Piton de la Fournaise (Furnace Peak)

[FrazerHenderson]

Just north of the tropic of Capricorn lies the island of Reunion with one of the world's most active shield volcanoes, Piton de la Fournaise (2631msl) and an interesting ericoid flora.

To reach the volcano one first has to travel across the Plaine des Sables - a wind blown environment before reaching the outer rim of the volcano. From there it is a steep sided walk down through the Pas de Bellecombe and then across the shield mass passing the proto-volcano Fournica Leo before reaching the incline of the volcano itself. Alas, it was too fragile to visit the rim due to an explosion within the previous 8 months.

A number of endemic plants had already been able to secrete themselves in the mineral rich lava gullies. A few shots...

 Volcano - Plaine des Sables - sand road_1.jpg
 Volcano - Plaine des Sables_1.jpg
 Volcano - Fournica Leo_1.jpg
 Volcano - Agarista buxifolia_1.jpg
 Volcano - Piton de la Fournaise1.jpg

[FrazerHenderson]

The photographs are labelled.

I'll place more once I've sorted out my files.

I'm grateful to Edmond Grangaud for confirming the identification of the plants.

 Volcano - 3 plants - Blechnum tabulare_1.jpg
 volcano -Erica reunionensis_1.jpg
 Volcano- land art_1.jpg
 volcano -land art 2_1.jpg
 Volcano - Frazer - crumbling monument_1.jpg
 Volcano - small vents_1.jpg
 volcano - fruit - Agarista buxifolia_1.jpg

[Paddy Tobin]

Frazer,

What an extraordinary place and how extraordinary that you managed to get there. It's amazing that plants have already begun to colonise this apparently desolate place.

Paddy

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Amazing images Frazer ! 
What a hostile, rugged but sooooooo beautiful environment !
I hope you have lots more to show !!   
and... thanks for showing them in the first place ! 

[cohan]

interesting images of an interesting place... i have seen pictures before of some famous gardens there (cacti and succulents among other things) and traveller's shows on tv too..
very cool to see first colonisers after an eruption!

[Paul T]

Fascinating.  Thank you! 

[arillady]

Utterly fascinating Frazer. This is the island where the first Bourbon rose was supposed to have originated I think.
Doesn't look like a rose in sight anywhere near the volcano.

[FrazerHenderson]

I thought you might be interested in seeing the lava field as it approaches the sea. It was still warm to the touch and yet the fern Nephrolepis abrupta, an indigineous species, was already colonising the lava by secreting itself into the mineral rich fissures.

And, yes, not a Bourbon rose in sight!

[cohan]

I thought you might be interested in seeing the lava field as it approaches the sea. It was still warm to the touch and yet the fern Nephrolepis abrupta, an indigineous species, was already colonising the lava by secreting itself into the mineral rich fissures.

And, yes, not a Bourbon rose in sight!

very cool landscape, and great to see that fresh green against the stone...