Mountain Guide Risks Life For Incredible Volcano Images
The man who took these incredible images has spoken about how every step could have risked him plunging through the thin rock crust into molten lava in order to document the moment the Piton de la Fournaise volcano erupted into life.
This new footage was shot at the weekend after the volcano started erupting again on 19th February when mountain guide Benoit Lincy filmed his first images of the incredible event.
Now he has returned and managed to get even closer to record lava spewing from the top of the active volcano before gushing out and forming stunning lava flows.
Standing just next to one of these flows, Mr Lincy filmed the molten rock pouring down the mountainside.
Subsequent shots show the eruption from different angles capturing the impressive scale of the this spectacular natural phenomena.
This new footage was filmed on the volcano’s eastern flank, near the Piton Madore crater which started to form a new volcanic cone last Thursday (21st February).
A volcanic cone is a hill shaped like a triangle that is formed when matter piles up around a volcanic vent during an eruption. Volcanic cones usually have a volcanic crater at the top.
Speaking to Central European News (CEN), Mr Lincy, an experienced mountain guide from Brittany in France who has been living in the overseas French territory of Reunion in the Indian Ocean for nearly five years, said: “This eruption is not easy to access. I have to walk several hours and often off the trail on very difficult volcanic terrain.
“I have to cross different lava flows. As well as being careful around the eruption itself, I have to make sure I don’t get lost, especially if the weather is bad.
“You also have to be very careful not to get hurt because the lava is extremely hot when you get near. When I leave home, I am very well equipped: warm and rainproof clothes, special trousers, good walking shoes, gloves, hiking sticks, a full first aid kit, and enough food and water.
“If there is a problem, there is no telephone network over a large part of the area.
“Once you arrive in the active areas, it is very important to know and analyse the terrain, being careful not to cross over fragile, unstable and sometimes very hot areas such as cracks and lava tunnels.
“When I go nearer, I am equipped with a gas mask and a helmet, as well as cotton clothes because synthetic clothes would catch fire and melt. It is very hot, sometimes on the limit of what is bearable. You get dehydrated very quickly.
“If the wind turns suddenly, the heat quickly becomes unbearable. You have to know how to turn around quickly without panicking.
“A good assessment of the ground is very important before walking anywhere. It must always be kept in mind that the activity of the volcano can change in just a few seconds.
“And finally, it’s very important to think about the trek back down, which can be long, sometimes very long and tiring.”
The authorities have warned people to stay away from the eruption because it is extremely dangerous.
While scientists have managed to get close to the lava flows, hundreds of watchers can only gaze at the event from a safe distance.
This has not deterred Mr Lincy though, who thanks to his expert skills developed working as a mountain guide offering guided tours of the volcano – when it is not erupting – managed to get close to the piping hot magma.
According to local media, the new eruption that started on 19th February has been accompanied by constant seismic tremors while an impressive lava flow measuring over 1 mile (over 1,600 metres) formed as a result of the impressive quantities of magma gushing from the volcano.
The volcano had at first become active last Monday (18th February) morning at 9.48am before resuming its slumber at around 10pm the same day, but since 5pm last Tuesday (19th February) it has been erupting again and shows no signs of slowing down.
While the Piton de la Fournaise is 2,632 metres (8,635 feet) high, this latest eruption is taking place at an altitude of approximately 1,800 metres (5,905 feet).
According to local reports, this new eruption could indicate a new phase of the volcano’s life, the likes of which have not been seen since 2002. Other significant and relatively recent eruptions took place in 1977, 1986, and 1999.
The ‘Observatoire Volcanologique Piton de la Fournaise’ (Volcanological Observatory Piton de la Fournaise; OVPF) released a map of the eruption last Monday and said: “Declaring a level 1 alert (access forbidden to the volcano and to nearby paths) at 9.48am allowed for volcano amateurs to be protected.”
Since then, the OVPF have been commenting on the impressive activity, saying on Wednesday morning (today): “The new eruption activity that began on 19th February is continuing. Following an aerial reconnaissance conducted today by an OVPF team, the new eruption site has been accurately located at an altitude of 1,800m at the foot of Piton Madore.”
Mr Lincy, originally from Brittany in France, has been working with nature for 15 years. He has lived in the Reunion for nearly five years. He told CEN: “I left my native Brittany and I am currently a mountain guide on this beautiful island.
I have been fascinated by volcanoes since I was young and I try to transmit it by discovering the Piton de la Fournaise massif. To do this, I have my mountain guide diploma but I also like to share photos and videos.”
He added that after all the work on the volcano it was a big change from his other passion which was filming and exploring under water.
He said: “If you do not find me on the volcano maybe it’s because I am under water… my second passion is the ocean!”