I’d never heard of volcano boarding before visiting Nicaragua. But while looking for something to do, I stumbled upon the sport. It turns out, when you’re surrounded by volcanoes, you find ways to make the most of them.

Nicaragua, in Central America, has over 40 volcanoes. Some are young, some old, some dormant, and some are still active. Of course, the active ones make for the most exciting volcano boarding.

What is Volcano Boarding?

Volcano boarding is like snow sledding with a few key differences. The biggest differences are probably obvious; they’re the weather and the surface land. Instead of cold and snow, for volcano boarding you have hot and gravelly ash.

Like snow sledding, you carry a sled to the top of the hill and slide down. But the similarities start to diverge a bit from there. In my Michigan upbringing, snow sledding is more laissez-faire than volcano boarding.

You can go snow sledding by using a plastic or wood sled, for example, or whatever clothes you’re comfortable in.

For volcano boarding, the sleds are never plastic, because the heat of the surface would melt them. Wood sleds are preferred. Likewise, because of the ash, full body coverage is necessary, as are goggles with nose and mouth covers.

Snow sledding is done multiple times on a small hill. In contrast, climbing to the top of a volcano takes more time. The hot weather and rough, gravel terrain challenge you significantly. You’d only attempt it once or twice in a day.

My Experience with Volcano Boarding

During my stay in Nicaragua, I joined several people from the local hostel in Las Penitas near the Pacific Ocean. We signed up for a group tour to volcano board down Cerro Negro.

Cerro Negro – The Black Hill – is on the outskirts of Leon. It’s only about 170 years old, making it the youngest active volcano in Nicaragua. “Active” means it erupted last in 1999 and will erupt again one day. I hope to be far away when it does. In the meantime, it’s a favorite spot for volcano boarding. The volcano has loose volcanic ash, making it perfect for sliding down.

Road Trip to Cerro Negro

We piled in the back of a tarp-covered pick-up truck for the hour-long ride to the volcano. Road safety isn’t something many Nicaraguans are concerned with. I saw entire families – Dad, Mom, toddler and infant – on dirt bikes with the dead iguanas they’ll have for dinner strapped on the side.

The close bench seating on the way there was challenging. We listened to Pedro Capo sing Vamos pa la playa on repeat for an hour. Yet, it was nothing compared to the ride home. It was perhaps the most challenging part of the entire adventure.

At the Base of The Black Hill

The approach to Cerro Negro stretches for miles. There isn’t much except barren land surrounding it. The volcano doesn’t seem very intimidating. Looks are deceiving. We hadn’t even started the climb to and I’d already made a big mistake.

We parked our trucks, hopped out of the back, and were met by several men. They said they would carry our boards to the top of the volcano for $5. The solid wood board weighed between 10 and 15 pounds. The hike to the top was expected to take about an hour.

If confidence was a drug you’d think I’d overdosed.

“Ha,” I scoffed. “No, thanks. I got it.” There was no way I would pay somebody to carry it for me. I’ve since read that extreme self-reliance is a trauma response. This is a post for another day.

I silently scoffed as one of the women took them up on that offer, handing over $5. It wasn’t about the money; I just didn’t think it was necessary. I would regret faster than I ever thought possible.

Volcano Boarding Difficulty: Hike to the Summit

I hefted the board, looked back at that little 2,400-foot volcano, and thought, “Easy peasy.” Seriously.

It was, too, for about 15 minutes. I led the pack, first in line, then second, falling to third … man, it was in the upper 90s, and that board got heavier by the second.

They didn’t tell us that the hike was pathless. It comprised nothing but gravelly black ash and lava rock. Actual lava rock is not that easy to hike on.

The other thing? They call it “the black hill,” and lava rock is used in grills because of how well it holds heat. So, yeah, black lava rock was just cooking us.

While I was trudging along at the back of the line, I met up with the woman who’d paid $5 to have her board carried.

“Smartest $5 I’ve ever spent,” she said as she grabbed my arm to save me from stumbling down the mountain.

“Ha. I bet. Where are those guys? I got $50 for the first one I see.” But they were nowhere to be found. We struggled on. Sweat poured in our eyes as we slipped and stumbled across the coarse rock. We stopped every 15 minutes, so nobody died out there. We didn’t want anyone left behind to be eaten by the ever-present circling vultures. They knew what was up. I’m joking, but only just.

After about an hour, we’re done. At the top, we rest, cry, walk around and take pictures. We survived and enjoy it.

If I wasn’t already out of breath, the views of the caldera would undoubtedly take my breath away.

What you Wear Volcano Boarding

The ground is covered in black ash. We wear a lot of protective gear, so we’re not covered in it and breathing it. After all, we would have to pile into the back of the truck together for an hour-long ride home.

We suit up in yellow overalls, hats, gloves, goggles and bandannas over our mouths. We could be miners.

Ash Boarding Down the Volcano

Once suited up, we lined up just like regular snow sledding. We tried to be quick about this part because, if I haven’t been clear, it’s HOT. Now we want to get down the mountain and take all this gear off.

We lined ourselves up, positioned our sleds, and thrust off.

Unlike snow, the gravel is HOT, like 120 degrees hot. Heat blows back in my face as I use my legs to slow my descent. I barrel down that volcano at speeds up to 60 miles per hour.

Gravel is flying up at me. I’m going faster than I can control it, yet I am controlling it. I laugh.

Ahead, I see the man who went before me try to stop. He digs his feet in and suddenly he is cartwheeling legs over head down the mountain.

Minutes later, I come to a stop next to his prone body. He is fine, smiling. I am fine. We’re all elated.

After, despite the overalls and protective gear, there is volcano ash and gravel in every crevice of my body. We’re all almost entirely covered in black dust. But we are talking and laughing nonstop.

Is Volcano Boarding Safe?

Volcano boarding isn’t inherently dangerous, assuming your volcano isn’t likely to erupt. You need good enough physical fitness to climb to the top of the volcano with your board. The heat in volcano climates can be intense.

While going down the volcano there’s always the danger of falling off your board. You might get gravel rash, like road rash. Just like snow sledding, you could break a bone.

So, would I go volcano boarding in Nicaragua again? ABSOLUTELY. But I’d pay $5 to have someone carry that board.

See other experiences I’ve tried here.

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