The Lava Lake of Erta Ale (one magnificent panorama)

These days only a handful of real lava lakes are known and remember there are really not plenty and very rare! Then is could be a challenge of whether and how to get to the shore in the room. In the Ethiopian Danakil Depression is one of the most interesting, most beautiful and most mythical of its kind – the lava lake of Erta Ale. Erta Ale is a continuously active basaltic shield volcano in the Afar Region of northeastern Ethiopia, the most active volcano there. To be more specific it comprises a badland desert area spanning the border with Eritrea, and the volcano itself is surrounded completely by an area below sea level, making it a relatively low-elevation volcano.

Once past the 613m high Erta Ale, opens a one magnificent panorama. At the feet then spreads to almost 1.2 km long and ~ 500m wide caldera of the volcano, and sign in the distance you can make a big hole, the orange glow of fire reflected in the steam against a deep blue night sky.

Worldwide there are currently only four lava lakes , maybe five, if developed renewed activity of the volcano on Ambrym back to what it once was times. A Prussian would comment on the most common of lava lakes with well-”They will be held on the middle of nowhere …” and in fact is the unreal Danakil Depression, the upper part of the North African Afar Triangle , saying that more than satisfies. There is shaking the Nubian, Somali and Arabian tectonic plate hands. Well, actually they do not meet there, but rather go their own ways. Their drift tearing Africa formally and precisely on top of that tectonic interface are the Afar Triangle and the Danakil. One such region is particularly active volcano, is somehow obvious, which is located here, but a quarter of all active volcanoes in Africa, is already a little superlative.

Among the lava lakes of Erta Ale of this world is definitely something very special. While his counterparts, such as that of the Nyiragongo volcano, literally cook and strong outgassing, pushes the Erta Ale rather a pretty cushy. For observers, the clear view and the means of them lying about 40m and over 60m in diameter, constantly in motion molten rock. On the day the lake has a relatively dull and hard light and sun to appear this inhospitable place. At night, however, and more especially at dusk, unites the universe and the glow of the earth a spectacle unprecedented scale. Then stroll across the lake cooled Lavaplatten push together, drifting apart again, fall off and new lava rises up to while they boil at the edges of the lake and hissing rid of their gas content carried along.

The Erta Ale not the children’s playground and not to be underestimated, not least, he proved with his outburst in 2005. Also in early 2010 was caution, because the lava flooded the first terrace of Pitkraters and was only about 20 meters below the crater rim. Friends of electronic music, I recommend at the sight of the fires of earth a few sounds of Jon Hopkins or Moshic (especially the album Salamat) add.

 

Simien Mountains (the chess table of gods)

The Simien Mountains are located in North-Western corner of Ethiopia and contain the country’s highest peaks. The tallest point is Ras Dashen (4543m), the fourth highest mountain in Africa. Many tourists would say that Simien Mountains offer the most dramatic mountain scenery on the continent. They have National Park status and consist of a high plateau which ends abruptly in deep escarpments up to 2000m deep from which there are vistas of up to 100km over the surrounding lowland valleys. The Northern escarpment offers the most dramatic scenery with wonderful views to numerous deep canyons, dramatic ridges, and isolated monoliths and spires.

According to an ancient greek myth this mountain is “the chess table of gods”. The lot of spires, towers, canyons and rock formations shows this is true. There are lot of villages, where the local Amharic people live. The mountain is not a home only for the local people, than the home for some endemic species. These attributes means the mountain has got a unique, beautiful and the same time wild faces.  The mountain lies in the northern part of Ethiopia. The mountain is a huge 60 km long escarpment.
Large section of the mountain has been incorporated into the Simien National Park, covering almost 180 km². The park has been declared a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO.

he mountain is home for some of Ethiopia’s endemic wildlife and birdlife species. In the mountain range, you will meet plenty of troops of Gelada Baboons, with their scarlet bleeding heart on the chest and long fur on their body.  The other endemic mammals is the Wyala ibex which is usually stand on the rocky edges of cliffs. The world population of these mammals about 400, which over half lives in the Simien.

The highly endangered Ethiopian wolf rarely show himself. In Ethiopia has got about 500 survivors!!! These wolves lives in the afroalpine zone, only in the Simien Mountain and the Bale Mountain which lies in the country’s south part. Above the rocks the huge endemic bird, the Lamergeyer – unique species of vultures – shows its sometimes almost 3 meters wing-spread. These species have some of the biggest measures, but this mountain is home of some smaller animals and home for 3 species of rat…While the afroalpine zone means mountain grassland this spotted plant gigantism. The highest plant is the giant lobelia, which is common in every african alpine zone, like in the Simien. Other important elements of the flora are the erica grass, heathers, everlasting flowers, and the yellow flowers saint john’s wort.

How to get there: The town in Debark is the gateway to the Simien mountains which ascend immediately East. Debark is located approximately 100km North of Gondar, which has an airport with daily flights to the Addis Ababa. Buses from Gondar to Debark take about 3-4 hours along an unpaved road and leave daily.