Volcano Holidays Destinations, Safety Advice, Hawaii, Eruption, Lava, Oahu, Vanuatu, Geology

Wanna go volcano watching ?

Volcano holidays will require some sensitivity on your part. By recognizing that the cultures, environments and economies you visit are fragile, it will need a sustained commitment from everyone to ensure that they will have a lasting positive effect and not simply become a one way tourism experience. True ecotourism can therefore become a real help to local communities providing income, positive cultural exchanges and the financial incentive to protect the natural environment.

Before your volcano holidays begin, consider the following:

1. Choose a volcano to visit - (see below)

2. Learn the basic facts about watching volcanoes

3. Learn about volcanic eruptions

4. Understand how to visit volcanoes safely

5. Carefully prepare and plan your volcanic adventure trip

also - are you fit enough (that's for you to decide)

Which volcano to choose - where to watch an eruption - visiting an active volcano - volcano holidays

Over 1500 volcanoes in the world are considered active, but only some of them, 20-40, are erupting at any given time. There plenty to choose and explore fascinating volcanic environments.

Visiting an erupting volcano
If you want to watch "real" live eruptions, the choice is much more limited and you might want expert help to choose a suitable location: It depends on the current situation, the time of the year (climate!), your preferences, your physical abilities and other factors.

What is erupting?
To keep updated about erupting volcanoes, you can have a look at the following.

What is recommended
Some of the most rewarding volcano destinations (especially if it's your first time) are in Italy and Hawaii. - For volcano-lovers, they are a real must and offer potential opportunities of viewing interesting eruptions up close, with only little or moderate physical effort involved and in relative safety. In addition, there is excellent overall comfort (accommodation, food, transport) readily available.

Iceland is one of the worlds most active volcanic areas, but the grandeur of the volcanoes of Kamchatka is hard to beat. Many of the worlds great volcanoes are surprisingly accessible especially Etna and Vesuvius both nestling on the shores of southern Italy. Costa Rica, Guatemala, Japan, Russia, Ecuador, Peru and Chile all boast very dramatic volcanic regions, but for proximity, activity and ease of access, Iceland is hard to beat.

European volcanoes to watch

more details of volcano holidays

suggested reading books

Safety Recommendations When Visiting an Active Volcano

Pre-Planning - volcano holidays

1) Read about past eruptions.
Volcanic eruptions can repeat themselves. What the volcano has done in the past is what it is capable of doing in the future. While volcanoes are inherently unpredictable, studies of past eruptions at a particular volcano will give an indication of what is possible.

2) Read about past accidents.
Analyse what went wrong in past accidents. Two accidents have happened on field trips associated with International Volcanology conferences (Galeras in 1993 and Semeru 2000). Many scientists are inexperienced when it comes to climbing volcanoes. Theoretical knowledge is no replacement for field experience. Ecotourists beware.

3) Observe the volcano for at least 24 hours before getting close to the danger zone.
Record the number of explosions per hour and know what the volcano is doing. Sometimes a two to three day observation period is required before approaching the summit area.
Simply arriving at the volcano and climbing straight to the summit is asking for trouble!

4) Know the current volcano warning level.
How does this compare to the "normal" state of volcanic activity. Volcano warning levels may be expressed in different forms. Warning levels may mean different things on different volcanoes.
Learn what the current activity level means for the particular volcano you are visiting.
Remember, most volcanoes are not monitored by scientists so don't rely on the authorities knowing the danger level.
Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence of eruptions.
If there is no current eruption warning, it does not necessarily mean the volcano is safe!

5) Be self sufficient.
Do not expect other people to come into the danger zone and rescue you. Heroic rescue efforts like Galeras in 1993 cannot be relied upon. Don't expect people to risk their life to get you out of danger.
It is "cargo cult" mentality to think that rescue will come from the sky in the form of helicopter retrieval, such as the Ambrym 2004 rescue of a film crew.
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6) Take the correct equipment.
Hard hat, maps, compass, GPS, food, water, suitable clothing, gloves. If camping out then make sure you have suitable shelter. Volcanoes can be very wet places. An expedition level tent is required.
During the accident at Galeras volcano in 1993, incredibly only one scientist of the group who entered the active crater wore a helmet! That scientist survived, and more lives would have been spared if others had done the same. A major cause of death was head impacts caused by falling rocks. There is mobile phone reception on some volcanoes so it may be possible to ring out in an emergency. However do not rely on this method alone because it is very unreliable. Two way radios may help but reception can be affected by topography.

