The brightest volcano of Indonesia. Sulfur Lake in the Crater of the Kawah Ijen volcano in Indonesia where the volcano is Izen

January 12th, 2014

In the eastern part of Java Island, which is located in Indonesia, there is an amazing beauty, but very dangerous in nature, the place is the Volcano Kawah Ijen. The volcano is located at an altitude of about 2400 meters above sea level, the diameter of its crater is 175 meters, and the depth is 212 meters. In his train, it is probably located, probably the strangest and frightening lake of an excellent apple-emerald color, in which the terminator will risk swimming, because instead of water in it sulfuric acid. Or rather, it is a mixture of sulfur and hydrochloric acid with a volume of 40 million tons.

Famous French photographer Olivier Grünevald recently made several travels to sulfuric mines in crater of Volcano Kawaha ijenlocated in Eastern Java, Indonesia. He did with special equipment exciting surreal photos This place in the lunar light, illuminated by the torches and the blue flame of burning molten sulfur.

Watch photo © olivier grunewal.

The descent in the caldera of the Kawaha Ijen volcano, where there is a lake with sulfuric acid width to a kilometer. On his shores mining sulfur

Each liter of this deadly grade contains an additional 5 grams of molten aluminum. In total, the lake on approximate estimates contains more than 200 tons of aluminum. On the surface of the lake, the temperature fluctuates in the area of \u200b\u200b60 degrees, and at its bottom and all 200!

Acid gases and steam stand out of yellowish sulfur pieces

In order for people to imagine all the danger of the lake for their lives, an experiment was conducted. A leaf of aluminum was lowered into the lake for 20 minutes, already at the immersion, it began to be covered with bubbles, and after all the time, the aluminum leaf was thin, like a piece of fabric.

The worker blends a piece from solid sulfur. Then sulfur is carried to the weighing station

However, the lake and the crater of the Kawah ijen volcano itself is used not to attract tourists, but for sulfur production in very unfavorable conditions for humans. A sulfur in this crater is a reasonable amount, but since it is still Southwer, then manual work is completely used.

Night. Shakhtar with a torch is inside the Crater of Volcano Ijen Kawaha, looking at the stream of liquid sulfur, glowing supernatural blue:

Workers are local residents without any protective costumes and gas masks, and inhaling the smell of sulfur then still disgust, mining sulfur pieces day and night, using only their unprotected hands and handkerchief, tied on the face to protect the mouth and nose.

Miners are working here in hellhouse during sulfur production. Photographer Olivier Grünevalda described the local smell as an unbearable, requiring a mask or gas mask for safety. Some of the miners are worn, the rest work without them.

Miners with lows that chop out sulfur pieces:

Photo 10.

Photo 11.

The worker puts sulfur pieces in the basket to endure it from the volcano:

Photo 12.

Do you think this is all drawn? Watch the video:

Photo 13.

These bizarre forms were formed from a liquid sulfur stream inside the Kawaha Ijen volcanic crater. When the sulfur is melted, it has a blood-red. As cool it is becoming more and more yellow

Photo 14.

The molten sulfur is dripping from a ceramic pipe, which condenses sulfur gases from the volcano into the liquid. Then she cools, hardens, and workers get it

Photo 15.

Photo 16.

Photo 17.

Photo 18.

Photo 19.

Photo 22.

Photo 23.

Shakhtar reached the destination with its cargo. Miners make two or three walkers per gray per day, getting for their heavy labor about $ 13 US per shift

Photo 24.

Photo 25.

Mechanism for initial processing of sulfur where large pieces are broken into smaller

Photo 26.

The sulfur pieces are then frightened over fire, and it melts again

Photo 21.

The molten sulfur is bottled by tanks

The last stage of the etogoprocess is the distribution of liquid sulfur on cooling plates. When it cools down and turn into sulfur sheets, they go to local local communization factories for rubber and other industrial facilities

Photo 27.

Photo 28.

Photo 29.

Photo 30.

Photo 31.

Photo 32

Photo 33

Photo 34.

