The brave enjoy the world first. "In 2023, when more and more people are starting to go outdoors in search of excitement, volcano travel is starting to become popular.
Indonesia, the world's largest volcanic country, is closer to China and has become a popular destination for middle-class volcano travelers.
But in the last month of 2023, a journey of death that could have been avoided occurred.
Even the Indonesian Volcano Monitoring Agency did not know that Marapi, an unpopular volcano in West Sumatra, would suddenly erupt on the afternoon of December 3. Flying volcanic ash, lava, and debris reached a height of 3,000 meters, turning the sky black.
The Malapi erupted on Sunday, and witnesses recalled that several climbers were camping in a crater near the peak.
It was the worst moment I've ever seen in my life. Devi Loveko, a young man from West Sumatra, told the South Wind Window.
Her family lives in a village 10 kilometers from the Malapi volcano. The village's proximity to the volcano and fertile soil make it suitable for agricultural production. On the afternoon of December 3, feeling the vibration of the soles of his feet, Devi ran out of the house.
No**. Outside her home, she noticed that the Malapi volcano outside her house was like a boiling hot pot, constantly emitting billowing black smoke into the sky.
On December 3, Indonesia's Malapi volcano erupted suddenly, spewing out ash columns up to 3,000 meters high, and a red-hot ash cloud spread for several miles.
Run!As an Indonesian on the side of the volcano, Devi's subconscious came into play, and he took his younger brother on a motorcycle and drove in the opposite direction of the volcano.
The danger was far away, but to Devi's heartbreak, in the end, 23 members of the 76-member local Indonesian mountaineering team were confirmed dead.
I'm no different from them," Devi said, "and once you've chased the volcano, you'll find that there's nothing more fascinating than that." ”
harmless," Rahmad, an Indonesian who has been on Malapi in 2023, described to the South Wind Window, "People think Malapi is harmless." ”
An untouched volcanic eruption finally brought the irritable Malapi into its original form. As the lava underground breaks through the sky and consumes life, it also raises the question for those who climb the volcano: volcano travel may seem avant-garde and cool, but how can you ensure safety?
The volcano is no longer calm
The Malapi volcano when it is quiet, it is an absolute wonderland.
Chinese Li Yueyue climbed once with a friend on Christmas Eve 2022. "I will never forget the memories of this life, the top of the mountain is like the surface of the moon, there are many tropical plants growing at the foot of the mountain, and I also picked up a small pepper on the way back. He described.
It was an unusually difficult climb, starting at 2 o'clock in the middle of the night, from the foot of the mountain to the top of the mountain more than 2,800 meters, watching the sunrise, taking pictures, and when they went down to the bottom of the mountain, it was already 3 o'clock in the afternoon.
Devi also told Nanfeng Window that staying overnight at the volcano is a local feature of Indonesia. The reason for this is that while waiting for dawn on the ridge of a volcano, one will encounter an "ocean cloud" that is rare elsewhere. At this time, the clouds merge with the direct sunlight, and the large, heavy clouds emit a golden light, just like the sun that people feel when flying at an altitude of 10,000 meters.
Scenery of the Malapi volcano.
Li Yueyue recalled that compared to the tiredness of climbing the volcano, what was more impressive about the Malapi was the Indonesian locals he met along the way, "very kind, all of them were students". He learned from his guide that Malapi is popular with locals who prefer to camp at the volcano, so they often spend two days in the mountains.
That's why I guess there were so many victims this time, and everyone wanted to spend the night on the mountain. Li Yueyue said.
Devi also shared with Nanfeng Window when she was camping in Malapi in September. It was windy on the mountain, and tents were piled up on it, and Indonesian men and women who climbed the mountain sat around for a picnic. A little farther away, the sun rises.
Importantly, this is in the vicinity of the crater," Devi said with some pride, noting that the wide summit of Malapi has multiple crater-like craters that one can approach and gaze into the abyss.
But starting on December 3, everything became unusual. Indonesia's National Disaster Resilience Agency reported that the Malapi volcano erupted suddenly and violently at 14:45, spewing out a column of ash up to 3,000 meters high, and continued to erupt for many days after that. Seventy-six climbers registered the climb with the authorities, and "there may be quite a few illegal climbers," the local ** said.
Zafira Fibrina, a 19-year-old girl, recorded the horror of that day while waiting for rescue. Her face and braids were covered with thick volcanic ash, and her face had burn marks, as if she had just come out of the mire. "Mom, help. "She begged for help in ***.
The distress scene in Zafira** is covered in thick volcanic ash.
