I got quite close to the lava flow and was completely mesmerized by the oozing, gum-like lava. And as I walked on the solid, volcanic rock around the lava river I could feel the immense heat radiating upwards toward the surface. As a consequence, the souls of my shoes melted.
To climb the volcano you will need:
- trousers, i.e. no shorts
- a pullover: once the sun goes down it becomes very cold
- water: it takes between 1.5 - 2 hours of steep trekking to reach the lava
- closed shoes: trust me, volcanic rock is SHARP... oh yeah, and lava is a little hot and sometimes burns
- a headlamp: it's best to see the volcano in the late afternoon when the sun goes down, which means you will be coming down in the pitch black otherwise.