Fearless & Far - Ethiopia

A journey into the Danakil Depression, famously dubbed the most hostile place on the planet, brought the adventure travel channel Fearless & Far, hosted by Mike Corey, to the foot of Erta Ale, the "mountain that smokes". Corey, who had wanted to witness this spectacle for a decade, led his team on a challenging hike through a serrated, empty landscape where temperatures can soar to 49°C (121°F). The entire remote expedition was a significant collaborative effort, with a full team coming together to make the trip possible. Their objective was to see Erta Ale's rare persistent lava lake, one of only a few in the world. As Corey explains in the video, Erta Ale is a shield volcano, which, unlike explosive stratovolcanoes like Mount Fuji, is gentler, formed by seeping, flowing mounds of lava that spread out to create vast, shield-like structures.

Guiding the Fearless & Far team was Yasim, a local from the Afar tribe, which inhabits the region. His family has deep roots here; his father helped build the 12-kilometer road to the site by hand, moving heavy lava rocks in the brutal heat. The region's reputation as "a bit lawless" is reflected in the local culture, where many, including Yasim, carry firearms for protection, a necessity given the proximity to Eritrea and Djibouti. Upon reaching the crater's crest, Mike Corey and the team were met with initial disappointment; the main lava lake was not in sight, though two distant pillars were visibly "belching red hot glowing magma". However, their guide quickly dismissed this as a "false alarm," revealing a secret path that would lead them directly down into the volcano's crater—an unexpected and thrilling prospect that Corey enthusiastically embraced.

Related article - Uphorial Radio 

Descending into what was once a stable lava lake, Corey noted his "alarm factor" was at a nine, as he had never undertaken such a venture before. The team found themselves standing just 50 meters from flowing lava, a sight Corey described as "sinister" and a first in his life. The ground beneath them was the cooled surface from a massive eruption in 2019, a recent event that highlighted the volcano's volatility. True to the Fearless & Far brand of immersive adventure, Corey decided to conduct a "science experiment" by cooking an egg on the superheated rock. The heat was so intense it melted the straps on a backpack in 20 minutes, but the experiment was a success, yielding a slightly overcooked, sulfur-tasting egg that the team shared with their guides. This unique experience was a "first" for Corey, perfectly capturing the spirit of his channel.

The raw power of Erta Ale became even more apparent as new vents erupted. Mike Corey vividly described the feeling of being so close to the unpredictable display: "I'm looking at that thing the way I would look at someone pointing a loaded gun at my face". He and the team watched lava flow out like a river, a perfect, real-time demonstration of how shield volcanoes form. The inherent danger was underscored by the discovery of a new hole that had recently opened in the crater floor. Corey noted that whenever he asked his guide Yasim if their situation was safe, the guide would consistently avoid the question, adding a palpable tension to the awe-inspiring scene. Though the main lava lake remained largely obscured by mist during the day, the team was promised the true show would begin at night. They retreated to their camp just in time to witness the final "fireworks," a spectacular nocturnal eruption that served as a grand finale to their extraordinary adventure in Ethiopia.