Piton de la Fournaise, the last active volcano on Reunion

The Piton de la Fournaise is 2632 m high and was formed around 400,000 years ago on the south side of the Piton des Neiges. Although it is the last active volcano on Reunion, it is also one of the most active volcanoes in the world. It erupts almost every year, although it remains quite calculable. Thin lava emerges from its vent and occasionally "floods" the coast road. This spectacle attracts onlookers from all over the island.

During our stay on Reunion in 2002 we were fortunate enough to be able to photograph and - above all - experience one of these more massive eruptions. Walking over freshly cooled lava to find a good position to take photos is a little daunting. The air shimmered and the different layers of heat between the camera and the volcano sometimes created bizarre filter effects, so that some shots appear rather blurred - despite a tripod, little wind and a suitable distance setting.

So these recordings from 2002 have above all a high memory value.