Volcano boarding in Nicaragua and blasting down Cerro Negro

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 This is not for the faint of heart. You will have to hike up Cerro Negro, which will take you about an hour. The actual fun begins as you slide or surf down the 2388ft high active volcano in less than 3 minutes. As for how fast, well it really depends on how fast you want to go!

Cerro Negro, Central America’s youngest volcano was born in April 1850 and is one of the region’s most active volcanoes. It has been producing frequent eruptions, occasional lava fountains and lava flows, and powerful explosive eruptions every few decades.

What makes volcano boarding on Cerro Negro possible is its soil, made of tiny grains of volcanic rock. Sliding down Cerro Negro implies a short but somehow tough hike to its top. The path isn’t hard by itself, actually. What makes the climb difficult is having to carry the wooden board all the way up, and fighting the strong wind which, although providing a good break from the almost unbearable heat of Leon, literally sweeps you off your feet – especially when the wooden boards act like sails!

Once at the top, everyone in the group is handed a pair of overalls, leather gloves and goggles to wear for the descent. These are supposed to protect against the dust and to reduce the impact if falling down. Needless to say, anyone who goes volcano boarding, regardless of any protective gear, is bound to get covered in dark dust at least on the face and hair.

The actual boarding went super fast, only couple minutes to get down. You choose you own speed depending on your actual body weight and if you are trying to slow down with your feet. By the end of the ride it gets pretty steep and fast but by then you already known how to work with your board so its just really fun.

Volcano Boarding For Dummies:

There are two ways how to board down the volcano.

1. You can stand up and go down similar to the snowboard. It looks really cool but in reality you won’t be able to turn your board and will go down super slow.

2. Sitting down on your board and slide down is the way to go! You can regulate your speed with your feet and even try going down “no holding” way and snap some photos.

What I recommend:

1. Wear good pair of sturdy hiking shoes or boots with ankle support

2. Bring a wind breaker, it gets cold and windy at the summit

3. Bandanna over your face is helpful to avoid ash and rocks getting in your mouth and nose

4. Bring a Go Pro for cool shots and videos

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