When it comes to extreme sports, nothing is more extreme than volcano boarding. But what exactly is volcano boarding and how does it work? Keep reading to find out!
Main highlights:
- Volcano boarding- what is it?
- How does it work?
- Safety methods you must consider.
What is Volcano Boarding?
Volcano boarding is an extreme sport that involves riding down a mountain on the back of an active volcano. Although it’s most commonly associated with Hawaii, it can be done in other parts of the world — and in some very unique places. To do volcano boarding, you start by booking a trip to a volcano. Often, a tour operator will act as your guide, but you can also do it on your own.
Your guide will take you to the volcano’s crater, where you’ll find a slope the right height for volcano boarding. For volcano boarding, one of the most important things is to find a slope that is just right. You want to make sure you don’t climb too high because then you risk falling into the crater, and you don’t want to go too low because it’s not safe either.
How Does Volcano Boarding Work?
To understand how volcano boarding works, it’s important to understand how volcanoes work. When a volcano is active, gases and liquids build up inside the volcano. When the pressure inside the volcano gets too high, the gases and liquids come out through vents called hot springs and geysers. In the case of Hawaii, this is what creates the beautiful blue and green colors.
The gases that come out of the volcano are called volatile silica. It’s this volatile silica that’s known as “magma” by geologists, and it makes up a good portion of the earth’s crust. To get the magma, the volcano needs pressure, and the only thing that can create that pressure is heat.
That’s why volcanoes are found where there are very high concentrations of heat, like near cities — the heat from the city creates pressure that, in the right kind of environment, can turn into magma. And that’s exactly what happens when you do volcano boarding.
You ride down a slope made of volcanic rock — a slope that is heated by the earth’s core — and you get flung towards the edge of the crater. Once you’re near the edge, you jump off and propel yourself toward the bottom.
Safety Considerations
One of the most important things to keep in mind when doing volcano boarding is to make sure you’re on a slope that is safe to climb and descend. First off, you have to make sure the slope is safe to climb on. You can do this by asking the tour guide or the locals if the slope is safe and if they’ve ever fallen off. If the slope is safe to climb on, then you’re good to go.
Next, you have to make sure the slope is safe to descend. Volcanoes are known to be extremely hazardous places, and they’re often very dangerous to descend. This is because when you’re descending a slope, you have to contend with possible crags and loose rocks, both of which are very dangerous.
Popular Places to Do Volcano Boarding
Volcano boarding is a really unique experience, and it’s also a really unique and extreme sport. However, it’s important to note that not every volcano is good for volcano boarding. In fact, only a select few are good for volcano boarding. The most popular places to do volcano boarding are found in Argentina, Australia, Hawaii, Iceland, the Philippines, and more.
You’re not likely to find volcano boarding in a rural area. Instead, you’ll want to travel to a city that’s near a volcano, like Arequipa, Peru, which has two active volcanoes (a short drive away from Cusco). Or, you can go to a place like Mactan Caves in the Philippines, where an active volcano lies just a few kilometers away.
Conclusion
Volcano boarding is a unique sport that involves riding down a slope made of heated volcanic rock. You can do it anywhere in the world, but you’ll want to go to a volcano near a city or a place that has an active volcano. The key is to find a slope that’s safe to climb and descend.
If you’re interested in trying it out, you can go to your nearest volcano and look for a tour operator or go online and search for volcano boarding tours.
