How I fell into, and fell asleep inside the crater of, an erupting volcano
I was cold and tired. We had covered four kilometres the previous day, and it had taken us about four hours. We'd arrived at the refuge, cooked some food, and gone to bed. At midnight, we had got up again, made porridge, decided it was inedible, and started climbing. We had wanted to be at the summit for sunrise, but after another four hours of dodging falling scree from the person in front with our torches turned off - the moon had been bright - we hadn't made it.

Instead, we watched the dawn from the snowline as we put on our crampons and roped up as best we could with frozen fingers in thick gloves.

The sun began to warm us. We made our move. The summit of Tungurahua - "Little Hell" - called us. We kicked our spikes into the ice and walked up the slope.

I don't know how long I lasted. I wanted to get to the top, but, with only a couple of hundred metres to go, I had to stop. I signalled to the group, untied myself, and told them that I would wait for them back by the snowline.

I took a step. Another. My right crampon came off. I stumbled. My left crampon followed its twin. I fell and let go of my ice-axe. I slithered. I could not stop slithering on the dense white ice.

R was quick. Having been slightly behind me, he grabbed my ice-axe as it passed him. Realising I'd need it, he threw it down to me.

As I descended, feet first, down the slope, the axe missed my head by inches.

I grabbed it, stopped my slide, and looked for my crampons. Fortunately, they were close. I put them back on... and slipped again. At least this time I had equipment. I could control where I went.

The wind was howling. I looked for shelter. The crater offered it, and it was warm. I found a flat stone out of the wind and not too close to a vent, curled up, and went to sleep.

I don't know how long I slept - but I awoke wet from the sulphurous steam. Climbing out of the crater, I stood in the wind and the sun and air-dried myself quickly. In a very few minutes, the rest of the group appeared. They had climbed the mountain.

And that is how I fell into, and fell asleep inside the crater of, an erupting volcano.
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Fri 13 Feb 2009, 12:14, 3 replies)

This sounds like it'd make a good 'New Wave' film...
...best give it subtitles to really make it work.
(Apathyman Prepare to be underwhelmed..., Fri 13 Feb 2009, 12:38, closed)

lucky
it wasn't carbon-monoxide-urous steam
(haberman is singing in the changes, Fri 13 Feb 2009, 13:59, closed)

It may have been
*belms*
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Fri 13 Feb 2009, 14:01, closed)