Hawaii Volcano Lava Tube Exploration H#4 Part 1 Full Version
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Published 2021-06-26
**Read The Description**
The full version of part 1. (No short version)
I did this difficult section of the lava tube system back in Oct 2020.
It's in 3 parts due to the amount of time I was underground.
I was inside of the tube for 7 hours and the adventure in total was 11+ hours.
I'll give you some backstory on why this is so difficult and dangerous.
First off this wasn't an easy hike back when I was in my 30s and now being in my 60s well, you get the picture. There were a few injuries along the way. Those will be seen in H#4 Part 3. My left shoulder was injured from surfing and that would become an issue as the hike went on.
I enter the tube system at the same skylight as the previous video H#3 but this time I head Mauka (uphill). It's a one-way hike. At least that was the plan.
I haven't hiked this section in several years and this is the first since our 2018 earthquake. This has always been an unstable section of the tube system. There's plenty of crawling and climbing. The climbing is negotiating large rubble piles of large boulders. They tend to be unstable so extreme caution must be taken. Some areas are as high as 30'.
There are multiple chambers both upper and lower but they all dead-end so I concentrate on the main tube section. In the future, I will go back and film those sections.
Some sections are far too large for my lighting but I have to limit the amount of gear I bring seeing how narrow other sections are. I have enough lighting to last well over 24 hours if needed.
This video takes you to the only skylight along the way. H#4 Part 2 continues from there.
My fourth video in a long series of Hawaii lava tube hikes on the Big Island of Hawaii.
It's been great revisiting these lava tubes after many years and being able to document them with videos.
Sorry, I don't show the location of these lava tubes to keep them and you protected.
I move slowly as most of the hiking is technical and tripping and falling is a real danger.
Also to show you as much detail as possible.
You get a firsthand look at how difficult this hike is. You also get to see the beauty of these lava tubes.
No respirator is needed as it's an old tube system with plenty of ventilation. If it's windy sometimes I cover my face to prevent breathing in dust and lava shards.
In this section, I used my helmet.
I've been hiking this system since late 1991 and 99% of the ceiling sections that collapsed have been there since then. Even our 2006 6.8 and 6.7 earthquakes did little damage. The same with the 2018 6.9 earthquake.
This area should never be developed.
It should be an extension of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
This is yet another addition to my new series of hiking videos.
They will appear in my Hike-U-Mentaries playlist.
If you're staying at home due to the worldwide pandemic, go on a hike with me.
No fancy editing or cool music. Just everything I heard while out there.
Wear headphones or watch in a quiet place to avoid distracting sounds and take in the peacefulness of the area. Taking social distancing to the extreme.
Why would I show an area I love to hike that I never see other people in?
I'm hoping that it helps to preserve this location by becoming a park status of some kind.
I used the GoPro Hero 8 Black and a Holhem iSready Pro 3 stabilizing gimbal.
No enhancements.
The rest of my gear list is shown near the end of the video.
I'm not sponsored by anyone. These are just the items I use. All of the gear was purchased by me.
The nice thing about watching videos is you can skip ahead and watch at any pace you want.
Photos in my website gallery were shot with my older Nikons or my Panasonic GH5, G9, and the Leica 8 - 18mm. Dual image stabilization. I'm really enjoying the micro four-thirds camera system. My entire kit weighs only 7.5 lbs covering 8mm - 400mm (16mm - 800mm 35mm equivalent).
Photos from this section can be seen here. They vary from multiple years of hiking.
lavapix.com/gallery/hawaii-volcano-lava-tube-explo…
The volcano stopped months ago and it could be years before it gets going again. I have tons of other videos I've been wanting to make so, now I can get busy on them.
Thanks for subscribing.
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All Comments (15)
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Read the description for full details... It's a long video for those of you interested in lava tube exploration. This section had to be broken up into 3 videos as I was underground for 7 hours and the entire hike was 11+ hours.
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Unbelievable! Every frame like wallpaper
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Fascinating. I especially love some of the more unusual rock formations and colors. This is not a side of geology you witness every day. It's incredibly peaceful down there, and it seems like the rock absorbs the sound since there's virtually no echo. Stay safe, I can imagine how getting hurt there would present serious difficulty.
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Thanks for the Tour !!!
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I must say, these videos are pretty entertaining! It looks fun and thrilling at the same time!
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Spectacular ✨
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♥️♥️♥️
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@25:04 I love how the A’a flow has carved out a smooth ledge in the old lava it must of been going really fast
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@lavapix that chamber (@26:47) was probably full of Ropy try lava (Pahoehoe) that slowly flowed through it to that shelf with the two smaller tubes and joined up with the fast moving Rocky package lava (A’a) when the flow of Rocky package lava (A’a) stopped and cooled causing the Ropy try lava chamber (@26:47) to collapse
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I have a question @lavapix if the tube is going to flow again @4:31 is that the hole it’s likely the Rocky package lava (A.a) is going to flow out from and into the chamber?
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@lavapix that smaller tube (@12:02) is probably where the Rocky package lava became Ropy try lava and slowly traveled down that tube
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@lavapix (@1:18) is that a skylight or a old Spattercone that has collapsed in?
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@Lavapix if the volcano starts erupting again is it possible that some ropy try lava can enter the tube @3:20 and get the lava tube flowing again
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Like I said in part 3 if the volcano starts erupting again and the Ropy try lava (Pahoehoe) somehow ends up going into that collapsed part of the tube it will very likely come out of that narrow opening (@4:31) if it managed to get past all the loose rocks way further down. The first thing you’ll feel is the hot air coming out of the opening then you’ll see the Rocky package lava (A.a) quickly coming it will get channeled down the funnel (@4:33) and into the beginning of the chamber where it will slow down and become Ropy try lava (Pahoehoe) and slowly crawl and slither along the bottom of the chamber. The first Ropy try lava (Pahoehoe) will go down the hole (@2:39) and become Rocky package lava again (A.a) and travel underground the third and forth Ropy try lava flows come out of the first Ropy try lava flow which join up and slowly travel down the tube. The flow coming down the funnel (@4:33) now has a protective cooled shell protecting the Rocky package lava (A’a) when it transitions into Ropy try lava (Pahoehoe) the chamber is heating up and the chamber wall where the Ropy try lava (Pahoehoe) is up against is starting to burn and turn black. The Ropy try lava (Pahoehoe) has picked up speed and become Rocky package lava (A’a) way further down the old lava tube. You’ve climbed out of the opening (@3:19) and can see the Rocky package lava (A’a) has activated a old Klombo’s blowhole (spattercone) way in the distance from the chamber sending out heatwaves and Lava tears (cinders) you hike down to the klombo’s blowhole (Spattercone) and listened to the whooshing sound coming out of it with some Tears coming out from the pressure of the Rocky package lava (A’a) flowing underground the lava Tears (cinders) were shot 7 feet or more in the air before bouncing down the sides of the Klombo’s blowhole (Spattercone) before coming to rest at the bottom. A couple years later the volcano began to slow down with the eruption and you headed back to Klombo’s blowhole Spattercone and there was a hole that opened up near it so you climbed into it onto a gigantic V shaped shelf that was nearly the size of the tube on the V shaped shelf was a big bit of cooled Ropy try lava beside the cooled flow was the hollow worn opening for the Klombo’s blowhole Spattercone. The Rocky package lava has slowed down and become a hybrid of Ropy try lava and Rocky package lava but still moving slowly through the lava tube twards the ocean. @lavapix I hope that happens
