*Warning this post contains lots of images*

It’s early May 2010 say around the 10th May 2010 actually. We’re in Pucon, Chile, which is 10 hours or so south of Santiago and pushed against the Andes.

We are arriving from a lovely little ski town San Martin De Los Andes by a 4 hour bus ride. Why do bus rides seem to have the same affect on time as doctors surgery’s etc. Anyway, Pucon is a lovely little town on a lake, which is great because it’s part of the lake district…be a bit rubbish if it wasnt, and nestled amongst the hills of the Andes. There’s heaps to do in Pucon, trekking, whitewater rafting, mountain biking, climbing the volcano, hot springs etc. Lots of tasty food and places to have a few quiet ales but your here for the great outdoors.

After arriving in Pucon we drop our bags off at the Hostel Edigio and grab something to eat. We are stoked, scrambled eggs!!

5 hours later.

I don’t feel so good. It’s 6:30pm and we’re trying on the equipment for our trip up the Volcano. The trip is all organised by Borris, the bullet dodger, as in Borris the sneaky f@#$ing Russian, who is the hostel concierge if you will. All set, packed, geared up and ready. Dinner time, we find out it is the owners birthday and her husband as packed on a massive BBQ for us. We sit and eat giant cuts of steak and drink a delightful merlot. During dinner, i start to feel worse…

Pucon Ya Face:

Beautiful:

The top tip of the tip top Volcano we want to climb:

Jesse trying on the soo sexy climbing gear

Up at 5:30am, nope we’re not going up no Volcano today. I’m far too sick and Jesse isnt feeling too good either.

3 days and 361 visits to the bathroom later…

I’m in the local hospital adding to my tour the worlds hospitals. My last, was the sweeping tour of London’s finest medical institutions(three of them and two ambulance rides) in 2005.  The entire family from the hostel was there to help me out, a translator, the mama and Borris’s the bullet dodger’s fiance. As far as hospital’s go it was ok not too run down. The doctor smelt fresh of ciggarettes and the ceiling had fresh blood on it but other than that it was pretty average.

It was very comforting having the help of the guys who own the hostel they went above and beyond to make me feel better. Constantly checking on us, making me jelly and tea. Especially Lydia or Mama Lydia as we got to know her, we are extremely greatful

Mama Lydia

It turned out the antibiotics given to us back in Perth arent the best for me and they were making things a lot worse. Not suprising, here is what wikipedia says:

Norfloxacin is a synthetic chemotherapeutic agent  occasionally used to treat common as well as complicated urinary tract infections.

Hmmm no not that one:

The licensed uses for norfloxacin are quite limited as norfloxacin is to be considered a drug of last resort when all other antibiotics have failed.

Side-effects include: liver failure, pancreatitis and occasionally random tendon snapping. Anyway with new antibiotics and a couple of days later im climbing a 2800m active volcano.

Huh!?

Ok well a couple of days and a soothing few hours in the hot springs and we’re both feeling capable of climbing a volcano. The volcano in question here is Villarrica which last errupted in 1971 killing two people in another town not Pucon. For those readers who are sharp you may be thinking i never asked a question. Your right, the question is Why and How are we going to climb 2000 odd metres over a glacier and up a volcano after not moving or eating for 5 days?

First off, we decided we were sick of hostels and to make ourselves feel better we checked into some fancy self-contained cottages just outside of the town centre called Cabanas Monte Verde. We also hired a beast of a car, something similar to a 1980′s civic or Puegeot .108, i say .108 because thats about all of me that could fit inside this thing. The important thing was, the cabins immediately made us feel more comfortable. Set on a hillside amongst green lawns and landscaped gardens overlooking the lake.

Our cabin:

Morning cloud rolling across the lake:

View from the top cabin:

Besides the volcano, Pucon is famous for hot springs. There are about 5 or so different hot springs within a few hours drive of Pucon. We went to 3 of them. Our favourite by a long shot was the hot springs at Geometrica Termas(GT) or Termas Geometrica whichever your preference is for order of saying things. The place is one hour drive from Pucon. Unfortunately, as for every adventure we go on, we get lost and spend 1 hour going to a “No Entrar” dirt road leading nowhere and then 2 hours getting back to find the right dirt road to go down.

Now you’re sure we’re going down the right road:

We stopped to ask for directions from the locals:

GT is an amazing place situated in a sharp small valley with a couple of “cold” waterfalls flowing into a stream and the hot springs adding to the mix. The place has no electricity so it’s all lit by candles and fires. In the main reception area we sit by a large fire and take in some home made chicken soup and apple crumble. Tasty! Then venture out into the fog to the baths.

Entrance to Termas Geometrica

Inside the reception area, outside temperature is below 10.

Change rooms on the right:

GT is made up of several ceramic tiled pools of different water temperatures from skin melting to 2nd degree burns

The first pool

The waterfall:

Walking up amongst the trees and ferns to another pool

Anyone for a shower

Relaxed. The next day we decide we should test our lack of fitness and go on one of the many walks in the national parks that surround the area.

