Mount Lamington

Lamington rises to around 1,680 metres above the Popondetta plain in Oro Province, forested and unremarkable in appearance, and it was not known to be a volcano at all until January 1951, when it erupted with a lateral blast and pyroclastic flows that devastated the surrounding district; the event is one of the defining studies in volcanology of this type and the volcano has been monitored since. The crater holds a lava dome grown after the eruption. The forest has regrown on the flanks and villages farm them. Climbing is possible when the volcano is quiet, taking two days from the villages with guides, through gardens and then regrown forest to the crater rim.

What you actually see

• The crater and dome - the summit and the dome grown since 1951.
• Regrown forest - the vegetation recovered on the flanks.
• The Popondetta plain - the country below the mountain.
• The climb - the two-day route through gardens and forest.

When to go

May to October in the drier season for the climb; the wet season makes the route difficult. Current volcanic status should be checked, since activity closes access. Guides and landowner arrangements are needed.

Honest expectations

The volcano is monitored and access closes when activity increases. The climb is long, hot and steep with camping on the mountain. Guides and landowner permission are required and arranged locally. There is no infrastructure.

Nearby

Popondetta lies below; the Kokoda Track ends northeast of the mountain.