It’s truly terrifying feeling such power, so near.
I looked about me, wondering where I would hide if the volcano’s eruptions suddenly intensified. And then I realised – and it’s obvious really – there is nowhere to run and hide.
Up here, perched high on the side of Guatemala’s Pacaya volcano, at the closest monitoring point to the peak of the volcano, one feels very insignificant.
To my right, away from the belching crater, a vast lava field plummets towards the valley floor and, in the distance, the towns and villages directly in its path.
Our guide, volcano park ranger Alexander Rodas, who had joined us as we hiked our way to the overwatch position, confirmed my worst suspicions: if things go bad, we aren’t surviving.
“The gases, the wind, the rocks, the lava, no chance of survival,” he said.
“But it is okay! It’s quiet,” he added – as another boom shuddered through my own, non-volcanic core.
It had taken considerable negotiation to get up here, and now I just wanted to get off the mountain.
No comments:
Post a Comment