Not all of the Galapagos Islands are covered in wildlife. Many of them still look newborn in their barren appearance. Bartolome is made up of many parasitic cones, principally spatter cones, their origin from the deep magmatic chambers of nearby Santiago (James) Island.

There are over 372 wooden steps we climb to reach the top, and from there, we can see almost 360 degrees around us to the central islands of the archipelago. But everyone made it, and the colorful sunrise has given way to sunny skies, the low angle of the light accenting the irregular topography of the craters around us. Truly we are being given a peek at Galapagos when first born of fire and ash.