When I heard you can climb to the top of an active volcano, I knew I had to visit Pucon to conquer that challenge. I'm not 100% sure myself but I can't really see it being a problem. In retrospect it was not safe to climb but I did no homework at all, had no internet access on holidays and just met some people in the hostel who were climbing it so I did. One thing we’d been carrying around with us all morning was a round piece of plastic, just big enough to sit on, so that’s what we did. This is where Agustin showed us how to put on our crampons and gave us a demonstration of how to walk on the ice. This blog reviews the trek (and sledding down!) The chairlift at the start of the volcano. Villarrica is one of Chile's most active volcanoes, rising above the lake and town of the same name. Villarrica Volcano Climb; Villarrica Volcano Climb. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.405809757406&type=3. It was amazing seeing how far we’d come in just one morning. Saying that, Agustin assured me that once we got on the volcano itself it wouldn’t matter. There is no shame in it. And if you’re looking for an adrenaline high to top standing upon an active volcano, this is it. William thinks the authorities are being ridiculous. They don’t have a website but they are on Facebook. The first stage will be a traditional hiking ascent, starting at 1,800 meters above sea level. Currently there are no hikes to the crater going because of the orange status in activity. We’d find a climbing slot that’d make it feel like it was just us. It was also the most extraordinary thing I’ve ever done, and the scariest moment of my life when a lot of sulphur came out the top and the guides yelled for us to get away from the crater and bury our heads in the snow. That didn’t stop me grinning from ear to ear though. An unforgettable experience! Considering he’s been doing this for years I had a feeling he was right. Hike Summary The good: Seeing diverse landscapes on the Villarrica Traverse change so rapidly, offering a great variety. Well who can blame you, it’s one of the best hikes you’ll ever do! But when it is, it costs 10,000 pesos ($16) and bypasses 400 vertical meters, or around 1 to 1.5 hours of hiking. It was hell, but I was unfit. It was hard to believe how far we’d come, and looking back down the volcano you can’t help but feel a huge sense of achievement. Hiking, Mountaineering, Ice Climbing, Scrambling, Skiing. I had an altercation with a guide on the summit and had to talk my way out of a ride to the jail in Pucon when I got to the bottom. i will write a recomendation in muchillier greetings stav. The Quinquilil trail is longer and more challenging than the … … In early March of 2015 Villarrica erupted and has been closed for climbs until Nov 12th, 2015. Take plenty of food and drinks as it long hot hike up and down the mountain. I kept thinking to myself it would have been incredible with a snowboard at my feet because this steep descent does a number on your thighs! 4. I’m not sure if there was a lift fault, or perhaps it was considered unsafe to climb so the local authorities closed the lifts. This is exactly like tobogganing anywhere else around the world, just down the side of an active volcano. The volcano is 2.847 m (9.341 ft) high, but you can start the ascent from approximately 1.800 m. I say ‘can’ because you have two options. The anticipation grew. Take lots of layers as it get hot walking up and can be chilly at the top. © An Adventurous World (2014-21). The first stage was a steep 45 minute climb over rocks to get onto the slope of the volcano from which it was a straight line to the top. Home » South America » Chile » Hiking to the Top of Volcan Villarrica, Chile, Posted on Last updated: January 4, 2021 By: Author Macca Sherifi, Categories Adventures, Chile, Destinations, South America. Armed with my packed lunch and water for the day, I walked the 10 minutes from my hostel to Zenit Travel, the guys who I was climbing Volcan Villarrica with for the day. I cab image the photos would be pretty spectacular so let me know how you get on! Nothing makes me happier than a hard hike with beautiful views. This video is about climbing, trekking, and then sledding down the snow capped Villarrica Volcano in Pucon, Chile! I could have done that waterfall hike in Villarrica National Park the next day after all! One of my last days I hiked to the crater. During this time, the weather will be the best so you will have a better chance of reaching the top of the Villarrica Volcano. We hiked