Zafira managed to escape.
The student Muhammad was also among the lucky ones in this outbreak. He was accompanied by 17 other people, all of whom were students. At the moment of the eruption, Muhammad was near the peak, first felt **, and then heard a sensation from under the crater, which was deafening.
He and his friends hid behind a pile of rocks. Then, all kinds of rubble began to fly around.
Thick black smoke soon covered the sky. "We (the survivors) couldn't see the road and could only look for a place to protect ourselves on the cliffs and try to go downhill. Muhammad recalled.
The search and rescue operation took place for 4 days. Eventually, 23 climbers were confirmed dead.
As Devi described, one survivor recalled that on Saturday night, December 2, many young people camped on the mountain. It is a common camping site, 600 meters from the crater, and next to it stands a monument commemorating the victims of the 1992 Malapi eruption.
Many people overlook its power.
After all, it's been a long time since the volcano, which was classified as Level 2 Alert by the Indonesian Volcano Survey in 2011 (second only to the highest alert), to erupt and cause people**.
Rescuers carry the injured in Visual China.
Even Indonesia's official agency, the Center for Volcanology and Geological Mitigation (PVMBG), said it did not expect the eruption of the volcano this time. In the two weeks prior to the incident, there were no ** or signs of a volcanic eruption in Malapi.
In the Global Volcano Project Museum**, founded by volcanologists, Malapi is listed as a "complex" type. Its eruptions often bypass human-monitorable means - usually, volcanic eruptions are preceded by deep movements of magma, causing the ** monitor to vibrate.
However, in response to the death of several climbers, the head of the West Sumatra Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA), the head of the local department, Dian, said that officials have set up warning signs and "do not approach" signs near the crater.
This is a warning to climbers. We're always saying, be careful, stay safe, and don't approach the crater. ”
People who chase volcanoes
For example, Dewei and Li Yueyue, four people who have traveled volcanoes told Nanfeng Window that the reason why they climbed the volcano is because it has been flowing in people's imagination for too long in the past, which is fascinating.
Even if it's a dangerous game, curiosity drives me to want to check it out. Devi said.
It is a landscape of barrenness and mystery, representing the most primitive power of the earth. Just as humans need to breathe through their nostrils, volcanic eruptions have the effect of seeping or squirting underground lava onto the earth's surface when the pressure under the earth's crust is so great that it needs to "exhale" to the surface.
When lava reaches the surface, it turns into a cloud of smoke, gravel, ash, or gas.
Surprisingly, a 2021 study by the University of Pennsylvania in the United States showed that volcanic travel typically grows in the years following a volcanic eruption. Because volcanic eruptions have clearly known the names of active volcanoes, people can't wait to experience the real feeling of a volcanic eruption in a place where there are ashes and traces of eruptions.
Tourists watch the volcanic lava eruption Visual China.
The research team described this type of fetish as "dark travel". In 2010, Indonesia's famous Mount Merapi erupted, killing 353 people and displacing more than 400,000 people from their homes. Soon, tour companies specializing in routes to the volcanic ruins sprung up, and tourism flourished in the village of Merapi.
And abroad, this group of volcano-loving people is called "lava chasers". They indulge in a whole range of volcanic tourism activities, going to all the geothermal sites near the volcano. This includes climbing an active, dormant volcano or volcanic disaster site, visiting a museum, and then soaking in the hot springs at the base of the mountain.
As for the Chinese, Zhang Yaxuan, an employee who does tour groups in Indonesia, said that in 2023, there has been a lot of growth in the number of people who come to consult Indonesian volcanoes. She told Nanfeng Window that with the resumption of global travel, driven by various travel bloggers, and the release of the documentary "Volcano Love", Chinese people's travel to Indonesia's volcanoes has also become hot.
As a result, many tours have launched ** for Indonesia's famous volcanic attractions.
One of the most popular routes among Chinese, connecting the "twin volcanoes" that are most popular with tourists in Indonesia.
For example, the "first up the mountain and then into the sea" route. Departing from Surabaya, the second largest city on the island of Java, climb at night to Mount Bromo, an active volcano chosen for the cover of Lonely Planet. Then go all the way to the east to Yizhen Volcano, which is "the only one in the world where you can see blue flames", and then you have to go over the mountains and mountains to photograph the amber-like pine-green sulfuric acid lake on Yizhen Volcano. Finally, take another half-hour boat ride to Bali.
Sunrise view of Mount Bromo Visual China.
