Image 1: Danakil Desert ;Image 2: Sunset at Askoma The camp at the base of Erte Ale volcano;Image 3: Askoma ;Image 4: Camels carrying our bedding We walked up Erte Ale after sunset to avoid the heat of the day and camped at the summit - these camels transported our bedding;Image 5: Erte Ale A basaltic shield volcano (613m) which has had an active lava lake since 1906;Image 6: Erte Ale We were lucky to see the volcano in a much more agitated state than normal;Image 7: Erte Ale Two days after we were there the volcano had a major eruption which opened a new vent further down the flanks of the volcano which depleted the lava lake at the summit;Image 8: Erte Ale We spent the night on the edge of the summit crater sleeping under the stars and walked down in the morning;Image 9: Erte Ale In the light of the dawn;Image 10: Erte Ale When the volcano was less active you could climb down into the crater and actually peer over the lip of small central crater into the lava lake;Image 11: Fresh ropey lava Called pahoehoe in Hawaii - where they also have (much larger!) basaltic volcanoes;Image 12: Basaltic lava ;Image 13: Erte Ale ;Image 14: Salt pan at Lake Afrera Vast amounts of salt is extracted from the pans around Lake Afrera. The altitude of the lake is -102m;Image 15: Dragon trees ;Image 16: Danakil Desert ;Image 17: Sunset over Lake Asale AKA Lake Karum. Altitude: -115m;Image 18: Salt canyons at Dallol The banding is due to successive layers of halite and silt. The halite is an evaporite while the silt is carried into the depression during floods;Image 19: Salt canyons at Dallol The halite is then eroded to form these columns and canyons;Image 20: Halite ;Image 21: Salt formations ;Image 22: Sulphur springs at Dallol ;Image 23: Sulphur pools Apparently the water is at pH1 - you may be surprised to learn I actually didn't stick my finger into test that…;Image 24: Sulphur vents ;Image 25: ;Image 26: Crystalline sulphur ;Image 27: ;Image 28: Our party at Dallol And here's the proof, if you need it, that I haven't photoshopped the colours!;Image 29: ;Image 30: ;Image 31: ;Image 32: Dried out sulphur pools ;Image 33: ;Image 34: ;Image 35: ;Image 36: ;Image 37: ;Image 38: ;Image 39: ;Image 40: ;Image 41: Sulphur crystals ;Image 42: ;Image 43: ;Image 44: ;Image 45: ;Image 46: ;Image 47: Bubbling sulphur pool Locals use this (cold) water for treating skin conditions - the water feels oily due to the dissolved sulphur - and cleaning silver jewellery;Image 48: Salt mining: Lake Asale Camels waiting to be loaded with salt from Lake Asale;Image 49: The diggers first lever up the salt crust… ;Image 50: Then the blocks are shaped into 5kg slabs… ;Image 51: The salt is then bundled up… ;Image 52: And loaded onto camels (and donkeys) for transportation ;Image 53: Then the camel trains transport the salt to the nearest town where it is sold on ;Image 54: The camel trains seemingly appear out of nowhere ;Image 55: ;Image 56: