I had read in my guidebook about climbing this volcano and it said that it could be dangerous at times and you had to check with the locals. I figured since our guide was going, that was good enough for me. Apparently the officials felt differently. I asked our guide later as we were peering into the crater, looking at lava, and heating our hands over a plume of hot gas escaping from a large crevice, "when was the last time that this volcano shot rocks in the air?" He replied confidently that it had been about 3 months. I was not so confident.