Photo 35

Photographer Olivier Grunevalda: "The feeling is that you are on another planet." Grunevald lost one chamber and two lens in the harsh conditions of the crater. When the shooting was finished, he threw out all his things in the trash: the sulfur smell was so strong that it would be impossible to get rid of him.

And now day report from this mine:

The Indonesian miner carries sulfur from the Ijen volcano on May 24, 2009 in the surroundings of Banyuwangi, East Java, Indonesia. ULET IFANSASTI / GETTY IFAGES)

The acid filled with a lake inside the crate of the IJEN 200 meters in depth and a kilometer in width. Photo Made on May 24, 2009 in Eastern Java, Indonesia. The lake is filled with a solution of sulfuric acid and hydrogen chloride at a temperature of 33 cº. ULET IFANSASTI / GETTY IFAGES)

The worker repairs pipes in which sulfur gases are condensed. IJEN volcanic complex May 24, 2009 in the area of \u200b\u200bBanyuwangi, East Java, Indonesia. ULET IFANSASTI / GETTY IFAGES)

Shakhtar extracts sulfur from the pipe at the IJEN volcanic crater on May 24, 2009 in Eastern Java, Indonesia. The molten sulfur flows out of deep red pipes, and as cooling it gradually becomes yellow and hardens. ULET IFANSASTI / GETTY IFAGES)

Employees are releasing the pipes in which sulfur gases are condensed. IJEN volcanic complex May 24, 2009 in the area of \u200b\u200bBanyuwangi, East Java, Indonesia. ULET IFANSASTI / GETTY IFAGES)

Shakhtar extracts sulfur from the tube from the Crater of the Ijen volcano on May 24, 2009 in Eastern Java, Indonesia. ULET IFANSASTI / GETTY IFAGES)

On this photo, made through the segment of the spare ceramic pipe, employees repair a large pipe for sulfur condensation. IJEN volcanic complex May 24, 2009 in the area of \u200b\u200bBanyuwangi, East Java, Indonesia. ULET IFANSASTI / GETTY IFAGES)

Employees are releasing the pipes in which sulfur gases are condensed. May 24, 2009. (Ulett iFansasti / Getty Images)

A piece of sulfur produced from the IJEN volcano. The photo was made on May 24, 2009, East Java, Indonesia. ULET IFANSASTI / GETTY IFAGES)

Shakhtar extracts sulfur from the pipe to the Crater of the Ijen volcano on May 24, 2009 in Eastern Java, Indonesia. ULET IFANSASTI / GETTY IFAGES)

Shakhtar carries sulfur to its baskets from the Crater of the IJEN Volcano on May 24, 2009. (Ulett iFansasti / Getty Images)

Miner makes a short break while working at the IJEN volcano on May 24, 2009. (Ulett IFANSASTI / Getty Images)

The loaded gray baskets ready to carry them up the steep walls of the crater, and then before the weighing station. May 24, 2009. (Ulett iFansasti / Getty Images)

- The acting volcano on the island of Java in Indonesia. But you will not find the lava in the center of the volcano: instead of her, the largest acid lake in the world is in the crater. Despite the fact that the volcano is constantly erupting the sulfur pair, the turquoise lake is filled with a mixture of sulfur and hydrochloric acids, and the miner's work on this site is considered the most dangerous work in the world, Intrivated daily attracts countless tourists. Climbing at the volcano begins late at night so that the tourists manage to see the blue flame, simply speaking, the pairs of sulfur, which when oxidation glows in the dark. We tell how to conquer this place.

When to go

On Incen, you can rise at any time of the year, the exceptions make up bad natural conditions or eruption of neighboring volcanoes. Inthen is also an active volcano, but the last time he was erupted over 15 years ago. The volcanoologists are observed daily for the indicators of the volcano activity, therefore, in the case of any seismic deviations, access to it is closed.

