Category: volcanoes

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volcano trek in the Canary Islands

Santa Cruz de La Palma, Spain

Volcanic landscapes, jungle-like laurel forests, lava deserts and thick pinewood: La Palma is not only the greenest island of the Canaries, it’s also the most diverse.

… a hiker’s paradise. …

What’s the best hike there?

(perhaps) … the hikes in La Caldera de Taburiente National Park, a volcano crater with a diameter of about eight kilometres and one of the most fascinating regions on the Canary Islands.

The network of trails is about 70 kilometres through the park. One of the trails with the most beautiful panorama views snakes along the crater’s edge. It leads to Roque de Los Muchachos, rising 2,426 metres, the highest point on the island. The view from there trails off deep into the crater. …

Isla Bonita’s hiking trails offer diverse experience

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larger size – flickr – untipografico

… The northern part of La Palma is dominated by the Caldera de Taburiente, with a width of 9 km and a depth of 1500 m. It is surrounded by a ring of mountains ranging from 1600 m to 2400 m in height. Only the deep Barranco de las Angustias (“Valley of Fear”) canyon leads into the inner area of the caldera which is a national park. It can be reached only by hiking. The outer slopes are cut by numerous gorges which run from 2000 m down to the sea. Today, only few of these carry water due to the many water tunnels that have been cut into the islands structure. …

Wikipedia

related post: hiking the Canary Islands, Spain

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hiking the Galápagos Islands

The Galápagos is a protected enclave.

Right?

Actually, 40,000 people live there!

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Some of those were lucky enough to join in on a trek to Sierra Negra crater on Isabela Island, the largest of the chain.

From a trip report by Ruth Holliday:

… Looming over the island is Sierra Negra, a vast and active crater volcano. Its last eruption in 2005 churned out enough ash and lava to threaten several species of giant tortoise, not known for their powers of speedy escape.

I am one of 12 volunteers living in this uncanny and exquisite setting. We are mostly British, share a single house and divide into two groups – one helping at the island’s tortoise sanctuary and the other teaching basic English at a local school.

Together, we decide to tackle the trek to the crater. …

Telegraph – The grown-up gapper: trekking the Sierra Negra crater

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larger version – flickr – massulo

The caldera of Sierra Negra has a diameter of 10 kilometers and is one of the largest in the world. The crater walls and bottom are covered by low growing plants and only a few small animals inhabit this environment.

more interesting Sierra Negra photos on flickr

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climber found alive on Mt Adams

We climbed Mt Adams this summer. It was a walk in the park.

Not so for Derek Mamoyac who fell when snow gave way under his feet.

2008281289.jpgA 27-year-old Oregon climber who survived five days on southern Washington’s Mount Adams with a broken ankle told rescuers he ate centipedes and drank water from creeks as he tried to crawl to safety. …

… ate centipedes and other bugs after running out of food early in the week. He drank water from creeks.

He was wearing water-resistant pants, insulated boots and gloves but was still very cold. …

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Missing climber found alive on Wash. mountain – AP

Thank God for the search dog.

(via Sierra Blogging Post)

related news reports – Google

Be careful out there.

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climb Mount Batur in Bali

Jari Arkko posted a trip report of his one day guided hike up the active Mount Batur volcano on the Indonesian island of Bali.

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… as a climbing mountain it was rather mellow. I was still exhausted from the climb and got painful blisters on both of my feet. But it was clearly a mountain still full of volcanic potential, and the apes, local culture, and great views added to the interest. The guide agency that I used was Santa Bali …

trip report – Hiking to Mt. Batur, Bali, Indonesia

It costs around $65 if you take a guide.

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day hiker dead on Mt Rainier

We climbed Mt. Adams in the Cascades in beautiful weather. But our guide Matt insisted we haul survival gear up to the summit including parkas, emergency sleeping bag, stove, fuel.

On the descent Matt suggested a future trip up to Camp Muir on Rainier. No doubt he’d insist we carry survival gear yet again.

Here’s why …

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Wikipedia

Park rangers say the three — two men and a woman — planned a day hike Monday to Camp Muir, which stands at about 10,000 feet feet on the 14,410-foot mountain and has a shelter. However, a wintry storm that blew in pinned them down near that location. Park officials say the storm dumped 2 feet of snow and created 5-foot drifts at Paradise and generated winds of 70 mph at Camp Muir.

