Travelled through the Argentian Lake District, a beautiful affluent area, consisting of seven lakes each a different colour and all very beautiful. We crossed into Chile for our final time and head to Pucon. We set camp up at La Poza Campsite where we are staying for the New Year.
31.12.12 New Years Eve
Happy Birthday to Rebecca, have a lovely day x
It's New Years Eve and we are collected and driven to the base of Volcano Villerrica having collected our equipment which consists of a rucksack containing,gators, helmet, ice pick, over trousers, jacket and mittens. This all looks a bit serious but what else is there to do. The volcano is 2847 m high, is active and general pushes out black smoke, sulphur and occasionally a few odd bits of lava.
It is a very murky morning, drizzling rain and total cloud cover, we're not sure if the trek will be on. Equipment checked we start the climb which usually lasts for about 4 to 5 hours, but could terminate at any time. Our first bit of good news is that the lower section chair lift is working so we can save about 45 mins, but the weather is not looking good, they haven't been up for the last two days. Geoff and I get the chairlift and are whisked away into the murkiness. Ten minutes later we are at the foot of Villerrica. Crampons and mittens donned we start the slow steady ascent. We get into a nice rhythm, seems endless but we make good progress. All of a sudden after a couple of hours we pop out above the clouds into clear blue sky's and bright sunshine, amazing. We dig snow seats, rucksacks in and sit on them ready for a drink and a sandwich. We are half way, the scenery fantastic but starting to get cold and eager to move on. It is very beautiful but eerily so, deathly quiet with the occasional ice cold wind coming at you from all angles. We plod on, one behind the other specks on the volcano side. The steps are getting smaller, breaks more frequent but the knowledgeable guides are urging you on. A fair percentage of the trekkers drop out along the way. We hit the final section which is particularly steep and the snow has an ice cover making it harder to keep your footing. The wind gets up again, you dig in every step but now we are within 45 mins of the summit. The pace increases and I get a second wind immediately behind the guide. As we approach we get a whiff of sulphur as the volcano belches out some smoky steam. We arrive at the lip of the crater, we've made it. The view is utterly astonishing as the clouds play hide and seek with the forests and lakes below. It is quite an emotional moment for us all achieving this goal. Back packs off we get as close as we dare to the craters edge. A particular large dust cloud fires out to whoops of laughter........What's funny!
Twenty minutes later, photographs taken, we kit up and head back down. This first section is tough going as the top layer of ice has turned rock solid. We approach a steep section and are called to a halt, instructed to take off the crampons and remove a round plastic seat with handle, and a set of nylon over pants from the rucksack. We received instruction how to use the ice pick as a brake. There are faint runnels resembling a toboggan course and what followed over the next two hours was a combination of exhilaration, sheer fear and total madness as we careered down the volcano at breakneck speeds, cheering, shouting, singing, laughing and generally acting like plonkers, it was brilliant. It was incredible. There were spectacular crashes, head over heels acrobatics, mid air collisions, high speed.....how no one got injured I'll never know. We ended a thoroughly brilliant day with an ice cold beer :)
Back at camp I was part of the cook group for that evening. We had an amazing meal of half a lamb, whole beef fillet and pork fillet, piles of potatoes and vegetables washed down with a lovely Malbec. Midnight arrived, local fireworks, we wished each other Happy New Year and on that note I wish you all a very Happy New Year and all the very best for 2013. Certainly here in Chile it's got off to a fantastic start.
Adios
Tony x x x
1. A photo of Volcano Vilerrica from the lake near the campsite.
2. Vilerrica from Pucon, weather very hot.
3. Starting the climb
4. A welcome site, the chair lift is working, saving us about 45 mins
5. Geoff and I safely aboard.
6. Disappearing into the mist
7. Geared up ready to go
8. Eerie place
9. Sun starting to make a breakthrough
10. We pop out above the clouds
11. Just about see the forests below
12. Handsome devil, blooming cold
13. Onwards, no time for stopping now
14. Celebration on reaching the summit, another volcano in the background
15. Concho by the lip of the volcano
16. Volcano suddenly gives off steamy sulphur
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