Budget

Expenditures depend on your choice in favor of an independent organization of the tour or guide services. To get to the base camp of the volcano, it is necessary to take into account a lot of nuances to take into account, and it is forbidden to rise to Intruded without a guide anyway. If you find a local guide - you will receive a tour only for you and your friends at a lower price than international travel agencies. On average, the entire package, including transport, food and climbing costs about $ 110, in the case of local guides - about $ 80. If you decide to plan the whole round yourself, do not forget to take warm clothes, flashlight and gas mask. If the climb will be organized by the guide, it will prepare everything you need. Find local guides is easy: there are many groups for foreigners living on Bali, as well as local residents in Facebook. Try to write a post in the Ubud Community group.

Route and climbing ideas

Most of the travelers begin the path to Bali. About six evenings, the car usually takes people from Ubud or other spots in the south of Bali and takes to the western part of the island - the port of Gilimanuk. The road takes about six hours depending on the remoteness of the initial item from the west of Bali. At about midnight, you will arrive at the port, from where ferries regularly go to the eastern shore of Java - Banyuwangi. Go from the west of Bali to East Java will not take more than 30 minutes. The main camp at the foot of the Volcano Wedge is 20 kilometers from the port. Local, everything has long been captured and well organized: Jeep will already be waiting for you on Java, dinner in a local restaurant before departing to the camp, dry lads before climbing and breakfast after it. Also for you should cook lanterns and gas masks that will come in handy when you are approaching the crater itself.

At night, the climb begins. At night, the temperature is very much lowered, especially when you rising to the top. Depending on your sports training, climbing can take from 1.5 to 2.5 hours. Rising to the crater is Izhen before dawn, you can see the blue flame to which you can go down the rapter of the volcano, thereby going as close as possible. By this moment, everything must be put on gas masks, otherwise it will be impossible to breathe. Miners who started work long before sunrise, at this time are already carrying on the shoulders of 80 kilograms of sulfur sediments - and without any protective mask. Do not forget to take warm clothes with you. You're already raise to the top before sunrise, and seeing a blue flame, you will wait for dawn. It will be cold!

From the height of 2883 meters, an incredible view of the acid lake in the crater, the pH of which is lower than 0, 3 on a scale from 0 to 14 - for comparison, the pH of the lemon juice is 2.

Our journey from Vulcan Bromo to Iden took the whole day. I slept almost all the way. And what else to do?! Periodically, Andy told the stories of passing places. But these stories were from the category: "There were coffee", "And here it was rice, it was not there before," and the lonely grandmother lived there. " Not to say that it is boring, but also nothing useful and interesting for myself.

The rise in the mountains have already begun on dottems. Numerous cliffs and slopes in the pitch darkness passed. At one of the turns, Andy said: "It's good that we do not see what is happening around."

In the mountains, next to Izden, many checkpoints, driving who Andy every time recorded us in a notebook visits. Approximately half an hour from Ijen are two small hotels: Arabica (Arabica Homestay) and Catimor Homestay.

In the village of Banuvanhibitions again arrived. We stopped in Arabica. Conditions of residence - hiking. In the room of a broken bed, insects, glowing in the dark, current crane, shower, toilet, hole in the floor, unclosed windows, cold. Fortunately, I sleep here only 4 hours. Dinner. Rather, without unnecessary conversations, they hurried to rest from endless movements.

Volcano Ident is known on world spaces thanks to numerous documentary films, including National Geographic. In the crater of the volcano there is a large hot lake of sulfuric acid, along the shores of which local residents in inhuman conditions are mined sulfur. In a bowl of basalt gray walls, a turquoise lake is located, over the surface of which sulfur loops stretch. The depth of it is not large - 212 meters. A kind of unique place worthy of your attention and visit.

Going to a campaign to Izden, do not forget to capture the respirator with filters, since sulfur evaporation coming from the sulfur field - poisonous. I'll tell you about your respirator just below.

I slept badly. It was cold, and something dragonfly flew around the room, which flicker and blurred with different colors in the dark. There were no disturbing thoughts, because the campaign is a lot of dangers and difficulties.

At 00:40 I was again walked by Andy, aggressively taraban in the door. We must have time for the night, known in these places, Action: Blue Fire Show. "A couple of seconds", putting sock on the hand, I replied.

Approximately half an hour drove to the town of Paluding, from where the ascent itself begins to go. The road is complex. Not a single lantern, jungle and only we on the route.

