Villarrica National Park
Chile
Pucon was one of our favourite towns in Chile. It was far less hectic than Puerto Varas but still had numerous restaurants, shops and touristy stuff to keep us entertained. The black sand beach on the shore of Lake Villarrica didn’t entice us much, but the mountain and volcano backdrop was breathtaking. It was the perfect place to unwind each afternoon after a long day of hiking.
Pichillancahue Glacier
Distance: 27 km
Hiking Time: 6:44 hr
Ascent: 1,475 m
Photos of Pichillancahue Glacier online displayed people standing inside blue-tinted ice caves and in front of otherworldly icy formations, and I was keen to see these for myself. We drove as far as we could down a gravel road before it deteriorated into a state that our rental car company wouldn’t appreciate. From there we walked almost 5 km up the deserted, shady road through a forest to the trailhead. Towards the end of the road we began spotting the famed araucaria trees, also known as monkey puzzle trees (an odd name given there are no monkeys in this part of Chile). They were very distinctive, looking like a cross between a pine and a palm tree. Observing all the weird shapes and sizes they came in provided a welcome distraction from the monotony of the road.
The beginning of the trail continued up through the woodland on a narrow path. Monkey puzzle trees abounded, shooting high into the air above the shorter trees with less interesting names. After 1 km the all trees suddenly disappeared, leaving us staring at grey hills streaked with snow. It was a straightforward route to traverse, the only slight challenge coming when the solid ground was replaced with alternating sections of scree and snow. Beside us, a river continually disappeared then reappeared from under the ice, while in the distance the smooth, white dome of Villarrica Volcano slowly came into view.
At the end of the marked trail, all we could see was a wall of ice far ahead of us. We hiked all the way up to the wall, searching for the cool natural features that everyone else took selfies next to. There was nothing. No caves, no tunnels, nothing blue except a slight tinge inside a melting puddle of snow. No matter how far we explored, all we saw were flat white surfaces. The only thing we could put it down to was that the glacial shapes were possibly a winter phenomenon, and the relative heat of summer had caused everything to melt. Even though the hike itself was pleasant enough, in the end we were fairly disappointed. On the upside, we had the entire place to ourselves all day.
We returned to the start of the trail then walked 20 minutes further down the road to the next trail, Mirador Los Volcanes. Monkey puzzle trees had returned, their trunks covered in tufts of light green moss. The start of the path twisted along a river through a stunning, light-filled forest. Once we crossed over the water, the hike quickly became more strenuous. The switchbacks snaked sharply uphill, instantly causing our quads to burn. It was like this for an eternity before we emerged onto a scree-covered slope that led up to the official mirador. On each side of the viewpoint was a sign labelling the multitude of volcanoes we should have been gazing at, but all we saw were clouds. Even though the sun was shining and there was a decent amount of blue sky overhead, puffs of white lined the horizon, blocking the view of every single volcano. If it was clear, the sight would have been fantastic. Right now, not so much. I guess luck wasn't on our side today.
Villarrica Volcano
Distance: 9 km
Hiking Time: 4:40 hr
Ascent: 1,600 m
Villarrica, standing at 2,860 m, is the most active volcano in Chile. It last erupted in 2015, resulting in the evacuation of over 3,000 people. Climbing to its summit seemed like the perfect adventure for Christmas Day. With a forecast top of 37 degrees and cloudless skies, it didn't feel that different to Christmas in Australia, except that we would be at the snow. We couldn't wrap our heads around that one.
When we woke up the wind was howling outside, making us nervous about how wild the conditions would be on the mountain. We thought we'd be the only people crazy enough to sign up for this trip on Christmas Day, but our group consisted of 15 people plus 6 guides, and there were several groups before and after us. So much for a quiet trek.
The first 90 minutes had us panting up a scree slope, plodding along at a solid pace with almost no breaks. Unsurprisingly, the wind was horrendous. It alternated between a headwind and a crosswind, causing me to stagger across the path like a drunk person. Thankfully we had been given a trekking pole each (just one), which was the only thing keeping me upright and moving forward at times. I was hating it, and had to fight the urge to turn around and go back to the car. On a regular day, it was possible to take the cable car partway up the slope, but it wasn't running today due to the holiday. If it had been operating, I would have been first in line.
When the scree met the snow, we pulled on our crampons and started zigzagging up the well-trodden ice. I very much appreciated that the crampons held me firmly to the ground when the stronger gusts came through. As the snow was already softened by the heat of the day, the trek was much easier than anticipated. While distant volcanoes and lakes came into sight behind us, we found ourselves staring at a disused wooden chapel halfway up the slope. It seemed like a strange place to build a church. Gradually the wind subsided, and I could finally begin to enjoy myself.
Fifteen minutes before the summit, we dumped our backpacks and carried only a camera, hiking pole, ice axe and gas mask (it's really that active). Although the terrain was much steeper, it was entirely manageable. The sulphur dioxide fumes began to waft over us on the way up, irritating our throats. Before we knew it we were standing on the rim, staring down at the small plumes of smoke wafting out of the crater floor far below us. We all quickly placed the gas masks over our nose and mouth, but this did nothing to stop my eyes from watering. The view around us displayed numerous other volcanoes, snow-capped mountains and blue lakes, and that was only from the side we were standing on. Who knew what the opposite side of Villarrica held. The sky was perfectly clear and, remarkably, there wasn't a breath of wind around.
Twenty minutes later we made the return journey to our packs, where we dressed in full body suits to prepare us for the next stage. What is the fastest way to descend a volcano? Sliding. Attached to each of us was a flimsy plastic board that we sat on to help glide our way down the slope. There were a series of well made channels for us to follow, each lasting a minute or two before we had to walk over to the next one. All we had to do was stay upright. Our momentum picked up quickly, and our ice axe was the sole braking system at our disposal (it was only somewhat effective). From the first second Danny and I were both in hysterics as we flew down the ice. There were twists, turns, dips and bumps the entire way, giving us an experience somewhere between a water slide and a toboggan. Speed was difficult to control, and we continually ran into the back of others and they ran into us. I flipped over sideways a couple of times, and at the end of one slide I comically arrived headfirst on my back. On several occasions we jumped off the chute and formed our own path, somehow always ending up where we were supposed to be. I almost died with laughter when I saw Danny fly off the track, overtake 2 people, then return to the track, all of it out of his control. It was the most extreme fun we had experienced in a long time, and we couldn’t wipe the smiles off our faces. I would do it again in a heartbeat if it didn't first require a 4-hour walk up a volcano.
In winter and spring, you can slide all the way back to the car park. Now it was summer, we had to endure a half our walk to the van in the searing heat. The whole expedition was completely different to anything we had ever undertaken, and it was an unforgettable way to celebrate Christmas Day.
