ADVENTURE JOURNEY Top 7
by W. K. Jackson

Volcano Climbs

1 Avenue of Volcanoes, Ecuador Ecuador might be accurately labeled the preeminent volcano country on earth. And the Avenue of Volcanoes might be characterized as the paramount volcano-climbing region in Ecuador. One’s ascent up Volcano Cotopaxi, Ecuador’s second-highest peak (rising to an impressive 5,897 meters, or 19,427 feet), should begin around midnight—providing one of the greatest sunrises you’ll ever see, a panorama of natural majesty stretching from Cotopaxi’s icy slopes out across the Andes.
2 Klyuchevskoy, Russia Russia’s Klyuchevskoy volcano, all 4,750 meters of it, is the highest active volcano in Europe and Asia. Lava erupts both from the top crater as well as from more than 90 slag cones, lateral craters, and erosive cirques on the volcano’s black slopes. Surrounded by a vast moonscape broken by intermittent ancient woods, a conquest of Klyuchevskoy is hard to beat.
3 Mt. Kanlaon, Philippines One of the five highest peaks in the Philippines, Mt. Kanlaon reaches almost 2,600 meters in height on Negros Island. If you can make it to the top, via a steep trail through ecologic zones ranging from rainforest to rocky wasteland, you’ll be able to peer over the edge of a 400-meter crater.
4 Karangetang Volcano, Indonesia Locals say that Karangetang Volcano was created when the trees around it spread their roots out and upward, then down and into the center of the earth. If this is true, the trees did a pretty good job penetrating into the globe’s magma-filled interior, for Karangetang is one of the most active volcanoes in the Indonesian archipelago, having experienced 40 recorded eruptions since 1675. The mountain towers 1,827 meters above the jungles of Indonesia’s Siau Island.
5 El Pico de Orizaba, Popcatepetl, and Iztaccihuatl, Mexico Three of the highest peaks in North America are also three massive volcanoes. Dominating the skyline southeast of Mexico City, the volcanoes Popcatepetl (7th highest peak in North America at 17,887 feet), Iztaccihuatl (17,373 feet), and El Pico de Orizaba (3rd highest peak in North America at 18,700 feet) represent a volcano climber’s dream. This impressive triad provides a fantastic introduction to high-altitude volcano climbing.
6 Merapi, Indonesia On the Indonesian island of Java, the mighty Merapi’s steep slopes stretch 2.8 kilmoteres—1.7 miles—into the sky. A regular crater sometimes adorn’s Merpapi’s summit, but most of the time the crater is plugged with a large mound of lava, a “dome.” Lava and ash flows regularly make their way down the south slope of the mountain. Warning: Merapi is an extremely active volcano—climbing to the summit may not be the safest thing to do…
7 Stromboli Volcano, Italy Stromboli Volcano, rising 2,900 feet out of the Mediterranean off the coast of Sicily, isn’t the most difficult to summit—in fact, one can accomplish that feat in about three hours. But there’s nothing like climbing a volcano and hearing it rumble—and on Stramboli’s slopes, you’re bound to hear the mountain groan. This guy erupts a lot. And when you’re done, take a load off on the black-sanded beaches below the mountain.