Brendan Doms

A solid seven hours into our hike, and the fog clears from above the frozen glacier, pushed aside by the radiating heat of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano.

Through the clearing fog we catch a first glimpse of the volcano, with other hikers atop while steam rises from the ground.

We must pass through a final test to reach the volcano's base: a field of solidified magma rock. It is all twisted and random. Fractal patterns of ochre-tinged obsidian stick out in jagged formations while wisps of smoke dance slowly in the air. It could easily be described as "hell on Earth."

We skirt the edge of the field by walking on a thin sheet of ice. But as we approach our destination, the surface cracks, breaks, and I fall through. It is a drop of about four feet before I land on something solid, the walls of the hole coming up to my chest. After the group is assured of my safety the moment becomes comical: when falling through ice near a volcano at the top of a mountain in Iceland, all one can really do is laugh.

We stop to consider whether climbing the volcano itself is worth the time. We sit, and everyone discovers that the ground is warm to touch. Our shoes were thick enough to mask its true heat, but not our pants or bare hands. Certain sections are unbearable for more than a few seconds, and we shift and shuffle to avoid those spots. It is decided that we will perform a last ascent to the top of the volcano.

The final climb up the volcano is steep, the craggy ground hot beneath us.

The top greets me with a face full of wind containing the most powerful sulfurous odor imaginable. I am reduced to coughing, and when that stops I still find it hard to breath. We discover that facing away from the wind - such a small gesture given the magnitude of the surrounding land - does great wonders to make the air breathable.

We survey what's below us. The actual crater, the mouth of the volcano, is clearly visible and filled in with ice. My knowledge that Icelandic volcanoes spew water vapor was transformed at that moment from purely academic theory to empirical fact. The rest of the area contains hills and valleys that are the direct result of the most recent eruption in March of 2010. Heat waves obscure my vision.

The land below the volcano smolders, dried magma forming geological features barely a year old.

After snapping some pictures of the top and taking in the breathtaking view for a few long minutes, I begin the climb down. Others stay to cook hotdogs and light a cigar in the heat of the volcano. They join us at the bottom eventually before we move on once again.

The thick sulfur on the peak of volcano stains the red rock bright yellows and greens.