the first 30 minutes or so on rocky gravel, until we arrived at the base of a chair lift. El Sendero de los Crateres is an easy 7km (roundtrip) trail that leads through a shaded forest before opening up in the lava fields. There aren’t many places where you can climb to the top of an active volcano in a day, but at Volcano Villarrica you can. The trail starts at the end of Camino el Volcan. I can’t get over how beautiful all the Pucon volcanoes are. Hike to the summit of the Villarrica Volcano (2,847m), Day trip from Pucón. Not the earliest of starts, but still enough to question what I was doing. View the December 14, 2020 eclipse in Chile from a volcano! Villarrica Volcano rises above Pucón and Lake Villarrica. When we went there were easily another 50 people. I travelled to the Chilean Lake District during the first week of January 2020. ), we walked a short way to the ski lift. That’s why, when Agustin asked if I’d like to take the ski lift for $10,000 or climb for an extra hour and a half to the top of the ski lift, I jumped at the opportunity for an easy start to the day (it was still early after all!). Let me say this now though. Hardly any other hikers. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. After a 45 minute ride, we arrived at the car park in Villarrica National Park at the bottom of the volcano. Add in the fact that you’re climbing on a glacier – no doubt a first for many people – and tobogganing back down to the bottom in an adrenaline-fuelled rush, and you really do have one of the best day hikes in the world. So crazy what people try and do! It’s hard to summarise trekking Volcan Villarrica. Free cancellation. A full day tour hiking to the top of Volcan Villarrica with Zenit Travel costs £107 ($135) and includes all transport costs, guides and equipment for the day. If there were any doubts about climbing an active volcano, one that erupted as recently as March 2015, now would’ve been the time to back out. The Volcano Villarrica hike is a challenging climb near Pucon, Chile. It was a beutifu site when it had fresh falleln snow on it. Sierra Nevada Trail – Conguillio National Park Andean Lagoons hike – Villarrica National Park. Elevation: 9341 ft / 2847 m. Sign the Climber's Log! The next stage was another 45 minutes, again over rock, to get to the bottom of the glacier . The lift is not always open, depending on weather conditions. More info. This is usually limited to a group of 12 people too, so make sure you book in advanced. This volcano and our agency Mawida Adventures promise a unique mountain experience, under the highest safety standards, delivering to each passenger all the technical equipment necessary for the ascent to the crater of the Villarrica Volcano: mountain boots, helmet, crampons, ice ax, trouser covers, jacket, gloves, leggings, backpack and gas mask. Local guides have been planning this experience for over a year to be optimized for eclipse viewing and enjoying a challenging but fun hike up Chile’s most famous volcano. 65 eruptions have been recorded through history, the most notable of these being in 1964 and 1971. At 2,847 meters above sea level, Villarrica Volcano is a perfect cone shaped stratovolcano with an open crater and a simmering lava pool that creates constant smoke plumes from the open pit. 6. I love hiking at the best of times but add in sunrise, a steaming volcano and sledding down some snow and I’m like a little kid at Christmas. We could not climb any higher and abandoned. Cutting through the snowy side of the volcano, the trip was quite fast. Climb to the summit of Villarrica Volcano. Weather was great. The trail continues softly uphill until reaching 45 to 60 minutes after the Estero Ñilfe a pass between a secondary crater of the Villarrica and smaller hills to the south. Presumably he got arrested and chucked in jail. It requires proper climbing equipment and a lot of stamina. As we were the last group on the volcano it was down to our guide to get him back down, but this foreigner just completely refused to listen. The best way to see the northern Patagonia is from the seat of a bike. I climbed Villarrica volcano with Sur Explora who are based in Pucon, the adventure capital of the Chilean Lake District. It was time to climb. $157.88 per adult. My experience of the Villarrica Volcano hike. From here begin the hike to the summit of one of Chile's iconic active volcanoes. Actually, it erupted not too long ago, in March 0f 2015 and was closed for hikes until November of that same year. Almost in solemn silence, we