At the foot of another gearbox, and here we are completely close to the dream. Put the car. Andy quickly found the conductor. Assured that this is the best conductor. The spent had a pseudonym Robin. Robin Bobin Bararak, so joking, he called himself. Without a local guide, the rise to IMEND is prohibited.

Only headed towards the slope, as it was raining. Andy bought from local deltsov, a couple of bottles of water and raincoat, handed a headlamp, manual lantern and we headed. Our conductor was very cheerful, sociable, local bully. Behavior has reminiscent of the child's behavior. He handed off his colleagues with his colleagues, they also chose the caps.

The road long at 2.5 kilometers goes to a steep slide through the serpentine, then 1 kilometer on the plain. The path is heavy. In the pitch darkness and under the drizzling rain, we barely walked along the leaving trail. For unprepared people, this sunrise can be a problem. The task complicated the sleepy state, zero visibility and fog. Nothing was visible at a distance of 3 meters. It was quite unclear what's there ahead, and until the peak we go. Bought Andy Water, left in the first 20 minutes. Andy herself breathing very hard and lagging behind us with Robin. On this campaign, she took a huge backpack, which she was clone to Earth. Her backpack we took over, but it was clear that she could not go at all. Halfway fell on the ground, to sit down, then to lie down. To our persuasion go down, refused, with the words, my client Denis, he must be pleased with my work.

After 1.5 hours a small hat. All tourists drink tea, workers surrender to the minimum sulfur. I already thought that our torments ended, so I was not mistaken for a long time. The hostess of the institution said that we are only halfway to the crater. Andy admitted that she has a bad heart, and she cannot go further. Naturally, we left her sit on the bench, and they went to the slide further. Here I noticed that my legs beat to the petition, the breath becomes harder, and the sweat of the stream flows through the body. Nothing, break. We are going to meet "curved workers", which drag baskets from 70-100 kg. sulfur.

Volcano island. Branch of hell on earth. February 1st, 2018

When we just started talking about our adventures in Indonesia, we were constantly writing "Be sure to go to Ident - this is where beauty!"

Do you know why? Because the usual Gentlemansky set of a tourist who decided to visit Indonesia volcanoes on Java includes bromo and ideally. The most easily accessible, beautiful and as a result - the most visited.

And although the Wolconography of our interests spread much wider than these two volcanoes, Intrivated and Bromo were also included in the mandatory program.

But if bromo - about what is beautiful, then Intrivated ... I don't even know how to formulate it.
No, it's beautiful. Especially for those who have not too many different volcanisms in their lives seen. But some sinister beauty is beautiful.
In addition, on Incented two in one: a place for the pilgrimage of tourists and the place of hellish work. Daily apart from hundreds of other curious tourists, dozens of workers mining sulfur descend here.

Yes, my personal list of hellish work has been replenished with a new item. Before that, it was in it, if you think that the list of hellish work is only about distant wild countries, now you will be surprised, it took two items in it.
Now this is the extraction of sulfur. As many years ago - hands, sledgehamps, in baskets, which then need to be taken up.

And so it is of course beautiful - giant crater, yellow sulfur, turquoise sulfur lake ...

I was asked here, and why this sulfur is mined?
I, as a person, not lazy, immediately climbed on the internet.
Since ancient times, ancient times was used as a heat source during the heat treatment of sinners. Where? Well, things are understandable - in hell.

In principle, the night descent to the crater of the volcano is the most reminds of the descent to hell.

Dark, strange people somewhere wand down the narrow path, sometimes very cool, nothing can also be smoke. A lot of smoke. And characteristic caustic sulfur smell.

You still do not understand where you are going and what you see, but all this is already starting hard to not like.
Especially when, such as us, suddenly covers a particularly dense sulfur cloud.

No, it's not always there. More often costs without too strong flue effects. And then descended can observe blue fire burning in the crater. For this, descend in the dark.
In general, there is a fire, sulfur is, smoke is. Adsis.

In our case, the smoke was such that nothing could be seen. Basically. In addition to strange outlines of people. And some stones.

