THAT TIME WE WENT VOLCANO BOARDING DOWN CERRO NEGRO
Sometimes when I travel, I find myself sometimes stopping in my tracks and asking myself actually what my life is. Standing in the black ash and dust on the top of a volcano overlooking rural Nicaragua and the Pacific Ocean in the distance, giant plank of wood in hand about to sled down, I had to stop and really ask myself…what my life is.
There is really no words I can write that will get people to grasp how unreal this was- I wish that I had taken more videos and pictures, but this was one of the times during my travels that I was feeling so completely present in the moment and I would not trade that feeling, it’s what I continue to chase.
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CERRO NEGRO OVERVIEW
Cerro Negro is this gigantic, jet black volcano, a couple of miles out from the little rural villages around an hour northwest of the city of León. It is the youngest volcano in Central America, and one of Nicaragua’s 7 active volcanoes.
It last erupted 23 years ago…while having a pattern of erupting approximately every twenty years. The guide was so chill when he said that.
Cerro Negro is made of volcanic ash and rocks, and up at the top you could even see the steam that would come from the dust and dirt when you dug your feet in. Even if you’re not boarding down the hike in itself is insane, it is one of the most beautiful hikes that I have done.
GETTING TO CERRO NEGRO
As far as I can gather there is no public transport to or from Cerro Negro, you will have to book your trip through a group, or rent a car.
If you’re renting a car, you will not be able to board down as there are no boards on sight, it is really just a tiny little building with some bathrooms past the entrance and then the volcano.
I went through Bigfoot Hostel, Bigfoot is where the Cerro Negro volcano boarding was originally founded, and going with them to board down the volcano is a good choice.
They run a couple of trips during the day, it will cost $35 for sunset, $33 for the day time, and $30 for sunrise at Bigfoot Hostel. I chose to go during sunset and it was insane.
It takes about 50 minutes to hike up to the top of the volcano, it is a steep hike but it is not anything crazy hard.
You will also have to bring your board up though, so you can either carry a 15½ pound plank of wood and mental, or pay one of the locals who join the group and offer to carry it for you for $3.
. It took around 3 minutes to get to the bottom, I was quite literally certain I would be the one to fall off but I actually killed it. I also thought I was flying, but I think I went 84 kmh (52mph)? One of the local kids was using a speed gun but I forget what I hit. The record at Bigfoot is held by a guy from Mexico that was 100 something KMH, which is actually literally crazy.
While there was rocks, dust and ash flying at my face while I was on my way down, the view was so crazy with the sun setting over the Pacific. What a life.
After everyone made their way down, a couple of the younger guys started a fire and we all made s’mores and hung out on top of the old yellow American school bus that we took to and from until it was well after dark.
On our way back into León while passing through the rural little towns on the thin dirt roads, we pulled up to an actually huge birthday celebration to drop off some of the locals that had carried the boards up, and imagine a bus blasting Spanish music with colored led strobe lights, full of tourists momentarily crashing your party.
This was one of my most memorable travel activities I have been lucky enough to do. I would absolutely do it again in a heart beat. One day Cerro Negro will erupt again and the earth might take it back for itself from us, I am so thankful I was able to experience that. Sand dune boarding in the desert next?
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