Volcano Boarding Down Cerro Negro
Nicaragua's Youngest Volcano's Unique Adventure Sport
The Nicaraguans are experts at making the best out of natural disaster. What was a crop destroying menace, has now become a favourite amoung tourists and adventurers.
When Cerro Negro, Nicaragua's youngest volcano, appeared out of a farmer's cornfield in April of 1850, the farmer was probably more than a little agitated that his crop and his land had been transformed to an infertile wasteland. While the land is now useless for crops, the site is now the home of an emerging high-intensity sport: Volcano boarding.
Volcano boarding entails sixty seconds of 70 km/h hurling down the side of Cerro Negro. The 45-minute hike up to the summit provides a pleasant diversion for any adventure enthusiast. The guides supply facts about the volcano and at the top there is the chance to peer into its always-smoldering crater. By putting your hand to the ground you can feel the heat coming from deep inside the earth. The view is also spectacular with over 4 smoking volcanoes in the background. Take the tour in the afternoon just before sunset and you'll find an experience unmatched in all of Nicaragua.
Information is available at Leon's Bigfoot Hostel's website www.bigfootadventure.com. Run by a friendly, wisecracking Australian, he takes groups daily to Cerro Negro for Volcano boarding. He'll tell you at the top of the hill, that statistically speaking, you probably will not sustain any permanent injuries from your flight down the mount.
After the hike up, comes the moment of sitting on the board, clothed in the mandatory safety jump suit, and then the minute of literally flying down the side of the volcano. The Australian who runs the tours has been experimenting for over ten years to find the "perfect" material to put underneath the board. He certainly seems to have found it, and can count on his usually bruised fingers the number of times he's gone to the hospital while testing out various combinations.
He seems to have found the perfect match of materials for his boards and enjoyment for his clients. Snowboarders, surfers, and hikers will all find a medley of experiences on the tour that will make the 3 hour volcano boarding tour one of those decisions that afterward you say, "man I'm glad I did that." But the night does not end when the tour does, afterwards you will be invited back to the hostel for a mojito-on the house. And if you need a place to crash after the tour, Bigfoot Hostel offers dorm rooms at $4 a head. With a bar and pool inside the hostel that is typically filled with travelers from all over the world, there is rarely reason to ever leave.
