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For more than 50 years, sulfur mining has shaped daily life at the Ijen volcano complex—a chain of composite volcanoes straddling the border of Banyuwangi and Bondowoso Regencies in East Java, Indonesia. This harsh, alien landscape is famed for its surreal blue fire and a highly acidic crater lake, but it's also home to one of the most grueling forms of manual labor on Earth.

Each day, around 300 miners climb over two miles up the steep slopes of Gunung Ijen. From there, they descend more than 900 yards into the toxic crater to extract chunks of bright yellow sulfur, known locally as "Devil’s Gold." The name reflects both the substance's vivid color and the danger involved in collecting it. Despite the suffocating sulfur dioxide fumes, extreme heat, and lack of protective gear, the miners carry baskets weighing up to 90 kilograms (200 pounds) back up the crater and down the mountain, making multiple trips per day.

The work is physically punishing and hazardous to health. Prolonged exposure to sulfur gas leaves many with respiratory issues, burned skin, and scarred bodies. These miners—some of whom have worked here for decades—bear the visible marks of their labor: poisoned lungs, chemical burns, and backs permanently hunched from the weight they carry. Yet for many, the income is essential in a region where alternative employment is scarce.

With an average life expectancy of just 50 years, the sulfur miners of Ijen sacrifice their health in exchange for survival—turning the crater's hellish landscape into a source of life for their families.