7) Travel with a guide/volcanologist experienced in the local conditions.
Make sure the guide is experienced on the volcano. Local knowledge should always be sought when visiting a volcano. On the spot activity reports are more accurate than remote sensing data. For example eruptions on Mt Etna in 2000 were predicted at the crater edge 1 hour before seismometers picked up an increase in activity. Gas and ash emissions may not always be picked up remotely. Local guides may have good advice on recent volcanic activity.

An example of what can go wrong on a volcano trip was demonstrated in 2004 when a film crew went to Ambrym volcano in Vanuatu. The crew attempted to film the volcano, and failed to take a volcanologist. The crew had to be rescued from the volcano after one week, leaving behind thousands of dollars worth of equipment, a failed expedition, wasted filming budget, and lucky to escape with their lives. The small additional price of a volcanologist on the trip would have prevented this debacle.

8) Leave travel details with a responsible person.
Details should state your destination and when you will return. It should also contain a copy of the emergency plan and how to activate it. Some volcanoes are so remote that a disaster plan can only be very basic. It is always best to be self-sufficient and not rely on other people to rescue you.

9) Take all precautions in PREVENTING an accident.
Be very conservative in your actions. Don't assume the volcano is safe if everything looks quiet. It may be the "calm before the storm". A blocked vent can be quiet but the pressure can be building to a large eruption.

10) Obey local authorities.
Don't enter any area on the volcano if the local authorities prohibit it.
Don't try to escape paying the proper climbing fees, and charges imposed by the authorities. Payment and registration with the local authorities is there for your safety.

Precautions in the Danger Zone - volcano holidays

1) Wear the correct equipment at all times.
Wear a helmet and take a gas mask. If your helmet is not strapped on at all times it is useless.
Even effusive volcanoes like Kilauea may send dangerous projectiles into the air from lava sea water interactions and methane explosions, or unstable ground can result in falls and head injuries.

2) Beware of many sources of danger on a volcano.
Extreme heat, cold, windstorms, heavy rain/ acid rainfall, lightning, altitude sickness, blizzards, getting lost, volcanic activity, unstable terrain, dangerous plants, animals, and insects. Volcanoes generate their own weather which can be severe and different from that only a few km away. Localised wind storms may reach 150 km/hr without warning. Beware that some areas may be high risk areas for robbery, kidnap, personal injury, civil unrest etc. Traveling to new regions may put the traveler at risk of diseases such as malaria, typhoid, food poisoning etc. Take all necessary prophylactic medication and immunizations.
Getting to the volcano may be more dangerous than the volcano itself!

3) Survey the ground on approach to the crater.
Look for evidence of recent ejecta. If you can see recent bombs on the ground then you can be hit. Limit your time in that area. It is preferable you relocate to a safer zone. Some vents eject projectiles in a particular direction. Don't stay in the firing line. Recent bombs are black and stand out from the brown colour of older lava.

4) Watch out for rock falls and avalanches when climbing the crater.
Falling rocks and unstable ground pose one of the most immediate hazards when climbing a volcano. Don't kick rocks down the slope and try to limit your impact on the unstable terrain. Watch out for other climbers above and below you. The crater edge may be overhanging. Know where you are walking at all times. Be careful of new ground slumping or cracking. This will pose a risk because the edge of the crater may fall into the volcano. Cooled lava flows may look stable to walk on, but the crust may be thin, which would expose the hiker to a falling into a lava tube. There may even be flowing lava under a thin crust of aa lava. Falling into an active lava tube will be instant death.

5) Beware of Hazardous Gases.
Hazardous gases emitted by volcanoes include carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, radon, hydrogen chloride, hydrofluoric acid, and sulfuric acid.
Gases can be toxic directly or displace oxygen from the environment leading to anoxia.
Never enter a depression near active fumaroles, especially on a day without wind. Toxic gases can pool in the depression leading to a dangerous situation.

6) Can you directly see the vent?
If you can directly see the vent then the projectiles have a direct line of sight to you. Rocks and lava can be ejected at 200 m per second, sometimes even supersonic. You might be hit before you even hear the explosion. Lateral projectiles are some of the most dangerous and can be lethal in even a minor eruption.

