Cerro Negro Volcano

The morning two years ago began long before first light when I left leaving hotel in Leon. We made our way about 6 blocks to the office of Quetzal Trekkers by 4:30. There we met up with our two Quetzal guides and two Danish tourists. The six of us discussed briefly the days plan hike the Cerro Negro volcano. Then we packed our lunches and hurried 4 blocks to the bus stop only to wait in the dark 45 minutes for the first bus to arrive. The Leon guides apologized explaining the local bus schedules were not always unpredictable.

View while waiting for the bus:

Cerro Negro is Central America’s newest volcano having first erupted in 1850. It’s gotten some press recently and been featured on the Survivor reality show for the sport of volcano boarding, which is sledding down the scree slops of the volcano.

The local bus, a converted north american Blue Bird school bus, took us some 15 miles from Leon and dropped us at a trail head in what appeared to be the middle of nowhere. We hiked for 45 minutes between farmer’s fields as the sun rose.


Eventually we reached the edge of the black cinder gravel-sized rock which had been ejected from the volcano and covers the surrounding land. A little vegetation tries to survive in pockets around the edge of the lava rock field, but quickly gives way to barren land. The Cerro Negro cone rises before us. My pictures do not do justice to the size. It rises 1600 feet in elevation above me (total 2388 ft above sea level).

Our group hiked a path that took us across the lava gravel rock to the opposite side of the cone and then climbed up. We appeared to be the only people on the volcano that day.





Scenes from half-way up the volcano:


Approaching the top, the uniform black rocks gave way to a section of steam vents and colored rock closer to the crater. We eventually reached and walked around the red inner crater.

Walking near the top of the Cerro Negro Volcano









From the top we could see for miles around. Several other volcanoes in Nicaragua’s Maribios volcanic chain were visible one behind the other.


We climbed up to the edge of the tallest part of the volcanic cone to begin the fun part. From there, the cone’s slope dropped 1600 feet unobstructed below us. The Quetzel guides mentioned at the time some people were trying to develop the sport of volcano boarding at Cerro Negro with cardboard sleds and mattresses. The New York Times suggests the sport had been further developed with specialized wooden sleds since my visit.

Our group however was simply running down the cone without any special equipment. One Quetzel guide went first to show us how it was done. I got a couple of pictures of the first people to descend. Then I put my camera up safely in the bag and started my run.

Starting the run down Cerro Negro

When running down a scree hill, it is easier to just let go and run without brakes. Trying to hold back increases the chance of tripping. With each step, the feet are buried above the ankle in the small rocks, but the foot easily comes out of the mess when taking the next step. A few of us re-grouped about halfway down the slope. Once stopped there, it was safe to get the camera out for a few pictures before finishing the decent.


Views from half-way down the volcano:
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A couple of pictures of me reaching the bottom courtesy my guide from ¡Un Buen Viaje!



Here are some more pictures from the base of the volcano. The curve of the slope hides the top from view when close to the base. It is a little difficult to perceive the size of the volcano in some of these pictures. Note­­ the size of the people in the distance to get a sense of scale.


For sense of scale, note there are two people in this picture:




After the decent, we found a shaded spot under a tree on the outskirts of the volcanic rock for a picnic lunch. Then we hiked back to the road through woods and farms until we reached a cluster of buildings that served as a bus stop along the dirt road highway. There was a shack selling drinks served in plastic bags with straws and we got a drink while waiting amongst the scrawny dogs and chickens for the bus to take us back to Leon.


The barbed wire fence is so old that the tree has grown around it


The local non-profit volunteer organization Quetzal Trekkers guided this day hike and also guides overnight hikes to several other volcanoes and parks in the area. The guides are foreign volunteers who come for a minimum of 3 months. Proceeds from these hikes fund local projects helping street kids.

The rest of my travels in Nicaragua were arranged by Jessica of ¡Un Buen Viaje! Tours to Nicaragua.

Related Links:

Maps of the sites I visited in Nicaragua: on Google Maps or Google Earth

More Blog Posts or Photo Albums from this Nicaragua Trip.
- Managua and Coyotepe
- Granada at Christmas time
- La Granadilla
- Mombacho Volcano
- Empowerment International
- Masaya: the City and the Volcano
- Ultramaraton Fuego y Agua
- Calzado de Ometepe Kids 5k
- Leon