Welcome to ‘Devil’s House’: Wingsuit pilot turns into first individual to fly out and in of an energetic volcano

“It all started because I dreamed of flying,” says Alvarez. “Since I was a kid, I just wanted to fly — and somehow, I did.”

Alvarez’s first publicity to an adrenaline rush that may largely form his profession got here when he joined the Chilean Air Force, first as a pilot after which when he was taught to skydive.

Whenever he discovered free time, he discovered wind and skydiving away from the Air Force and is now well known as one of many prime skydivers on the earth.

Over time, nonetheless, the will to really feel the elevated crowd solely grew, with pioneer Alvarez turning into concerned in base leaping and, ultimately, wingsuit flying.

For most of his profession, Alvarez struggled to maintain his finger on precisely what impressed him to aim these more and more harmful feats. till just lately.

“I think I figured it out a few years ago,” he says. “What was happening in my life was what really gave me that joy and – it’s still hard to really explain – it was a feeling of being completely focused and having that amount of adrenaline as well.

,[It] This happened to me when I was flying the plane because I was really focused on a few things, but at the same time an Air Force pilot is not just sitting there, they are doing a lot of missions. So that mix between totally focused and a little adrenaline, it blows my mind.

“It’s like, that is precisely what I used to be searching for, and I knew I liked it, however I did not know the reason. I feel just a few years in the past, I noticed: ‘Oh, that is it. That’s it.’ That’s why. It’s as a result of I concentrate on these minutes or seconds the place my thoughts is totally on it and likewise really feel that adrenaline that I like.”

‘Devil’s House’

For his latest feat, Alvarez knew he wanted to advance wingsuit technology as much as he could.

Hailing from Chile, a country with breathtaking landscapes, the 36-year-old wanted his most daring flight to show off the natural wonders of his country.

Given their thrill-seeking nature, they naturally decided to include Villarica – one of Chile’s most active and dangerous volcanoes and named “The Devil’s House” by Mapuche – in the jump. Will be done.

Leaping from a helicopter at an altitude of more than 3,500 meters (about 2.2 mi), lvarez would attempt to use the wingsuit to reach speeds in excess of 280 km/h (about 176.5 mph) and then 200. Will blow in and out of the meter (656 ft) wide crater of the volcano.

“This is by far essentially the most excessive venture I’ve ever executed,” he says. “It certainly is. Especially because of all the factors; it was an active volcano, it was at high altitude, cold, windy and so there were a lot of things that I needed to take care of.

“Mentally, it was actually laborious for me as a result of, once more, my mind would not need to be there, however you want drive to get it executed. I actually get pleasure from doing these initiatives as a result of I actually like I prefer to take the sport a bit extra.”

This feat would largely be achieved by Alvarez perfecting a technique called ‘flaring’, gathering enough vertical motion, opening the wingsuit and transferring it to horizontal motion.

It took more than a year to prepare for the jump. Alvarez not only completed nearly 500 practice jumps, but also had to perform complex calculations using speed, distance and air pressure to decide whether this would be possible.

However, Alvarez says that the real preparation for the jump began much earlier.

“Preparing for it was my complete life, to a big extent, it has been my complete life,” he says. “You must be a skydiver, a base jumper and for those who’re a pilot, even higher. All the best way [I’ve taken] got here collectively.

“Even if you train for two years, but you haven’t been skydiving before, it will never be possible. So it was the preparation for a lifetime.”

‘Fear is basically constructive’

The climate within the south of Chile might be harsh, that means that lvarez typically had very small home windows during which he may try to leap.

He says efforts have been typically canceled attributable to sturdy winds, rain or snow, in addition to extreme storms that generally lasted every week.

“I was really afraid that we weren’t going to find a beautiful and nice gap to do that,” Alvarez recollects.

“But I think me and Volcano, we really get along,” he says with a smile. “Or at least he let me do that. So we got nice weather and the volcano was not that active during that week, and if you ask me, yes, I asked the volcano [permission], I had a conversation with this place.

“But let’s speak significantly, it is a volcano and it is energetic and if I fail, the results. If the volcano would not need me there, it might probably do no matter it needs, . , so I requested permission after which there I went [afterward] And mentioned thanks.”

Sitting on the side of a helicopter hovering 3,500 meters above the ground, gusts of wind hitting his face, Alvarez says nothing gives him the thrill of attempting to make a pioneering leap.

“I can not specific how glad this makes me,” he explains. “But it does, , and I suppose that is what life is about. I imply, you should do what makes you cheerful.”

Alvarez is certainly living by that philosophy.

The man referred to as “Ardilla” – “Squirrel” in English – spends most of the interview with a broad grin on his face as he begins to talk about the daring adventures he has achieved. begins to gesture excitedly.

He describes the recent jump as a “curler coaster of feelings” and says it is “precisely like a volcano,” his excitement erupts before hitting a wave of calm.

Alvarez is known as a meticulous planner. While these exploits may seem absurd – and often impossible – from the outside, he approaches them with a calm, rational mind, confident that his skill and detailed calculations will keep him safe.

However, it never leads to the absence of fear.

“I really feel nervous and I find it irresistible,” Alvarez says. “I feel feeling nervous is certainly constructive, or being scared is basically constructive and you should handle it and switch it into one thing constructive.

“I think if you’re extremely scared, it turns into a panic and then you can’t react. So there’s that little borderline where it’s: ‘Okay, I’m afraid,’ but it’s me. Keeps active, so I know about everything.

“Now, if I am going right into a panic it is not going to work and you should notice: ‘Okay, I’m in a panic. Maybe I would like to do that or this second step, Plan B or Plan C’ Is.'”

If you thought flying in and out of an active volcano with some material between his arms and legs to keep him in the air is as dangerous as it could be for Alvarez, think again.

“I’ve a very good stunt… or possibly a couple of. My mind is typically actually ‘Ah!’ Runs like that,” he says, shaking hands around his head.

“I do not know if they are going to work. You by no means know as a result of I’m taking part in with nature once more. I would like to prepare it as a result of I’ve so many concepts… however I find it irresistible.” “