We descended almost to Niza, when the cloud of sulfur smoke became completely unbearable. It became almost impossible to breathe, the eyes began to get pathne from caustic smoke.

Now imagine that all this happens on a narrow path leaving cool down, among the crowd of people. That is, if that, it is necessary to get out, respectively, upstairs. On the same path. There are no other options.

I walked and imagined how it could look if you need to get urgently. If a panic starts. If all this crowd breaks up ...

Apparently such thoughts visited not only my head, and gradually more and more people began to turn back.
So our team shared again. Reasonable half said that they are already enough, they are upstairs. And half of the ever curious adventurers in the face of me, my non-random fellow traveler e_KASPERSKY. And Shsh, decided to continue sulfur masochings.

The guide assured that all this should stretch in 15 minutes. We sat, breathed in a wet cloth, trying to breathe in times.

No blue lights speech did not go. But when it became light, and the smoke began to gradually leave, everything was slightly lilac.

And then, when with Dark, at the same time very successfully and smoke, we finally could see this branch of hell.

Here, by the way, you can see the edge of the crater, from where we came from.

Sulfur miners chop down huge pieces, sometimes crush them, fold in the basket and raise up.

Basket weight - 60-70 kilograms. Everyone can try on this wear.

Well? Do you still seem to be the chair in your office is not soft enough?
Then, welcome to this hellish cuisine.

All work is carried out in manual. There are some barrels in which something smokes, but no one could explain the technology of the process.

However, the question about how many years people work here before they die, I didn't get it too.

The crowds of tourists every day attending the volcano here have long been accustomed. Come calmly.

Sulfur miners apparently accepted as a given thing that they became part of the attraction. And even earn a little additionally, taking money from tourists for a photo.

Here are tourists and pose joyfully.

True, before the next cloud of caustic smoke.

I also take a photo. Of course not with serokarts. And with a volcano. Traditionally. So that then count on the photos, how many of them were.

And only there at the light of the day we see here such a sign. Very strange for a volcano where crowds are watering tourists.

And where the tourist business flourishes in all manifestations. Souvenirs from sulfur. Conditions. And for those who cannot go on their own - VIP trolley.

On the same trolleys there are bags with sulfur. In general, everything was mixed here in this hello boiler.

And choosing from there, I want to join our non-famous compatriots and subscribe under their words.

However...
You will not believe. On this, our Marathon volcano on Java ended. Six volcanoes seem to seem six days. Not sure. Everything was mixed in the head from impressions, seen, events, sleepless nights and endless roads.
Rest reached its apogee. There was no possibility to rest in this pace further.
But we are not monsters. We are kind. Therefore, I am with my no random coast of adventure ek generous hand slept our fellow travelers on the sea.

The yard was on January 3. On this day we have appointed a solemn and final celebration of the New Year.

Sea! Holiday! Aircraft!
We flew to the sea and for the holiday.

Volcano and height

A fascinating excursions can be made to the crater of the volcano. Picturesque trails are leading to Zhero, through which tourists get to the edge of amazing in their own appearance and content of the natural source. The lake is located in the biggest grief, at an altitude of 2386 meters. From afar, the crater reminds the agroken of the true volcano, but when approaching the travelers is waiting for exciting landscapes. On gray rocks there are vivid yellow boulders lying on gray - it's sulfur. It goes to the surface of a liquid, rich red color, then crawl down the slopes, drawing a streak on them and becoming lighter. In the end, sulfur cools, hardens and acquires a well-known yellow shade. At night, the guests of the Volcanana Incen also will not remain disappointed: during oxidation, the liquid sulfur begins to glow in the dark with incredible blue and blue lights. This mystical phenomenon is called "blue lava" or "blue fire." The depth of the crater is 200 m, and the lake radius is 361 meters. Kawach-Iden is the largest acid lake in the world. The temperature on its surface reaches 60 ° C, and at the greatest depth - 180-200 ° C (during the eruptions - up to 600 ° C).