It's a very well-established travel route," both Indonesian local guides told Nanfeng Window, adding that the "twin volcanoes" are far from the two volcanoes that are currently erupting, "and it's safe, you just have to trust us." ”
Rather than worrying about safety, many people who have climbed the "twin volcanoes" lamented in Xiaohongshu: "Brave people enjoy the world first." "In the splendid volcanoes and lakes they showcased, climbing volcanoes became a way to fight against mediocrity. As the most popular evaluation of "Volcano Love" on Douban wrote: "If you have looked at the magma in the crater, it is indeed difficult to settle for a mediocre life." ”
Kirk Reynolds, CEO of the British travel company Discover Outdoor, divides the people who chase volcanoes into two types. There is a group of people who are specifically thrill-seekers, such as bungee jumping and diving enthusiasts.
"But there's another group of young people who are out of college, working, and desperate for a meaningful life," Kirk said. The proximity to the volcano undoubtedly satisfies their needs – it makes one feel alive. ”
Unclear danger edges
However, many travelers admit that the premise of their climbing of volcanoes is that they often do not know how dangerous volcanoes are.
After climbing Malapi for more than a year, Li Yueyue didn't know for the first time that it was an active volcano until December 2023, when it actually killed 23 people.
In fact, since 2011, the Indonesian Volcano Monitoring Agency has classified Malapi as a second-level alert state. This means that the risk of eruption is much greater than that of ordinary volcanoes.
In January 2023, Malapi erupted briefly for 45 seconds, spewing ash 300 meters above the ground. The outbreak was unmanned, but the local ** closed the hiking route at that time.
After a brief half-year hiatus, the trail reopened in July. Although at this time, the Indonesian Volcano Survey still defined it as a "second level of alert".
Disagreements arise here.
* The person in charge, Dean, believes that a warning has been posted on the Malapi volcano "do not approach the crater" and that the crater is "very dangerous" within a three-kilometer radius. This means that a warning has been made.
Eko Paripurana, a veteran disaster observer at Indonesia's Yogyakarta National Development University (UPN), told Indonesia** that deaths could have been avoided if climbers had complied with advice not to approach craters within a three-kilometer radius.
This is because the size of the eruption was relatively small, with only about a few thousand cubic meters of material ejected.
Devi, who has experienced many volcanic eruptions in Indonesia, also told Nanfeng Window that from the experience of the locals, the lethality of Malapi this time is not great. "You can see if you look at the ** that the lava and so on from Malapi are sprayed upwards and into the sky. However, in the past, volcanoes that killed many people, lava and ash were sprayed in all directions, and the impact on the surrounding villages was greater. ”
However, for most volcano climbers, from the moment they are allowed to climb, the fear of risk is behind them. In many people's minds, when a scenic spot can be opened to the public and many people visit together, it means that it is absolutely safe.
Climbers enjoy the beauty of the volcano in Visual China.
Several Malapi survivors told locals** that when climbing Malapi Volcano, the forward and retreat routes along the route are more visible than warning signs. In addition, although there is a "Do not approach" sign posted on the peak, there is no one around to manage it, and there is no person to inform you of the risks. Therefore, neither the summit nor the approach to the crater were unaware of the danger.
A similar situation occurred in 2019 with the Mount Wight volcano in New Zealand. In December of that year, local summer, 22 out of 47 tourists erupted when an active volcano on the island erupted.
The trial for the death caused by this volcanic eruption will be carried out until 2023. The island's owners, several travel agencies and luxury charter operators, have all been charged for allegedly failing to inform tourists of the risks in advance.
In July 2023, a number of Isle of Wight witnesses testified at the hearing. A 19-year-old American boy said that the trip to the island volcano was led by his father and cost a total of 16,000 US dollars (a total of 11 yuan).40,000 yuan).
He thought that this trip to the volcano was absolutely safe, and even at the moment of the eruption, he thought that it was a normal phenomenon of the volcano, "like entering the wizarding world of Harry Potter".
Scene of a volcanic eruption on the Isle of Wight, New Zealand, in 2019.
In the end, the three members of a family of four, father, mother, and sister, were swallowed by the volcano and left him.
In October 2023, after a four-year trial, the Isle of Wight landowner was fined nearly $1 million for failing to "minimise risk".
Despite the responsibility, the safety problems exposed by the eruption of the Isle of Wight volcano still exist around the world today. Malapi is another lesson four years later.
In 2019, Volcano Tourism** gave a number of safety tips to tourists after the Isle of Wight accident.
One of them is that tourists should not just listen to the tour operator before visiting the volcano. Rather, "from the scientific observatory, get real-time information about volcanic eruptions."