The trail up was built from logs and black lava.

The G Adventures tour group stood at the edge of the volcano. Left to right, Madeleine, Andrew, Nicole, Kaela, Susan, Graz, our guide (unseen with water bottle), and the park ranger.

The G Adventures guide, Eugenio Quesada, with his perpetual can of Coke, stood at the edge and gazed down into the volcano's pit.

Notice on of the shelter's in the background into which one could duck during an eruption.

A low fence kept people from falling into the volcano by accident. Stairs in the background-right let up to a cross (actually a data antenna) where another platform allowed another view into one of the volcano's other cones.

The sheer dropoff into the volcano's active cone.

Susan photographed the rising smoke and the huge active pit below.

One of several protective shelters spread around the craters. Note they were only intended to protect from falling debris, not from dangerous gases. For gases, each tour guide had gas masks at the ready inside the tour vehicle.

The Pit at the lowest point inside the volcano. No lava, just smoky gas composed of sulfur, lead, and iron.

Another sign at the base of the stairway, in both English and Spanish, warned for the young and feeble to not climb the stairs.

The G Adventures tour group. Left to right standing: Andrew and Susan; Eugenio Quesada (Chief Experience Officer); Bryan and Terry Costales; Nicole Hartwig; Madeleine Lemire. From left to right kneeling: Kaela Tompkins; Grazyna Szawlowski.

Buses parked facing out in the parking lot. Notice there was no parking in the center, just around the edges.

Terry made it part way up the stairs despite her asthma and took this great photo of the entire volcano opening.

Another shelter on the far other side of the volcano, next to a road.

Another sign pointed the way to yet another of the craters of this volcano.

While walking along the road up to the next crater, we came across a tree that tried to grow too near the volcano.

The road to the third cone was high and distant from the parking lot.

Yet another sign marked the beginning of Masaya Trail.

A warning sign was marred because of the gases emitted by the volcano. The sign greeted visitors with the words:

Dear Visitor

This is an active volcano that can presents phonomenas without advisement; such as: emission of smokes, expulsions of rocks, sand and others. In such as [??] advise [??].

Keep away from the [??], gases irritate the eyes, nose, and throat, affect people with asthma, and diminish the visibility.

In case of explosion [??] protect yourself under the [??].

Parking your car facing the exit.

Stay 20 Minutes only in the crater area.

Follow the regulation of the park rangers.

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Masaya Volcano   •  and Masaya Volcano National Park   •  (Photo posted Saturday 10 December 2011)   •  (Photo taken 11:42:35 Monday 14 November 2011)   •  © 2011 Bryan Costales #B12_0316
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The top of the trail with the younger folk who had gotten ahead faster.

The other crater had a jungle growing inside it. We were told that monkeys were sometimes found living inside.

Another sign on the platform overlooking the jungle filled crater was marred and defaced.

A small shelter lay back below near the start of the trail.

More trails continued past the overlook and one could hike completely around the crater.

The viewing platform was far back on the trail. Here it was barely visible at the upper left of the shot.

An oddly shaped rest area was found part way along the trail.

Two craters were visible from the end of the trail. One right next to the other.

A helicopter flew over just as the group attained the top of the rise.