We arrived by bus to the adventure capital of Chile to find it completely deserted. It turns out it was the bottom of the low season, and we were pretty much the only ones in our hostel. On our first day, we hired a bus (yes, a whole bus just for us) to take us to one of the one of the nearby geothermal hot pools. Our driver, Max, proved to be an excellent guide, and was able to exactly predict how long we wanted to spend at our destination. The hot pools were a lot of fun, and we had them all to ourselves. We were thoroughly cooked by the time we headed back to the hostel.
Day two provided perfect weather (good luck, considering the rainy season had more or less fully arrived) and we decided to make an assault on the town's premiere adventure attraction, Volcan Villarica: a snow-capped, 9000 foot, active volcano. The previous day had not been rainy, but we heard that ice and fumes had prevented most teams from reaching the top. We hoped we would fare better. We rose before sunrise, collected our gear, joined a 12 person group with four guides and drove up to the foot of the volcano.
A ski area has a few lifts scattered in the rock and ash at the bottom, and when running, these can save you an hour of climbing. They were not running. We started up from the base lodge climbing along the lift and sheltered at the unloading station at the top for a snack. We then struck out up the desolate rocky slope, past some buildings that were destroyed during the last major lava flows in 1984. More than an hour later, we reached the bottom of the glacier. After a short lesson on how to self-arrest with our ice axes in the event of a fall, we strapped on our crampons and gaiters and started zig-zagging up the steep slope. After some thought, we realized this must be to prevent a falling hiker from taking out the whole party.
Day two provided perfect weather (good luck, considering the rainy season had more or less fully arrived) and we decided to make an assault on the town's premiere adventure attraction, Volcan Villarica: a snow-capped, 9000 foot, active volcano. The previous day had not been rainy, but we heard that ice and fumes had prevented most teams from reaching the top. We hoped we would fare better. We rose before sunrise, collected our gear, joined a 12 person group with four guides and drove up to the foot of the volcano.
A ski area has a few lifts scattered in the rock and ash at the bottom, and when running, these can save you an hour of climbing. They were not running. We started up from the base lodge climbing along the lift and sheltered at the unloading station at the top for a snack. We then struck out up the desolate rocky slope, past some buildings that were destroyed during the last major lava flows in 1984. More than an hour later, we reached the bottom of the glacier. After a short lesson on how to self-arrest with our ice axes in the event of a fall, we strapped on our crampons and gaiters and started zig-zagging up the steep slope. After some thought, we realized this must be to prevent a falling hiker from taking out the whole party. 
As we climbed, the going got icy in spots, but our guides felt comfortable pressing on. The slower members of our party dropped back, accompanied by some of the guides, and eventually only seven of us were left with the trip leader. As we neared the summit, an occasional gust of swirling wind delivered choking fumes that burned our lungs. We quickly understood how it would be impossible to continue if the gas exposure was sustained. After five hours of climbing, we reached the top, and were greeted with superb views of the lakes and other volcanoes nearby.
In an arrangement that would never be allowed in the States, we strolled right up to the edge of the crater, a shear drop into a suffocating cloud of volcanic gas. To make things more exciting, our necessary position on the upwind side of the crater meant the ferocious gusting wind was certainly capable of toppling the unwary tourist over the edge. We braced ourselves and peered over into the smoke. At first things were a bit disappointing. The tortuous throat of the volcano obscured our view of the lava pool, and nothing much seemed to be going on. As our fingers and toes began to go numb, we considered heading back to the shelter of a nearby rock pile, where many of the climbers were hunkered down. However, we stuck it out a bit longer, and were rewarded for our patience.
When I first saw lava jumping up in the air, it was out of the corner of my eye, and I almost thought I had imagined it. But as we focused back down into the pit, we were treated to several massive explosions of bright orange goo, that splattered onto the opposite wall of the crater and glowed for several seconds before solidifying into gray rock. When the wind died for a few seconds, we could hear the sloshing, churning and hissing of the lava pool below. What a treat.
The fumes were sporadic, and if you were careful to feel for the change in air temperature, you could hold your breath until they passed, but eventually, coughing and freezing, we retreated from the crater, still dumbfounded by what we had had just seen.
After loitering at the top for an hour or so, our guide told us it was time to head back. We were pretty exhausted and the idea of a knee-cracking five hour descent was not so welcome. We were thrilled to learn that we would suffer no such fate. After a few minutes hike, we strapped on "ass-protectors" and slid, Shackleton style, down the snow fields, wedging our ice axes into the snow to control our speed. This went on for miles, and in barely an hour, we had made it all the way to the top of the ski lift, continuing down snowy gullies well past the end of the glacier proper.
In an arrangement that would never be allowed in the States, we strolled right up to the edge of the crater, a shear drop into a suffocating cloud of volcanic gas. To make things more exciting, our necessary position on the upwind side of the crater meant the ferocious gusting wind was certainly capable of toppling the unwary tourist over the edge. We braced ourselves and peered over into the smoke. At first things were a bit disappointing. The tortuous throat of the volcano obscured our view of the lava pool, and nothing much seemed to be going on. As our fingers and toes began to go numb, we considered heading back to the shelter of a nearby rock pile, where many of the climbers were hunkered down. However, we stuck it out a bit longer, and were rewarded for our patience.
When I first saw lava jumping up in the air, it was out of the corner of my eye, and I almost thought I had imagined it. But as we focused back down into the pit, we were treated to several massive explosions of bright orange goo, that splattered onto the opposite wall of the crater and glowed for several seconds before solidifying into gray rock. When the wind died for a few seconds, we could hear the sloshing, churning and hissing of the lava pool below. What a treat.
The fumes were sporadic, and if you were careful to feel for the change in air temperature, you could hold your breath until they passed, but eventually, coughing and freezing, we retreated from the crater, still dumbfounded by what we had had just seen.
After loitering at the top for an hour or so, our guide told us it was time to head back. We were pretty exhausted and the idea of a knee-cracking five hour descent was not so welcome. We were thrilled to learn that we would suffer no such fate. After a few minutes hike, we strapped on "ass-protectors" and slid, Shackleton style, down the snow fields, wedging our ice axes into the snow to control our speed. This went on for miles, and in barely an hour, we had made it all the way to the top of the ski lift, continuing down snowy gullies well past the end of the glacier proper.
Even the last stretch of the descent was a lot of fun, as we bounded and slid down a ramp of soft ash that was easy on the knees. All and all, the volcano was a great finale to our trip, and exceeded all our expectations. After disappointments in Hawaii and Costa Rica, we had finally seen lava!
Our third day in Pucon, we headed out to Herqueque National Park for a hike into the monkey-puzzle forest. This bizarre tree looks like spindly overgrown artichoke, and dominates the canopy above altitudes of about 1100 meters. Max brought us to the base of the hike, and suggested a nice lakeside spot for lunch. On the way up, we passed some impressive waterfalls.
Our third day in Pucon, we headed out to Herqueque National Park for a hike into the monkey-puzzle forest. This bizarre tree looks like spindly overgrown artichoke, and dominates the canopy above altitudes of about 1100 meters. Max brought us to the base of the hike, and suggested a nice lakeside spot for lunch. On the way up, we passed some impressive waterfalls.
After an extended climb, we entered into a sort of bowl between peaks, filled with small ponds and bizarre vegetation. Strange fruits and nuts rained down on us as we ate our lunch, newts sunned themselves on the tree roots and woodpeckers banged away at the branches. Fall colors adorned many of the trees and we enjoyed a peaceful end to our stay in adventure city, CL.
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