A day after mount Bromo we took a train to Banyuwangi; a small district on the coast of Java. We were here for two reasons, one is that it’s got a ferry port to take us to Bali, and two being Mount Ijen.

Mount Ijen is a category 2 activity level volcano. It serves a main purpose of sulphur production which sulphur miners then harvest and sell on. 100kg is sulphur sells for around €6. The miners carry back 40-60kg per trip. The Ijen crater is also home to the blue flames. When sulphur burns it emits a blue light. The volcanic activity in the Ijen crater causes natural sulphur to ignite and burn blue. The miners try and limit this as it leads to loss of sulphur but they let it happen in small sections for tourists.

The hike was not the worst we have done. It wasn’t the most difficult. I think we found it hard because it was dark, cold, and we have not been as active in the Philippines.

The first section was a brutal 3km uphill climb on a dirt track round switchback bends and steep inclines. The next was a gradual up hill to the edge of the crater. Here we had to put on gas masks and goggles for the crater descent due to the strong sulphur fumes. The mask made it even harder to catch your breath. The descent was 800m total.

At the bottom we found a section of blue flame and tried our best to get the best photos. We saw sulphur miners cutting and bagging their sulphur ready to do the route in reverse.

The climb out of the crater was challenging made harder by the masks and the flow of people climbing down. We were very lucky and our group was the first down.

We then walked along the ridge line to find a sheltered spot to watch sunrise and have tea and coffee. The sun began to illuminate the acid lake below. The Ijen crater is home to the worlds largest acid lake, with it being sulphuric acid with a pH of approximately 0.5.

The way back was easier and we celebrated with a well deserved sleep. Tomorrow we head to Bali!

-M