started packing our bags for our hike that day. Roaming Around the World Once we got to the top there were only a few other people up there with us; it felt like we had the volcano to ourselves. We took a few photos but couldn’t capture t at its worst because we couldn’t see or breathe at that stage. Villarrica Volcano Climb for December 14 Eclipse. Like this blog post? Hi travellers! In fact, the Villarrica Volcano near Pucón is one of Chile’s most active. Villarrica volcano hike is one of the best hikes you can do in #SouthAmerica. If you’ve never worn crampons before, it’s actually really easy. I’m not going to lie, it looked pretty daunting. Acclimatize at an easy pace. I 100% agree with this. When is the best time to hike Villarrica Volcano? At the top, clouds of sulphur were pouring off the active volcano making my eyes water. At the top, clouds of sulphur were pouring off the active volcano making my eyes water. AT A GLANCE jumping off point is Pucón, 780km south of Santiago Villarrica, still active, last erupted 1971, almost reaching town Lanín volcano is highest and most impressive of the… You either start the hike from the base of the volcano or you can take a chairlift and start a bit higher up. Again, Agustin showed us how to use these bum boards, and it wasn’t long before we were all sliding down, throwing ourselves around corners like we were professional lugists. 3. If you’d like catch the ski lift to cut out an hour and a half of climbing then make sure you bring an extra $10,000. I just looked up history of the volcano and it was very active in April 2010, and by May 2010 there was lava 100m from the brim. Can you guess which one I took? At our first stop where we ate some nuts and glugged down some water, we had 10 minutes to catch our breath and appreciate the views which were already something else. Free rescheduling. Peacefully swaying back and forth as we slowly crawled higher, the view of the volcano became clearer and clearer. My alarm went off at 5:30am. The ego boost from the accomplishment. The remoteness and feeling of empowerment trekking on and around an active volcano. To the right of me I could see the crater of Villarrica Volcano, the rock tinged yellow from all the sulphurous gas, while to my left I could see a huge white glacier, a place where hardly anyone steps foot. with tips to help you reach the summit. It didn’t matter that I was only 2,848 metres high, it felt like I was on top of the world. After a brief demonstration from Agustin on how to climb (keep those knees bent people! It felt so good being at the top of the volcano – it really did feel like being on top of the world – and the views were just the best yet. Cycle Tour: Andes to the Pacific Ocean: This cycling tour is all inclusive and even includes the use of a full suspension bike. S. 4.3 / 5 8 reviews. Had a great climb with SummitChile . Make sure you put on lots of SPF50+ sunscreen for protection from sun and windburn. We stopped off a couple of more times for a rest and to gather our energy again, especially for the final assent. Hiking on the glacier at Volcano Villarrica, Everyone in our group on the ice and snow. Difficulty Level After about 10 minutes of walking in them you’ll hardly notice they’re on your feet at all. The lifts weren’t operating that day. I won’t go into all the details of climbing Mount Villarrica – a lot of it was just me putting one foot in front of the other, very comfortable in the silence of walking, almost overawed with where we were – but it’s safe to say that the views just got more and more spectacular the higher we climbed. Permits and licenses are required if you're unguided, so don't try to go it on your own! I’ve done some research because as you may know, Villarrica erupted a couple of months ago. The scenery provides a glimpse into the power and destruction of Villarrica's eruption, as well as nature's ability to recover. thanks a lot for your support you were amazing, so patience with us and we did not have too much experience,,, thanks for everything!! Do you know if you can use drones at the top of the volcano? As you’d expect, getting from the top to the bottom of the volcano was so much quicker, but not for the reason you’d think. An intriguing active volcano begging adventurers to climb it, ski all around it and toboggan your way back to the bottom. I’m not going to lie, I was so surprised at how many people there were rushing around getting ready for the climb. 5. He made it quite far up the volcano before he was stopped by our guide.