This is the landscape at dawn, during our 15 km trek down the slopes of Erta Ale in searing temperatures of up to 53°C. The ground was made up of solidified lava flows, with dangerous little gullies which can snap your ankles if you are not careful. To get some respite from the heat, we actually started climbing up at 6.30 in the evening, using torchlights, reaching Ertale’s rim in the distance, only at around 1 am at night.