Visitors risk tough trail to see eruption

ICELAND: Tens of thousands of people have braved a steep, rugged trail in Iceland to catch a rare glimpse of an active volcano after it erupted last week, spewing red-hot lava into the sky.

Tourism officials said yesterday that almost 23 000 people had made the difficult, hours-long trek to spot the volcano in the Meradalir valley, just 40km from the capital.

The hike to the newly-formed crater is a 14km round trip across tough terrain, with a 300m ascent. Strong winds and rain have done little to deter crowds.

The latest volcano erupted in the Meradalir valley on August 3.