Back when I first started dreaming about this quest to climb 40 volcanoes by the age of 40, I

Mt Ngauruhoe in the background – on the list for next year
spent an age on Google getting whipped up in the excitement of rugged volcanic landscapes, bubbling lava, snow-capped cones, and wilderness and vistas as far as the eye could see.
I put together a grand list of 40 volcanoes – they were dotted on practically every corner of the globe; some on islands in the middle of the ocean, others in remote and often exotic locations, requiring days of trekking to reach. Many were active, with lava lakes or hissing vents. And more than several were majestic in their height, taking on the craggy peaks in the French Alps, and promising winter mountaineering experiences.
It was a dizzying list. Just looking at it made me giddy, bursting with adrenalin and excitement. Continue reading