Here you can find out more about Chile's volcanoes...
Over the next few days, we explore the area and actually find the picture-book Patagonia of eternal gravel roads, lakes and glaciers. The road towards Villa Cerro Castillo is a good starting point for day trips and we enjoy the bamboo-free terrain, although the peaks remain cloudy. After just under a week, we set off again and drive back north, this time on the Chilean side of the Andes. The Carretera Austral is almost completely free of the achievements of modern road construction. In a surprising display of linguistic eloquence, Jeff compares driving to a computer game: the aim is to overcome potholes, muddy streams and other adversities - preferably without causing major damage to the budget rental car, which has been converted into an off-road vehicle.
It's slowly becoming spring and I let Jeff persuade me to head for a few Chilean volcanoes. At the border, 3 policemen with 3 dogs search our backpacks for smuggled fruit for half an hour and only reluctantly let us through after we explain to them that we are "snow trekking" and therefore occasionally carry food in our backpacks. It's possible that the dogs smell ancient cheese bread particles and therefore attack - we guiltily admit to a certain carelessness in the use of aluminum foil and sandwich paper.
To the Puyehue volcano
We opt for an afternoon hike through the rainforest to Refugio El Caulle, a simple hut at the foot of the cone of Volcán Puyehue. Unlike many other popular ski volcanoes, the Puyehue has a very large crater into which you can ski. The lines are short, but the crater experience is truly unique and it is not for nothing that the mountain has recently become very popular with international film crews, who put up with bad weather and the arduous ascent even if it means only half a day with good visibility for a shoot.
Tourist volcano Villarica
We then drive to Pucón and climb the Volcán Villarica. The easy classic attracts skiers as well as tourists who storm the summit armed with a mountain guide and mountaineering equipment. We marvel at groups who stumble over their completely unnecessary crampons on the ascent and complete the descent on small plastic sledges. As a child, I had a similar vehicle for the hill behind the house and usually ended up in the hedge or the house wall due to its unmanageability. We keep our distance and, after a very short rest at the top, flee from the sulphur fumes back down into the valley.
At the end of my two months in South America, which have once again passed far too quickly, I spend a few more days at Refugio Frey. Anton, the junior boss of the highly recommended cat skiing provider Ski Arpa in Chile, is also at the hut to recover from the ski season on a short ski vacation. With him and his buddy Jesse, I develop a pleasant routine of one or two morning couloirs and then roasting in the sun. That's the way to live - the next trip to Argentina is already being planned...
Text and photos: Lea Hartl
