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Archive for nicaragua

A Rocky Ride in Nicaragua

By Linda Tancs

Forty-five minutes from León, Nicaragua, stands Cerro Negro (Black Hill), Central America’s youngest volcano.  A mere child at nearly 165 years, its crater offers amazing views of volcanic chain Los Maribios, not to mention the sensory overload of heat and sulfur gas owing to its active nature.  In recent years, it’s found favor beyond avid hikers and volcanologists:  the adventure set have taken to boarding down its rocky, ash wall.  Thanks to Nature’s thinly-milled rock, thrill seekers can opt for a modified snowboard ride down a forbidding slope at even more forbidding speed (50 miles per hour or more).  Wear long pants, and prepare for a hard landing.