Travel enthusiasts have referred to it as the "tourist bunny slope". Many thrill-seekers have found fulfillment boarding down its fairly steep slopes that are fully covered by black volcano ash. The place is Cerro Negro, also called the "Black Hill".
Located in western Nicaragua, Cerro Negro has been a must-visit destination for all visitors who seek adrenaline-filled adventure. Having formed in 1850, the 2380 ft. high volcano has undergone twenty eruptions with the latest being in 1999. Considering this fact, it is the youngest volcano in Central America and the most active cinder cone volcano in the world.
From the top of Cerro Negro, you get to have a very beautiful view of the panorama of Leon, the volcanic chain of Los Maribius, as well as the Pacific. At the top of Cerro Negro, there is a crater whose inside is loudly quiet with smells of Sulphur strongly streaming out of it. The floor of the volcano at its top is also very hot.
The thrill not only comes from the amazing view of the surroundings from the volcano top but also from boarding. In as much as the sport offers an amazing adrenaline fill, it is also potentially dangerous as the volcano randomly spits molten lava and rocks. If you think volcano boarding is an easy task or that it is just like snowboarding with an inclusion of the pulling of 360s off a volcano half-pipe, you are very wrong. Volcano boarding is far much different from snowboarding - it is like extreme sledging.
Visitors must sit down on the board and hold a rope taut between their legs. While going down, to accelerate, they can lean back and to slow down or even break, they sit forward. Steering involves tapping one’s feet.
Thrill seekers have always described the process of volcano boarding as fun-filled. Apart from the clouds of dust that rise behind you as you hurtle down the slope, ash and rocks will pummel your goggles. Parts of your face that are not covered by the goggles will have stinging acrid pumice flying onto every part of it. Yes, including your mouth.
Being unfamiliar with the area should not bother you at all. Leon, which is the second largest city in Nicaragua, boasts of numerous boarding tours. They provide visitors with the necessary gear that will ensure you get to experience the thrill safely. Mostly, you are provided with goggles, jumpsuits, and plywood boards. The plywood boards usually have a plastic slab layer beneath that aids in increasing speed down the rocks.