Morning bhostasa,
Its the regular stones that you build retaining walls with. The shape of the fire makes it hotter than I planned. The first steak dinner we cooked, well we had baked potatos and I laid them at the edge of the fire like I always do.
I did not anticipate the temp being so hot, it must be the shape of the pit, well the potato's were only in there for 1/2 a hour or a little more, we always cook our potato's 45 min before the meat goes on, we'll the wife says is that sparks I see on the potato's, I go to grab it and it burst into flames, the fire was so hot it burned up the aluminum foil also. Had to build a elevated platform that I put off to the side to put the potato's on.
With the winters we have there are a couple hairline cracks in the mortar but it is holding up real good. I have some of the photos of us building the pit if it will help you.
Have a good one.
I'm working on a platform that I can put cast iron kettle's on that will swing over the edge of the fire and then back out to stir and take off the fire.