Egon

Der Gunung Egon wurde am 15.08.2004 von mir und dem erfahrenen Vulkanologen Bernd Biedermann besucht.

Gunung Egon, view from the road Waiterang to Blibit Gunung Egon, view from the approach to Maumere airport	Country:	Indonesia
	Subregion Name:	Indonesia - Lesser Sunda Islands
	Volcano Type:	Stratovolcano
	Volcano Status:	Holocene
	Last Eruption:	2004
	Summit Elevation:	1703 m
	Latitude:	8.67°S
	Longitude:	122.45°E
Gunung Egon volcano sits astride the narrow waist of eastern Flores Island. The barren, sparsely vegetated summit region has a 350-m-wide, 200-m-deep crater that sometimes contains a lake. Other small crater lakes occur on the flanks of the 1703-m-high volcano. A lava dome forms the southern 1671-m-high summit. Solfataric activity occurs on the crater wall and rim and on the upper southern flank. Reports of historical eruptive activity are inconclusive. A column of "smoke" was often observed above the summit during 1888-1891 and in 1892. Strong "smoke" emission in 1907 reported by Sapper (1917) was considered by the Catalog of Active Volcanoes of the World (Neumann van Padang, 1951) to be an historical eruption, but Kemmerling (1929) noted that this was likely confused with an eruption on the same date and time from Lewotobi Lakilaki volcano.

I recommend to go from Maumere by bemo to the swiss leaded Ankermi resort in Witerang. This basic resort is a good and close base for the Mount Egon and the swiss lady can give you information and organize a transportation as far as possible. Otherwise, go by bemo to Waiterang, leave the bemo and take the next to Blibit. From Blibit you can walk along the road (approx 6 km) until you come to a flat part where you see on the right side a stone "R" (lots of small stones form a R). At this mark you can see on the left side a small way up (dificult to find). Follow this way until to the top. If you find the position to leave the read, it is very easy to follow the way. Alternatively, organzie in the resort, in Waiterang or in Blibit a transportation to the point where you have to leave the road. The people in the villages know that and may guide you until to the top. During my visit, the last eruption was only 1 month ago and the folks were afraid of going up. So it was not possible to find any guide or transportation closer than to the village Blibit. Here some pictures from the landmark where you have to leave the road:

Der Egon brach 2004 im Januar, Juni und Ende (ab 26.08) August/Anfang September stark aus. Während unseres Besuchs war der weitgehend unerforschte Berg sehr ruhig. Schwefelgeruch, fumarole Aktivität und Ascheablagerungen zeugten während unseres Besuchs am 15.8.2004 jedoch von der erst vor kurzem beendeten Aktivität. Die stark dampfenden Krater und Spalten gasten aber überwiegend Wasserdampf mit sehr geringem Schwefelanteil aus, so dass der Innenbereich des Kraters auch ohne Atemschutz und betreten werden konnte. Der hauptsächlich während des Aufstiegs an den Flanken ständig vorhandene Schwefelgeruch stammt von den Ablagerungen der sehr schwefeligen Ascheauswürfe während der Juni-Eruption.

Kraterbereich des Egon, hinten Mitte sind die 3 aktiven Eruptionsöffnungen gut sichtbar