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.
By:
Colin Monteath
Imprint: Massey University Press
Country of Publication: New Zealand
Dimensions:
Height: 255mm,
Width: 215mm,
Spine: 28mm
Weight: 1.710kg
ISBN: 9781991016362
ISBN 10: 1991016360
Pages: 368
Publication Date: 10 August 2023
Audience:
General/trade
,
ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Unspecified
Foreword Peter Barrett 8 Erebus Son of Chaos 11 1. Antarctica Carved by ice, forged in fire 17 2. 'Mountains of Madness' A continent ringed by fiery islands 29 3. 'This Splendid Burning Mountain' The discovery of Mount Erebus, 1841 46 4. 'Keeper of the Southern Gateway' The first ascent of Mount Erebus, 1908 68 5. 'Give me Erebus for my friend' The second ascent, 1912 91 6. HMS Pemmican sails on Erebus The third ascent, 1959, and beyond 107 7. The heartbeat of Erebus Probing the defences of the volcano, 1970s 129 8. 'No Latitude for Error' Reflections on the 1979 Ross Island air crash 161 9. The darkness beckons Roger Mear's solo winter ascent of Erebus, 1985 185 10. Scrambles in the heart of the Antarctic An ascent of Erebus from Cape Royds, 1991 204 11. Tread lightly in a land of extremophiles The unique microbial world of Erebus 219 12. The magma and the mantle Solving the Erebus enigma, 1980-2016 . . . and beyond 239 13. Shaping a volcano Erebus and the artistic imagination Adele Jackson 263 Erebus chronology 286 Air New Zealand Flight TE901 302 Glossary 308 Notes 313 Further reading 317 About the author 334 Acknowledgements 335 Index 339
Colin Monteath is a widely published polar and mountain photographer and writer based in Christchurch. He has spent 32 seasons in Antarctica, from 1973 to 1983 working as the field operations officer for the New Zealand Antarctic Research Programme at Scott Base with science parties, rescue teams and huskies. In 1978, on his third science expedition to Mount Erebus, he made the first descent into the Inner Crater. As a result of his involvement with the recovery operation after the 1979 air crash on Ross Island, Colin was awarded the Queen’s Service Medal and later the Erebus Medal. In 1982, Colin was the guide during Prince Edward’s visit to Ross Dependency.
Reviews for Erebus The Ice Dragon: A portrait of an Antarctic volcano
Extraordinary characters are accompanied by superb images of the explorations from the earliest sketches to the present . . . [This book] provides a unique understanding of the history and allure of the volcano -- John Daly-Peoples This superbly illustrated book by writer, polar explorer and photographer Colin Monteath has it all — readable, authoritative text by someone who knows this inhospitable land like the back of his hand, picture editing and research which must have taken years and a high quality production -- Jenny Nicholls A stunning new book from mountain and polar photographer Colin Monteath . . . Erebus the Ice Dragon: a portrait of an Antarctic volcano, traverses history, adventure, science, geography and art, and is a fine addition to the library of Antarctic literature. -- Alison Ballance
- Short-listed for Mountain and Adventure Heritage Award 2024
- Winner of Nankervis/Bamford NZ Mountain Book of the Year 2024
