CNN Travel once listed fifty terrifying activities that one must try before dying, meaning those who aren’t afraid of death should come and take on the challenge—and volcano boarding ranks second. It’s one of the most popular emerging extreme sports in the last decade, and Cerro Negro Volcano is the birthplace of this activity.
Cerro Negro Volcano (Photo credit: Vidol)
In León, Nicaragua, getting to the Cerro Negro volcano boarding site isn’t exactly easy. You have to spend 1–2 hours climbing up the 728-meter-high Cerro Negro Volcano. Without any support or ropes for safety, each participant has to carry a board weighing about five kilograms and endure temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius while climbing the volcano for an hour—it’s a physically demanding process.
The journey to the Cerro Negro volcano boarding site (Photo credit: Vidol)
Volcanic gravel at Cerro Negro Volcano (Photo credit: Vidol)
Cerro Negro Volcano is currently the best choice for experiencing volcano boarding. The volcanic gravel ranges from the size of sand grains to fists, so participants must wear specific gear for protection. The adventurer in the video wears a jumpsuit and goggles, and simply hurtles down the mountain on a wooden board. The thrill level goes through the roof as you descend an active volcano nearly two hundred stories high at speeds of up to 80 kilometers per hour—making it one of the most exhilarating ways to get your adrenaline fix.
Volcano boarding at Cerro Negro can reach speeds of up to 80 km/h (Photo credit: Vidol)
The entire descent relies solely on foot braking—losing balance and tumbling is all too easy (Photo credit: Vidol)
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