This Man Becomes The First To Skydive In & Out Of An Active Volcano; Breaks Records

by Shrestha Purkayastha
This Man Becomes The First To Skydive In & Out Of An Active Volcano; Breaks Records

The goal was to showcase Chile’s beauty while also pushing the boundaries of the flare movement, which is an important part of the wingsuit flying discipline. When the impossible became possible, Sebastian Ardilla Alvarez had these as his primary objectives. Could he really fly into a volcano’s crater and then fly back out? It was an experiment that no one had ever attempted before. The stunt was done in collaboration with Red Bull at Villarrica, one of Chile’s most famous volcanoes.

It couldn’t be just any volcano, though! The crater needed to be a certain size in order for the action to be physically possible. It has to be a volcano surrounded by southern Chile’s unmatched splendour. Because Alvarez is constantly looking for new ways to promote his homeland. Villarrica appeared to be the ideal choice.

Alvarez Was Focused On Three Things: His Suit, His Flight Path & His Speed

The first stage was to figure out if a wingsuit could even fly into and out of the crater. Theoretically, it appeared to be conceivable. The procedure took some time. Alvarez progressively learned about the volcano, including its rhythms, the intensity of the smoke columns, the smell of sulphur, wind speed, weather, air space, and much more.

Picture Credits: redbull.com

With frequent eruptions, it was Chile’s most active volcano, adding an element of unpredictability. As Alvarez puts it, it has a “life of its own.” It was more active on some days, and you could feel the turbulence on occasion. Because there was ambiguity, Alvarez proceeded cautiously and patiently. For months, he studied the weather. He would only accept the task if he felt the volcano had given him permission. Alvarez was thinking about three things while the helicopter was getting ready to take off: his suit, his flying direction, and the speed. From the time I jumped out of the helicopter until I was within the crater, it took around 40 seconds. Alvarez had a laser-like focus.

Picture Credits: redbull.com

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Sebastian Alvarez Is A Disciplined, Methodical & Inventive Individual

Sebastian ‘Ardilla’ Alvarez is a well-behaved individual. Both methodical and imaginative. He is a skydiver who is constantly pushing the boundaries of what is possible. He began his career with the Chilean Air Force in order to fulfil his childhood goal of flying. Following that, he delved deeper into wingsuit flying, with the primary purpose of pushing the sport’s boundaries through his own creative endeavours.

It’s a sport where any mistake can have major ramifications, and Ardilla is notorious among his closest friends for not making them. He meticulously examines and analyses each project in order to keep track of every aspect. Because he doesn’t believe in taking needless risks, each expedition has a large margin of error built in. He’s figured out how to utilise fear to his advantage.

Picture Credits: redbull.com

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Alvarez Experienced A Terrifying Sensation As A Result Of The Volcano

The volcano gave him a dreadful feeling. Alvarez reflects on the moments leading up to his descent into the crater. The volcano is known as ‘Ruka Pillan’ by the Mapuche (a group of indigenous people who live in present-day south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina, encompassing sections of Patagonia). Which translates as ‘the devil’s home.’

When Alvarez looked at the volcano’s southeast face, he was taken aback. Which was frightened since it wasn’t like the photographs we’d seen of Villarrica before. He couldn’t think of anything else but the calculations he’d made to get out of the hole. And successfully complete the flight. Going into ‘the devil’s house’ was one of the scariest, most frightening, most strange experiences he had ever had. He had to first speak with the volcano, because it does whatever it wants.

Picture Credits: reebull.com