Terrifying Footage Into an Active Volcano From a Guy Who Got as Close as He Could

More people have landed on the moon than have come close to the flaming pit that is the Marum crater, according to the men who recently visited the volcano. When you see the footage taken by a few adventurers into its depths, you'll understand why.

George Kourounis, a Canadian storm chaser and explorer, and Sam Cossman led by a couple of "volcanic pioneers" were "among the first explorers to step foot inside the worlds [sic] most dangerous and inaccessible volcano," Cossman wrote in the description for the video he posted earlier this week.

A helicopter brought them to the site of the volcano, which is located in Ambrym Island in the Pacific Ocean of Australia's coast. Peering down into the crater, the travelers eventually made their precarious descent.

A look from the top down. (Image source: YouTube)

"We did it! After travelling halfway around the world, to a remote island, then rappelling down 1,200 feet inside the crater, we made it to the very bottom of Marum volcano, right to the edge of the violently boiling lava lake!!" Kourounis wrote on his blog. "What an experience! It was surreal to the point that the video doesn't even look real, but it is. This expedition has been an amazing, epic success, and the photos & video are just out of this world."

Image source: YouTube

Image source: YouTube

A Reddit user wrote in a comment that a long-lens camera was used to make the lava lake appear even larger as a man was standing in front of it. (Image source: YouTube)

"We faced splashes of lava, toxic sulfur dioxide gas, shockingly strong acid rain... The challenges went on and on, but in the end, we were able to get to the bottom twice," he continued.

Watch some of the footage:

Why would someone do this? For Kourounis, he wrote that he has been interested in the volcano for years as it is only one of five in the world that has a permanent lava lake. After visiting Marum he wrote that he's been to four of the five.

As someone in the comments for the videos put it, "I'll bet this guy fries bacon without a shirt."

(H/T: Reddit)