We woke up at 6.30 am for our trek up the active Volcan Villarrica. We arrived at the base (1200m) at around 7.30 / 8 am and it was bloody freezing! Liv and I took the chair lift up the first bit and started walking from there (1800m). It was pretty hard, especially closer to the top where it was really windy and very steep. That bit was quite scary as the wind was almost blowing me off the mountain! We had crampons and ice piks and all! We arrived at the summit at about 12 / 1 pm. It was very smoky and toxic! If the wind blew the smoke in your direction it was terrible. It stung your throat and eyes alot. I peaked down into the crater without getting blown in but I thought we would be able to see lava. Apparently the lava is 80 km below the crater!!
Then it was time to go down, we walked down for a few hundred metres, then it was time to put on this protective diaper like apparel and slide down on the snow! If you were lucky you could go fast and use your boots and ice pik to slow you down. It was so much fun! We slide down about 5 sections, the last part we slide down on these giant rubber spoon looking things (big enough for one person). Not sure why we used those at that point. The bottom of the volcano, we walked down, it was full of volcano ash, sand stuff and we could litterally slide down standing up! We got to bottom and headed back to Pucon around 4pm where we were given a well deserved beer!
I have never been so tired! I´m off to bed now as I have a 10 am bus to Puerto Montt tomorrow.
Night Night xxx
That sounds very exciting and I want to hear more about it. However just now I will concentrate on your question about Torres del Paine.
ReplyDeleteFirstly the National Park is open all year round, although the best time to visit is between Octber and April. Make sure you wear warm clothes!!
I ggogled it and went on the web site www.torresdelpaine.com
All the info you need is there.
You can get there by bus. there are 4 bus companies:
Viaterra (56.61) 241182
Buses Frenandez (56.61) 221429
Buses Pacheco (56.61) 225527
Bus-Sur (56.61) 227145
It is 2300km from Puerto Montt to Puerto Natales and the entry gates are 115km from there.
The buses go on the Argentinean side and it takes more than a day.
You can get there by boat from Puerto Montt to Puerto Natales. It sounds so much better. "Navimag" vessels only sail on Monday at 2 pm and arrive at 11 am on Thursday.
The fee to get in is 15,000 chilean pesos, about US$28 and you can stay as long as you like.
It seems to be a fantastic place...must see!!
Go on the web site and check it out.
Hope you make it there (please read the key facts!! Very important!)
Lots of kisses from the 3 of us! (Emma-Jane is on the train back to Lyon and no doubt she will go on line before the day is over!)
xxxxxxx
I've left a few comments on several pages yes...
ReplyDeleteAnd I found some of the info you were asking about but it seems that papa beat me to it and was more thorough!
Sliding down a volcano sounds surreal!
thank u.. but i kno its open all year round.. but apparently its closed bcos of bad weather or something.. i dont know everyone says differently down here.
ReplyDeletewe were going to take navimag down today but it was too expensive 435$ one way so we´re busing it down. (it actually leaves on fridays, but was delayed til sunday (today) cos of bad weather)
so were going to do:
p.montt to bariloche (arg) to el calafate (where we´ll see the moving glacier :) yay) then back over to chile to torres del paine hopefully.
wooohh..that is so cool.whilst reading your blog lol i could just picture you walking up the volcano in those conditions!!!bloody hardcore!but very interesting, what an experience it must have been..can't wait to read whatz coming next : D
ReplyDeleteohhh : (... i miss you so much angelique!!! xxx sophia