7) Beware of periods of low activity.
Quiet periods at a volcano may lure you into a false sense of security, and make you go closer than you would otherwise. Beware of a quiet volcano!

8) Limit your time in the danger zone.
The closer you go to the vent, the greater the risks. In zone 1 (see above) even a minor eruption can be fatal. The risks multiply exponentially in this zone. Spend only minutes in this zone, if you need to be there at all. There is really no reason to be in zone 1 of a volcano. The scientists at Galeras made the fatal error of staying 4 hours in this area! Remember you will be killed here if you stay long enough. It is like sleeping on a freeway. Eventually something will hit you if you stay long enough. Some scientists enter the danger zone immediately after a large eruption because they believe the magma column may be lowered for a while. It takes a brave person to follow this line of thinking.
[The author does not discount this theory, but also does not recommend it.]

9) Exit the danger zone well before sunset.
Start the climb early and exit by midday. If something goes wrong then rescue will be almost impossible at night. If you survive the accident then you may die of exposure during the cold night at altitude. Volcano watchers are early risers. Some climbs are started at midnight in order to arrive at the summit by sunrise for the best views. By 9 am the summit can be covered in cloud and visibility reduced.

10) Observe from a safe location.
Stay up wind and away from the direction of travel of projectiles. Have an evacuation plan with 2 exits. Mentally rehearse your escape plan continuously while in the danger zone. Vent migration may make a previously safe area off limits. Take time to study the volcano topography before going too close.

11) If caught in an eruption near the crater take cover.
You have a 50% chance of survival if you are caught in an eruption.
Hiding behind boulders or in a depression will shield you from lateral projectiles. Watch for vertical projectiles. Fall times from 1 km can be around 14 seconds so there is time to see the larger ones coming and take evasive action. Evacuate the area as soon as possible. Re-assess your knowledge of the volcano and its eruptive history. Wearing gloves will prevent severe burns to the hands while escaping over glowing lava rocks. If caught in a pyroclastic flow then chances of survival are remote. If you are caught in a large pyroclastic flow then your body may be preserved in a pugilistic pose like the victims of Pompeii. If you are near the edge of the pyroclastic flow, or the emission is small, you can try holding your breath until the hot ash blows over. That is your only hope of survival. Inhaling hot ash is a major cause of death in pyroclastic flows. The lethal period may only last a minute. Motor vehicles offer little safety. An air tight building increases survival. (Note: A pyroclastic flow through a town is one of volcanology's most feared scenarios. It happened at Mt Pelee and Vesuvius).

12) Visibility may suddenly reduce to almost zero without warning.
This can be due to fog, vog, cloud, rain, volcanic fumes or nightfall. Be sure you can deal with these situations. Most people would have severe problems walking out of an area under these conditions. A familiar location will become a nightmare under limited visibility. If you find yourself in very low visibility then you may just have to sit and wait until conditions improve. Don't walk off a cliff and fall into the volcano. It is a good idea to mark your route with coloured tape tied onto rocks or sticks pushed into the ground. A GPS may be a useful navigation aid, but it will not allow safety close to active vents at night. Some volcanic zones involve climbing along knife-edge ridges. A GPS will not allow sufficient accuracy to navigate along these areas in limited visibility. Some volcanic areas have few landmarks to use in navigating.

13) Leave the area if it becomes dangerous.
There is no point having a safety plan if it is ignored. Two scientists were killed on Guagua Pichincha Volcano in 1993 when they remained in the crater despite getting a radio warning of possible eruption 85 minutes earlier.

14) Do not approach lava flowing through vegetation.
Underground explosions occur in front of lava flowing over burning vegetation. Plants burn without oxygen as they are covered by lava, creating methane gas. The gas fills underground lava tubes. When the methane ignites, the ground explodes up to 100 meters in front of the advancing lava flow. Rocks and debris blast in all directions.

15) Look for warning signs of an eruption.
Explosive activity may be preceded by earthquakes or rock falls. You may only have 30 seconds warning but this may give you time to take cover or evasive action.

Enjoy your volcano hoidays destinations, safety advice in Hawaii, Oahu and Vanuata. Watch eruptions, lava and the geology of the mountains.

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