In one of the hottest places on Earth, you walk after dark across black lava fields to the rim of a volcano and look down into its glowing heart. Then you sleep on the rim and walk out at dawn.
Erta Ale, the "smoking mountain" in the Afar language, is a low shield volcano rising out of the Danakil Depression, and one of very few volcanoes in the world with a long-lived lava lake.
The walk is part of every three-day Danakil tour from Mekelle. After a long drive across the desert to base camp, groups set off after dark, when the heat drops, and walk about 10 km over old lava by torchlight. The gradient is gentle, but the surface is sharp, broken and uneven; it takes about three hours.
At the top you reach the rim of the summit caldera and, with your guide, approach the edge of the active crater. What you see depends on the volcano: some years the lava lake is high and churning like a red mouth, other times it sinks into a crusted floor glowing through fissures. Camels carry mattresses up, and you sleep on the rim, then walk down after sunrise as the lava fields turn from black to grey.
Wear boots rather than sandals; the lava shreds soles. Armed escorts are standard in Afar.
A night walk, a few hours of wonder, a little sleep and a dawn descent.
Reach the base camp after a long desert drive; rest and eat dinner while it cools.
Walk by torchlight across old lava in single file behind the guides and escorts.
Arrive at the rim camp, drop your bags and drink plenty of water.
Follow the guide to the edge of the active crater; stay upwind of the fumes and exactly where you are told.
See the crater by daylight, then walk back down to base camp before the heat.
Book a three-day Danakil tour in Mekelle; it includes transport, food, permits, escorts and the camels for the rim.
Even in winter, days in the Danakil are very hot. Drink constantly and rest in shade during the day.
Check current travel advisories for Afar and the volcano's status before booking.
Mekelle practical notes →Wikimedia Commons photographs are used under their licences.
