Watch what happens when you walk on lava

Given all the ways a volcano can kill you, it makes zero sense to approach a lava river. It makes even less sense to try to walk on said lava -- but thankfully, there are people out there who throw reason off a cliff and do these things, just so you don't have to wonder about life's unanswerables.

On a recent vacation in Kilauea, Hawaii, Alex Rivest filmed his daredevil tour guide treading into a pool of scorching lava. As he steps onto the molten rock, which averages an inconceivably hot 1,292 to 2,192 degrees Fahrenheit, the guide's shoe makes a small impression and sparks a quick flame which bounces off the surface.

“While this may not be surprising (it is liquid rock) I think that many people think of lava as more of a hot-watery-like substance", Rivest explains on YouTube. "You would never fall into a lava lake the way you would a swimming pool, the molten rock is much more dense, so you would simply land on it, sink a little, and be burned.”

Keep that in mind next time you're thinking about Scrooge McDuck-ing a lava pit.


Chloe Pantazi is an editorial assistant on Thrillist's travel team, and she doesn't play with fire. Follow her staying alive on Instagram and Twitter at @ChloePantazi.