In Pucon we had definitely arrived in another tourist-centric town, but a lovely one.  Its lakeside setting with black sand beach and the backdrop of Villarrica Volcano is gorgeous, and there are tons of outdoor activities and adventures, relaxing thermal pools nearby and a heady mix of restaurants and bars for after a long day is over.

In Mapuche the volcano is known as Rucapillán, which means House of Spirit, and it´s the most active in Chile.  Our outing was with a professional, French owned outfit called Aguaventura, who specialize in rafting and all kinds of adrenaline adventures.  Our guides, Ruben, Joaquin and Felipe were encouraging and informative during the long hike up.  It seemed to us that the first part, before we got to the snow line, was the most difficult.  It was both steep and even tougher because of the small, loose volcanic rock and dirt underfoot.  When we got to the snow, the route became even more steep, and we had to be very sure of our footing by stepping in the tracks of those who went ahead of us.  For me it was one of the hardest treks I´ve done, at least lately.  I have a bit of a chest cold, and the altitude and exertion were killer.  I seriously thought I might not make it, at least without my heart or lungs exploding somewhere along the way.

After just under five hours of climbing, (with a couple of short breaks) we reached the top!  Even with all we´ve seen, it´s hard to think of a more beautiful view.  We were above the clouds, with snow all around, other volcanic peaks in the distance and green trees and lakes far below.  We had a walk around the top of the crater.  It was booming that day, with more activity than usual.  It was scary to think of lava bubbling away down that hole.  The toxic fumes made us breathe through our cuffs, but we got a few great pics.

We suited up in snow pants and jackets, a butt-protector, a plastic sled and helmet for the way back down.  There were tracks to follow (though sometimes speed got the best of us and we got off-road for a minute or two) and we controlled our speed using our ice picks.  What a blast!  It took a little time to refine my technique, but soon I was jetting down like a pro (see video!)   The long walk up was more than worth the magic of being at the top and the pure joy of the way back down.  Back in town we sat around and shared a congratulatory beer with the guides on the rooftop deck.  We enjoyed our chat, as it had been one of the first times we´d really sat down and really talked to some folks at length here in Chile.  We´re feeling more and more like we needed MUCH more time here, and are already talking about must-sees for a future trip!

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