At 3:30 a.m. Tuesday the trio, which dug a snow shelter to avoid the brunt of the storm, managed to get through to park rangers with a 911 emergency call; but because of heavy snow and near zero visibility rangers were unable to safely initiate a search at that time. At about 7:15 a.m. one member of the party found his way to Camp Muir and was able to direct a search team, made up of climbing guides and park rangers stationed at Camp Muir, to the party’s location near Anvil Rock.

All three of the stranded hikers were under shelter at Camp Muir by 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, though all suffered hypothermia and frostbite and one was unconscious and unresponsive and ultimately succumbed to his injuries.

The man who died was the husband of the surviving woman. All three were in their early 30s and from Bellevue, Washington. They all were experienced mountaineers who had visited Camp Muir in the past and enjoy hiking on Mount Rainier. …

Day Hike Turns Fatal at Mount Rainier National Park – National Parks Traveler

That site has a Category called: Missteps in the Parks

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trip report – climbing Mt. Adams, Washington 2008

A die hard hiker, I consider mountaineering the pursuit of egotistic masochists. While climbers are suffering in their tents at base camp, hikers are enjoying every minute of their adventure far below.

So it was with some reluctance that I signed on with my Adventure Racing Team (The FARTs) on a volcano climb. My only previous experience in the Pacific Northwest was an unsuccessful attempt to scramble Mount St. Helens some 10yrs ago.

FARTs climb Mt. Adams, Washington

Our trip report was inked by Chief FART Evangelist Dave Adlard … who had not carried a backpack nor slept on the ground in many years:

… Lisa, Morgen, Rick, Matt and Dave set out for Mt. Adams, which at 12, 272 feet, is the second highest peak in the Cascades, just behind Rainier. …

… Mt. Adams is notoriously windy and cold, but we lucked out with high temps, and essentially no wind on Saturday, and as we went to bed, the full moon was coming up — to quote Matt, it was an epic evening! …

… just after 5:00 am, we headed toward the summit, some 3000 feet and 2 miles up. …

FARTs climb Mt. Adams, Washington

… Overall, it was a great weekend, and we learned a TON! We hope to join the Mountaineers ourselves and take several of the classes, so that we can attack Rainier and some of the other peaks next season. It is an addictive hobby, as there is something really special about reaching the top, with the great efforts required. It was also a heckuva workout! …

Dave Adlard – Funtastics Adventure Racing Team – — and so they pressed on

FARTs climb Mt. Adams, Washington

Dave’s right. It was a fantastic weekend. And I’m tempted to do more peaks. Especially Rainier.

Or … hopefully the urge will subside. And I’ll hike the Wonderland Trail around Rainier, instead. (I assume there must be a mountain called Rainiest, as well.)

And my favourite of Dave’s photos. A basecamp tent shot with rockwall behind.

FARTs climb Mt. Adams, Washington

The highlight of the trip for me was sledding down the mountain on our butts!

FARTs climb Mt. Adams, Washington

FARTs climb Mt. Adams, Washington

FARTs climb Mt. Adams, Washington

MORE photos.

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hiking Waimea Canyon, Hawaii with kids

The most popular way to see the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific” is Canyon Trail, 3.6mi (5.8km) with a short side trip on Cliff Trail to the lookout.

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The goal is Waipoo Falls where Kokee Stream drops into the canyon.

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I thought the “moderate difficulty” trail might be a bit much for the kids, but there is so much to do and see, they were entertained throughout.

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Our only problem was worrying about any of them falling hundreds of feet off the edge of the cliff.

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In the end, they all made it back to the trailhead, almost under their own steam.

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more photos of our Waimea Canyon Trail hike – flickr

Guidebook: Hiking Kauai, the Garden Isle

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KauaÊ»i – Hawaiian hiking paradise

I’ve finally done it.

Made the trekker’s pilgrimage to the volcanic island of KauaÊ»i (also spelled Kauai). My first trip.

There are more miles of hiking trails here than on the rest of Hawaiian islands combined. It’s the “Garden Isle”. The one used in the opening fly-in scene for Jurassic Park.

The most useful website I’ve found is Hawaii Trails:

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Hawaii Trails – Kauai map

The second highest peak is Mount WaiÊ»aleÊ»ale near the center of the island, one of the wettest spots on Earth with an annual average rainfall of 460in (11.7m). The resulting floods have eroded deep canyons, including what Mark Twain dubbed the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific” — Waimea Canyon, 10mi (16km) long and up to 3000ft (900m) deep.

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NASA

We’ll head first to Waimea. I’m using Robert Smith’s hiking guidebook:

Hiking Kauai, the Garden Isle

Hiking Kauai, the Garden Isle