First and amazing view of the lava. We stood in awe, staring. You can see the liquid lava below the just hardened layer. Not much action at the first field the guide showed us.
We were able to walk within two feet of the lava. The heat kept us from getting any closer. At that distance, it felt like standing in a sauna.
The guide led us to an upper field, with more abundant flows. In this flow, we could see movement through the middle, with lava puffing out on the sides. I asked the guide how much ground the lava covers in 24 hours. He responded that the speed of the flow depends on the pressure in the crater and that it varies from 50 to 400 yards.
The hike back was difficult in the rain and in the dark with little moon light. We used headlamps and followed the guide indian file, focusing on not losing track of the person in from of us.
This hike was very challenging because of the terrain and weather conditions, yet exhilarating because of the extraordinary spectacle.
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