Author(s): Colin Monteath

NZ History and Society

Haunting and searingly beautiful, Erebus has attracted explorers, mountaineers, artists and scientists; each drawn to the mountain by their own particular vision or curiosity. The mountain is a truly unique geological phenomenon - an active volcano sheathed in ice, with hundreds of ice caves, steaming towers 6 metres high around its summit and a lava lake. Also, in the minds of many New Zealanders, it is a place of destruction and despair, wrought by a single momentous accident. Antarctica veteran Monteath weaves history, science, art and adventure into a compelling tale, supported by superb images selected from his lifetime of working and voyaging in the area.