Omolara Valley
The Omolara Valley is a deep river valley in the mountains of northern Yuriba. Traveling along the Omolara Valley is the only means of reaching Inishie-san on foot.
The valley is extremely rugged and appears to have been carved out millennia ago by lava flows. Ancient lava rock is abundant in the valley and provides evidence of past volcanic activity. Today the valley is heavily wooded and lined with coniferous trees.
An ancient trail runs through the valley and up to the volcano, but it appears to have not seen continuous use in some time. It is believed to be linked with the ruins that sit atop the volcano and may be an artifact of the late Lily Civilization's ritual of human sacrifice at the volcano. While a river does run through the valley, it cuts across the trail at several points, implying that the trail predates the river. While some evidence of ancient bridges can be found, any bridges that may have existed are now gone. Crossing the river requires one to either swim or to walk across fallen trees. Fortunately the river is fairly narrow.
A prominent geographic feature is a large volcanic caldera sitting near the center of the valley, surrounded by fumerols. As the caldera is home to a hot geyser it is wise to remain well clear of it. The perimeter of the geyser's spray area is demarcated by a ring of massive, smoothed-off boulders, spaced evenly and thus clearly artificial. While there are hot springs around this caldera, the water temperature is sufficient to badly burn skin, making them unsuitable for bathing.
Other calderas may be found along the trail. They give off bursts of steam which can scald flesh.
The valley may only be reached by way of a single trail. This trail is narrow and extremely treacherous, and its entrance is so well-concealed that it is difficult to locate without knowing precisely where to look.
Travel through the Omolara Valley is not recommended. Visitors to the valley are occasionally warned off, and many natives of the island are wary of the entire area, likely because of its connection to Inishie. The temperature of the valley is far higher than that of the rest of the island, and even those of high endurance may suffer heat exhaustion or unconsciousness. The presence of scalding steam given off by calderas presents a high risk of injury. As well, the valley is the natural path for any magma flows given off by an eruption, making it extremely dangerous given the unpredictable nature of the volcano.
One may view the scenic valley from atop the Aysuna Cliffs, well clear of its hazards.