: 1500 metres
I really do enjoy this typical Ethiopian Coffee.
Thick and black with a sprinkle of sugar
Today is a BIG day and a hot one..
We walk up an active volcano to view one of the largest lava lakes.
Mount Erta Ale is an active Volcano that recently erupted in January of this year (2017) sending a new 6km lava flow north east.
First we cross large dust pans.
Then it is a slow drive over older lava flows, it’s rough and the 12kms takes all of the 2 hours.
Base camp and the local malitia
or non professional fighters who patrol and protect this area are having a bit of a dance ? !!
Volcano Erta Ale (Meaning: It has fire ) is 9.5Kms from base camp and will need a long and hard walk over lava fields to reach the caldera summit of 500metres.
The day time temperatures of 45C+ prohibit a daytime hike hence the ascent and decent is during the cooler 25 to 30*C night.
Leaving at 7.30pm it is a massive effort taking 2 1/2 litres of water/person, cameras, and what we need for a short overnight sleep.
We walk down the outer caldera and are reminded not to get too close to the brittle edge.
Two tourists have already fallen and ...well you know !
Peering carefully over the edge the molten lava is churning and boiling, just as you see it in those documentaries on distant planets or when the earth was born.
Gusts of wind sometimes direct the heat, ash and a choking acidic gas towards us.
On the left side is a deep red and down further white hot, hole that extends deep into the throat of the beast.
The 5 month old lava we are walking on is extremely crumbly and often you brake through into an air pocket below.
We walk around this monster with great care and respect.
Near by is a new volcano created during the January 2017 eruption that is still spewing lava down a 7km valley.
At around 2am we retire to these mattresses that the camels have walked up with.
We are only about 200metres from the active caldera and during the 2 hours rest you see the red glow above and smell and taste the acidic air from time to time.
Already it is 4am and it is time to get up for the return 9.5km slog back down the lava flows.
Under the watchful eye of our security guard.
Lyn and I both arrive back at 8AM after the round trip of 20kms exhausted, foot sore and completely stuffed.
BUT it was the BEST !
Here is the google link to Volcano Erta Ale that lava flow we climbed and the tag where we slept !
Living on the edge !
For the Danakil valley trip we left our truck in Mek’ele at hotel Milano where the office of ETT is situated.
Perhaps we could have taken the truck as 90% of the driving is on black top, however the last 12kms to the volcano would not have done the tyres any good.
We also camped in the truck at the rear of the Hotel before and after the trip. No charge.
ETT - Ethiopia Travel and Tours - G.Manager is Bisirat.
Really helpful in every respect.
See: http://www.ethiotravelandtours.com
http://www.ethiotravelandtours.com/tours/danakil-depression-4-days/
Now we head south to Addis and then towards Nariobi in Kenya