Geoff Mackley, an adventurer and volcanologist from New Zealand, “took an incredible journey – and fulfilled lifetime ambition – when he lowered himself inside the seething crater of an active volcano [Marum Volcano] – and stood within 30 yards of a tundra of churning, furious lava.” Continue reading for a video, more pictures, and additional information.
His journey, completed with the help of two colleagues, place over the 12th and 13 of August, starting with a trek to the mountain and an abseil down a sheer cliff to reach the cauldron. He said: After a hair-raising 400-metres descent, myself and Bradley Ambrose became the first people ever to get this close, climbing down to within 30 metres of the lava.
It was so hot (1150C) that without protection we could stand the heat for six seconds before retreating – with heat suit and breathing apparatus I was able to stand it for 40 minutes. I get to within 30 metres of the lava and we shoot video so incredible we are still speechless. What a fantastic day after 15 years of trying and 20 days of rain on this current trip! ‘It looks like the surface of the sun – even with a heat suit on, it’s like being inside an oven.’
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