All Around the World with the Most Travelled Indian
By Nitin Gairola
We were at Erta Ale, a flat shield volcano in Ethiopia, near the Eritrean border in the far north of the country. It is a very active volcano with the last eruption in January of this year. Now we are not barking mad to walk on top of solidified lava of an active volcano without any special reason. For us the reason was to witness a once in a lifetime view of the liquid upper mantle of the Earth pulsing and pounding in the magma lake. This magma lake could be viewed from few spots where the ground had ‘opened up’ due to intense upward pressure of the super-hot semi-liquids below. Rest of the places inside the crater rim were covered with solidified lava that we could now step on, albeit gingerly.
So after reaching the Erta Ale basecamp in our SUV convey of 3 Toyota Land Cruisers, we rested a bit and then started our final trek upwards to reach the flat volcanic crater. We finally reached the crater rim in the evening and then started to trek on the shiny grey lava from the January eruption. We were effectively then inside the volcano and if by chance it were to erupt then we wouldn’t be running away from the flowing magma but would be directly inside it. However the chances of it erupting on the same day were relatively low but the volcano did have increased activity in the recent days. This is what was told to us by our guide Yonas, unofficially known as the ‘Volcano Man’. And when someone called the ‘Volcano Man’ talks about the very volcano you have stepped on, then I suppose you listen closely.
The sun was setting and we knew the night would come fast but since I had deliberately not checked any online YouTube videos, I didn’t anticipate just how incredible the next part of this experience would be – to witness the orange magma glowing in the pitch black night. I can’t help but overemphasize the importance of ‘reading’ about travels rather than watching YouTube videos since videos reveal so much about a sight. Even the greatest of wonders can then feel underwhelming at times.
At night the whole scene had changed. The magma had turned from a mild to a dark orange pulp and you could no longer see the grey lava. It had merged with the night and all that was visible was this bubbling orange liquid and a few torch lights in the distance. We had to be very careful about what we were stepping on and just pray that this pyrotechnic fountain didn’t blow up into something more sinister. We went from one crack on the surface to another and started gazing at the mesmerizing view, completely transfixed by what we were witnessing. In fact after seeing some boiling plasma projectiles being hurled up, I started wondering if the entire group was under some magic spell or experiencing what can be called a ‘volcano rush’. I think people’s sense of danger is dulled in the presence of such blindingly beautiful sights and they don’t know when to say ‘that’s enough’.
After taking all the photographs that we had to take of the magma lake, I had started saying ‘that’s enough’, but no one was listening, least of all Richa. We volcano tourists finally woke up when the pulsating rhythm of the magma turned into a loud bang. Then everyone was alert and wanted to make a dash back to the relative safety of the crater rim. However Yonas assured us that this was quite normal and that we should stick around for a bit longer. He basically looked at me and asked ‘when would you see such a sight again?’ It was quite a powerful question and even if it didn’t convince me fully, I am sure it convinced all others around me. So we stayed back for further 15 long minutes before the wind picked up and we all got sulphur dioxide (SO2) inside our nostrils. The masks were on and the coughing had started and it was time to make haste and so we did.
After around 10-15 minutes we were in the relative safety of the rim and then Yonas took us to a slight vantage point to show what I doubt I will ever see again. The magma and the smoke was in full flow by this time and it appeared to be a vision of the fictional ‘Mount Doom’ from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. With no immediate risk of sulphur dioxide inhalation or a hot plasma projectile, here we could truly appreciate the force of nature that a volcano is. In fact, as destructive as volcanoes are, they are also called the crucibles of creation, since it is the volcanic ash that makes the land fertile and gives life. The major explosions also impact weather patterns – some locally and some explosions in the past have done so globally. On a geological timescale, volcanoes have actually caused mass extinction events on Earth which later gave rise to new forms of life.
Once we were back at the basecamp, we grabbed our local Harar beers and sat around a portable plastic table and ate our grub (a gourmet meal it wasn’t). That night we were to sleep in the open under a ‘sky full of stars’ as Coldplay once sang. Imagine sleeping next to an angry giant and praying it doesn’t throw a temper tantrum that very night. I probably got around 4-5 hours of sleep but it was a deep R.E.M (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, and so I woke up really fresh. At 4 am, I could see the Milky Way galaxy band and the Andromeda galaxy as well (our nearest one). I really can’t describe in words what this whole experience felt like but as I write my eyes are welling up thinking of how I felt then. When you are in the presence of something this large, the small stuff no longer matters. In such moments you feel truly alive and this is the reason why we travel.
Nitin Gairola is from Dehradun and has travelled the natural world more than almost any Indian ever. He has set world travel records certified by India Book of Records, has written for Lonely Planet, and holds National Geographic conservation certifications. He is also a senior corporate executive in an MNC and in his early days, used to be a published poet as well. More than anything else, he loves his Himalayan home. Reach him at: www.facebook.com/MostTravelledIndian/
