Stay away from Guatemala volcano or risk death

Associated Press reports that tourists hoping to see erupting Guatemalan volcano Pacaya are risking their lives according to officials.

Pacaya National Park was closed even before the May 27 explosion, which killed a reporter who got too close and was hit by a shower of volcanic rock. But visitors are bypassing the usual route up the mountain and going instead to a private farm in the village of Los Pocitos, where locals will take them to the pyroclastic flows for a $1.25 a head.

Even in normal times, travel guidebooks warn of the risks of hiking Pacaya, which has been active since 1966. A month before the most recent eruption, a Venezuelan tourist and her Guatemalan guide were killed by a rock slide.

Read the full story: Tourists warned to stay away from Guatemala volcano

Photo by Rodrigo Abd / AP

Mt St Helens tourism vs conservation

The Seattle Times reports on how to bring tourism back to Mount St. Helens while preserving the natural area surrounding it.

Mount St. Helens in the Cascade mountains of Washington State famously blew its stack on May 18, 1980 and has had more volcanic activity in the last few years.

Fascination with the volcano continues to this day, and the mountain has obligingly let loose with smaller eruptions every few years, maintaining the intrigue. On average, the volcano and the surrounding Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument get about 750,000 visitors a year.

But, try as they might, entrepreneurs in communities surrounding the mountain have never been able to turn the fascination into serious money.

Scientists and conservationists, who regard the volcano as a natural laboratory, want nature left alone. Tourism interests want more roads, campgrounds, hotels, restaurants, more organized activities and — most of all — more access into areas set off for scientific research.

Read the full story: Balancing tourism and science at Mount St. Helens

Photo from USGS