Marum Crater Expedition Ambrym Island, Vanuatu

June 14th - Aug 9th 2018

My original plan was to be on Ambrym Island for seven weeks, but hernia surgery thwarted that plan. However, after healing up, I was still able to fly to the South Pacific and join the rest of the team for the last half of the expedition, so all was not lost. Ambrym has become a bit of a home away from home for me, with this being my 5th expedition there. Our main focus was helping to guide climbers down to the bottom of the crater.   In total, I was able to make 3 descents to the bottom, 1200 feet down inside to the lava lake. Many thanks to teammates Geoff Mackley, Chris Horsley, Gabriel Beyersdorff & Bryce Hamilton.   Watch 2+ hours of boiling lava!

This spot is about 100 meters down inside the crater and is a great vantage point to see the lava from above.	Marum lava lake, one of only a few on planet earth.	Vigorous lava fountains on Marum lava lake.

Fountains of lava frequently jet up above the surface of the lava lake. The motion is very violent.	Nothing but lava. It's like looking directly into the sun.	The size of the lava lake changes from year to year. On this visit, there were numerous vents degassing beside the lava.

Churning surface of the lava lake.	Beside the lava lake with the flag of the National Geographic Society.	As evening approaches, and it gets darker, the lava illuminates the crater walls.

Base camp, and the descent zone. This sheer cliff is the spot where we rappel down into the volcano.	Wide angle view of the massive crater.	Typical night scene. The glow from the lava, 1200 feet below illuminates the gas and clouds, creating a surreal eerie glow. It's awesome. Every night is like this!

At the bottom of Marum crater, with the flag of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society.	The inside of my tent. Home for several weeks.	The heavy covers on the tents protect them from the howling winds, flying ash & gravel, and the potent acid rain that sometimes comes down whenever the gas cloud drifts over camp in bad weather. Without these covers, the tents would be shredded quickly.

Climbing gear storage. Ropes, harnesses, helmets... Everything we need to go down to the bottom. This is also the tent that Chris Horsley was using.	Chris in the dining/communal tent. This was a rare instance that the table was clean and clear!	The kitchen. We had two propane burners for cooking, but the problem was always getting a good supply of clean drinking water.

Camp, as seen from across the crater. We're not too far from that very steep drop.	Sunrise over base camp. The gas cloud from the volcano is lit by the morning sun. A rare clear morning on Ambrym.	These kind of golden mornings are very rare on the volcano. Usually we are sitting in the clouds with poor visibility.

Endu Village, at the base of the volcano.	Endu Village - Fresh coconuts!	Endu Village - Girls with her dog and a machete.

Endu Village - Full of friendly faces.	Endu Village - The village is about a 4 hour hike down from the volcano summit.	Aerial view of base camp, showing our proximity to the edge of the crater. The big green tents are to common/dining areas and the toilet/storage tent. You can also see the helicopter landing area.

 

 

 

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