Travel
Malaysian Rooftopper Daredevil Keow Wee Loong Snowboarding On Active Volcano
This snowboarding daredevil is among a very select few who can claim to have conquered the 7,641-foot high Mount Bromo in Indonesia.
Wearing a gas mask to protect him from the deadly fumes, Keow Wee Loong boarded down the ash-covered surface of the mountain in the country’s East Java region. His friend, Chin Kahn Kahn, shot the thrill-seeker from a drone as he slid down the vast expanse of the active volcano over several days. In order to gain access to the area, Keow had to beat tight security.
Last December, Mount Bromo was upgraded from Alert 2 to Alert 3 level, resulting in the closure of tourist sites to keep people a safe distance 2.5km away. Keow and Chin, both 27, snuck in to the location, along with their friend, Alvin Tung. Between December and February 8, the trio spent nine nights within the restricted area. During this time, activity and eruptions were reported at the site, shooting thick ash and sulphur high into the air, making things more hazardous for the group.
Twice they were discovered by guards. The second time, some of their footage was wiped clean. The photographer intends to go back up the volcano, shooting more footage of his exploits in the future. He said: ‘Back in 2015, when I was in Indonesia, I had this idea of snowboarding down an active volcano. ‘I thought it would not be possible because of the eruption and all – but what’s the fun of snowboarding down a volcano without the fire and smoke? ‘We were only about 200 meters away from the volcano some nights, so the biggest worry was an eruption at night. ‘I was very calm and had a mask on all of the time – it’s too dangerous to go there without a full gas mask. ‘The heat at the top burnt my skin and the eruptions sounded like 100 exploding grenades.
‘I did this because I wanted to prove that it’s a joy to take yourself further in life to and always believe in yourself.’
If you’re interested with Keow and his friends upcoming daredevil’s journey, you want to check out on his official
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