Lava Me Now or Lava Me Not

After nearly a week of waiting out the rain and the wind, we got the perfect day for climbing a volcano. Our group of six got picked up at 6:30am by the guide, Mauricio, just as the rising sun began to silouhette Villarica (also known as Rucapillán). We drove to the base of the ski resort (yes, a ski resort on a live volcano), where we put on most of our gear and got on a chairlift to skip an hour's worth of hiking up loose volcanic sand. Yes, it sounds lazy, but I don't regret it one bit. Once off the lift, we put on our crampons, equipped ourselves with icepicks and started our climb up the ice and snow.

Since the weather hasn't let many people attempt this climb, it seems like the whole town was on the volcano. Initially, we were in a long line of climbers, zigzagging in the cold across the face of the mountain. Not to brag, but I definitely looked like the most legitimate climber due to my beard. Once we had space, Mauricio took us off the main path and relieved the clausterphobia. The first two hours of hiking went smoothly, as we had a good rhythm and enjoyed the amazing vistas. Beneath us were the towns of Pucón and Villarica and Villarica Lake and the surrounding green hills, and in the horizon we could see two more snowcapped volcanoes, Quetrupillán and Lanín.

 

Starting out

 

  

  

 

Views from our first lookout point

 

 Bad icepick form

At this point, the peak looked fairly close and we all assumed we'd be there in thirty minutes. Then our guide told us it would be another two hours to the summit. I guess the total whiteness of the mountain messes with depth perception. Thirty minutes later, Magge was struggling to keep up. You guessed it: blisters. Another thirty minutes, and she had to stop to get bandaged and put on an extra pair of socks. The process took a while, so the guide decided to take the rest of the group up while Hernán, the assistant guide, worked on Magge. He asked me if I wanted to go with his group, or stay with Magge, with the warning that if she needed to turn back with Hernán, I would also have to go back. Did I want to risk missing out on the peak or a scorned wife? The fact that I'll be in close quarters with Magge for another nine months was the deciding factor in my staying behind.

I look like a natural

Smiling through the pain

Blisters bandaged, we got back on the trail. I soon realized that something was wrong with Magge beyond her troublesome heels; she was struggling to stay upright and I could hear her cry in pain every ten steps. By the time we were about to attempt our final push, she finally disclosed that her right knee was in pain. Keeping consistent with one of the themes of this trip, she fought through it and made it to the peak.

Views from the top

While Magge sat and rested, I scrambled through the noxious gases (sulfur and chlorine being the most prevalent) to try to get a good look at the crater. I've never smelled anything like it before. The fumes smelled like a mixture of salt and vinegar chips and death, and prevented me from lingering too long at the crater's edge. I snapped a few pictures, failed at seeing any lava, and met back up with the group. Mauricio told me the lava level has fallen in the past few years, and can only been seen by flying over the crater.

I probably took a couple of years off my life to get these pictures by the crater

Again, the group split up, with Mauricio taking the healthy climbers down and Hernán taking Magge and me. Magge's knee had worsened to the point where she could barely bend it, and she could barely limp along. Luckily for us, Hernán did an incredible job of helping her down. Even more luckily for us, after an initial hike from the crater, the descent consisted mostly of sliding down the snow on our butts, which was as fun as it sounds.

 

Quick descent

Nearly nine hours after we were picked up, we got back to our hostel and celebrated with a few glasses of beer. Most beer on this continent is terrible, but after the climb today, anything would have tasted good.

If anyone is ever in Pucón and wants to climb Villarica, we both highly recommend Paredon.  We couldn't have asked for anything more out of a guide, and I was very impressed with the way they took care of Magge.

Villarica, with chairlifts