From one of the lookouts

This photo is from about half way up, when we were told by the local fishermen that it was getting to late to make it all the way up:

The national parks in Chile are amazing, Australia could learn a lot. Firstly there are, what can be best described as, a heap of them and they all have fantastic services such as guides, well marked and constructed trails, no litter, places to stay overnight and camp and even pubs that take 2 hours to hike too.

Now, the reason most people come to Pucon, to climb Volcano Villarrica! After testing ourselves the day before on a small 2 hour hike to a pub we book our spot on a guided tour up the Volcano. This volcano is active, simply put the earth spits out hot smelly stuff at the top which is part of the attraction, not so attracting is the lack of safety features and we’re told you slip you die. Well! Up at 6am and by 7am we’re fitted out yet again with all the gear and are ready to roll. Only one problem, the Columbian guy on our tour(there’s three of us) isnt here. He rolls in 30mins late, i make jokes about how he had to powder his nose or just checking prices on kidnapbay.com for two Australians.

Our guide Al-someethingorather, we call him Big Al or Big Gay Al(he wasnt but south park quotes are funny) and the Columbian his name is Mario or Big M(like the chocmilk). M calls us team JJ and laughs, probably at the fact that blondes sell for more i dont know. Just kidding, M and BGA are great blokes well M is cracking jokes and speaking better english than our english speaking guide. It worries us “non-spanish speaking people” when they laugh and do pushing signals with their hands then point at the volcano…

Cold, late and budled into a minivan we rally drive our way up to the ski hill piercing the clouds to reveal a spectacular though windy day. We pull up at the bottom of the ski resort, during busier periods the ski lift takes visitors up the first section shortening it by an hour or so.

About 30mins from the base and the temperature is somewhere below f__king freezing

Towards the top of the ski run, burnt buildings destroyed in the the last erruption:

View from the above ruin out over Pucon, you can see the blanket of cloud we drove through:

We stop for breakfast then ascend another hour or so to the next point called Lunch

Lunch is on a spine that extends out from the glacier and yes my hair is awesome:

Big M, Jess and I, yes that’s an ipod i’m listening to. What song? Probably “falling down the mountain” by INXS. Please also note, the only person holding a pick axe is a Columbian!

After lunch it’s time to put on our crampons to ascend the glacier. The temperature somewhere near Absolutely F___king Freezing. We’re given instructions on how to walk with the crampons on and how to position our ice pick so as to stop us falling a few thousand feet if we trip over. This point on the trek is known as sh1tting yourself! The first part is up a 50-60 degree snow/ice incline. This takes 45mins to an hour. At the top, our guide tells us we’re one of the fastest groups he’s had. Probably because the Columbian is on crack cocaine and i’m now listening to some trance music.

The top of the 2nd 3rd, Jesse, Big M and Big Gay Al

The guide leaves his second backpack full of safety gear like ropes and extra crampons etc because it’s too heavy behind a rock.
A panorama from the 2/3 across Pucon:

Ok this photo shows the last 100-150 metres which takes an hour or so. This is steep the exact angle would be above 60 degrees towards “fall-n-death”. The general approach to stop you falling is to have your ice pick on the hill side of you at all times as you zig-zag up the volcano. If you fall you then dig your ice pick into the snow and hold on. Yeah right!

The last section of the climb is too steep, cold and windy to take pictures. The wind is blowing a gale, the temperature officially reaches frostbite, Jess is swearing at herself for even thinking of doing this and i’m sweating and getting rather annoyed because i’ve just been told i cant slide down the volcano because it’s too windy which is the only reason i climbed it in the first place. Yes, on a sunny non-windy slightly safer day you can slide down the top section on a mat! Awesome. We’ve just been told that we’re going to have to walk it!

We make it! The top of the volcano Villarrica. It is amazing! It is the highest peak that you can see. You feel like you’re on top of the world. You’re tired but elated and there’s also a bubbling lava spitting volcano in front of you.

The rim of the volcano, doesnt look safe basically your standing on solidfied molten lava some of which is hollow still emitting smoke. It is difficult to breathe, the sulphur stings your nostrels, throat and eyes. To get away from this we climb along the rim away from where the smoke is blowing.

Top of the world to ya:

Proof, i believe this is the spot where young skywalker fell:

The climb along the rim:

Panorama’s of the volcano:

The climb back down takes FOR E V E R! Slow inching our way back down the ice. By this time my gloves are wet from the snow meaning my hands are frozen and beginning to burn. Luckily our guide takes us down a faster route over some ski runs covered in pebble gravel.

We make it to the bottom utterly exhausted. It has been emotional! But hey i’ve climbed an active volcano have you!?

Hutch

Related posts:

1. San Martin De Los Undies
2. Deserted – San Pedro de Atacama
3. Mendo-zzzzzzzzz-a

View of a distant volcano from near the top of the Villarrica Volcano in Pucon.

Related posts:

1. Pucon ya face!