Many travelers dream of visiting the volcano wedge just because the pairs of sulfur are constantly depraved from his subsoil. Sometimes it is the result of the activities of natural resource miners, which ignite the surface of the lake, artificially release new portions of the fossil. But history has no one dozen serious eruptions of a natural nature.

During the excursion, tourists can also visit coffee and tea plantations, get acquainted with the living conditions and work of local residents.

The history of the emergence of the volcano island

The origin of the name of the volcano is unknown. Locals used the same toponyms for the lake and the mountain, in which it is located.

The first stratovano on the island of Java appeared in the period of Pleistocene, which began 2.588 million years ago and ended 11.7 thousand years ago. It was then on the basis of basalt, andesitic and other types of rocks, a mountain range was formed, which gradually acquired modern outlines and its current geopolitical, natural, economic and tourist importance.

During the existence, scientists fixed the different character of the eruptions of the volcanic IDEND, each of which is majestically and unique in its kind. The most catastrophic turned out to be an eruption of 1817, which lasted more than 33 days and was the cause of the release of lake fluid from the shores and flooding of nearby towns. At the same time, the situation was aggravated by the gathering of the villages, which destroyed more than 90 houses and took the lives of many locals. There was no activity of such a strength larger yet.

Sulfur production

Mining dangerous to the health of a natural resource on a volcano IMEN is carried out by hand. Many people who are engaged in this work daily do not even suspect how dangerous such an occupation is. They are simply defended by salty with the help of constant smoking and wet mats that are climbed between teeth, forming peculiar respirators. Most of the locals are not able to survive the frontier of 45-47 years old, and young people who have already managed to spend several years in the foothills, look sick, weak old men. The elderly population among the local is practically no.

• The best time for organizing travels: Dry, warm season, which lasts from April to October.
• The cost of the input ticket: 15,000 IDR (approximately 67 rubles). Travelers will need money for travel, overnight and nutrition.
• One-day trip to Zherel Volcanana Incend to make quite hard physically. Experienced tourists try to take care in advance of overnight, because many exhaust already one road, and for a campaign to the destination, it simply does not remain. Not far from volcanoes, there is a city of Licin, where hotels with cozy rooms are located. There is another option: on the way to Zhero there are plantations of tea and coffee, where not only the tasting of fragrant tonic drinks is offered, but also exciting excursions, as well as overnight.
• From the foot of the mountain to the crater only 3 km of lifting, but this road is complex and exhausted. Trails everywhere solid and gentle, so you can travel here not only young active people, but also children, as well as elderly people. The main thing is to see the weather forecast in advance, because during the rains and strong wind, the journey can be overshadowed by limited visibility and consequences in the form of a cold.
• Many tourists mistakenly believe that the high temperature of Lake Kawach-Iden suggests a mild climate on the whole way of lifting and descending to Zherel Volcano. This is not true. The mountain is so high that, from the middle of the track, many need warm clothes, and even the most resistant traveler will not be refused on the highest point from the jacket and warm socks.
• Sulfur pairs have a malware fragrance, causing tearing and the acute response of the bronchopulmonary system. In order for an excursion to the volcano IMEND was not overshadowed by asthmatic attacks, it is necessary to take care of high-quality respirators or gas masks that will protect not only the mucous membranes of the face, but also eyes from the unpleasant and dangerous evaporation health. The higher the protective properties of the device, the safer. There are cases of poisoning of sulfur among tourists.
• Those travelers who wish to make a good deed for aborigines can be worst with cotton-gauze bandages and respirators for sulfur miners who are not affordable acquisition even the most simple mask.
• Equipment for the excursion should include comfortable shoes, gloves, insulated clothes.

Another travel option is to order a one-day tour on bejunted from anywhere in Java or Bali islands. In the second case, the trip will begin with a ferry crossing, after which they will have to transfer to the bus and get to the city of Bonewang. From here to the plateau get on the route or private taxi. The lifting to the mountain takes only 1.5-2 hours, and if there is a desire to come down into the crater of the volcano IMEND, the conductors can become workers mining sulfur. They conduct travelers from the routes to secure the walk. For this, usually ask a small fee (by agreement).