Ricardo Kaljouw
Ricardo Kaljouw is a Dutch adventurer and military shipbuilder from Vlissingen, Zeeland — a town that sits below sea level, which makes his obsession with the world's highest volcanoes all the more fitting. His journey began with Kilimanjaro, but it was a night on the crater rim of Nyiragongo in the DRC, staring into the world's largest lava lake, that lit the fuse.
From there, Ricardo spent several years crossing six continents to complete the Volcanic 7 Summits — the highest volcano on each continent. His journey took him through the jungles of Papua New Guinea, the winter storms of Iran, the Atacama Desert and the remote heart of Antarctica, where he summited Mount Sidley in minus 42°C. He became the first person from the Benelux to complete the challenge, joining fewer than 70 people worldwide who have ever done it.
He is also the author of A Million Steps on Lava.