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or you can get all of History Daily plus other fantastic history podcasts at IntoHistory.com. It's November 1984 at Nevada del Ruiz, a volcano in central Colombia.

A lone climber trudges up the mountainside.

He's been trekking for hours.

The ice and snow, which permanently cap the volcano,

challenge his every move, but the peak is tantalizingly close. With a final burst of energy,

the climber conquers the last stretch and stands atop the crater that marks the summit,

almost 17,500 feet above sea level. A biting wind chills his exposed face, but it doesn't

take away from the magic of the moment. He pauses and sweeps his gaze over the vastness before him.

The pristine snow-clad peaks of the Colombian end, he's piercing the sky, and below the fertile valleys hosting

specks of settlements and the distant town of Armero.

Then, as if drawn by an invisible force, the climber's gaze settles on an anomaly,

a wisp of mist curling up from the crater. Intrigued, he navigates the treacherous icy terrain

for a closer inspection, and with each step, an odd hissing grows louder.

Drawing near a realization hits him. This isn't mere mist. It's steam, rising from a crack in

the ground known as a fumarole, a volcanic vent letting out superheated gas. A chilling unease

washes over the climber. He's been to this summit before, but he's

never seen this before. A new fumarole atop Navado del Ruiz isn't just a geological curiosity,

it's a dire warning, and time is of the essence. The climber turns and begins his descent.

Pushing aside his exhaustion and his dreams of a warm meal and rest,

...