In the last couple days here in Pucon, Chile we have been learning and exploring Volcan Villarica. It has been pretty rainy and cold recently so we had to brainstorm ideas for activities we could do around the area since the rivers aren’t up. We came up with taking a cave tour at the base of the Volcan. For a couple bucks you can be guided through the most recent underground lava flow tunnels. Before the tour they instruct you on the history and science behind chilean volcanoes and Volcan Villarica. We discovered that there are more than 5000 volcanoes in Chile and that Chile is the 2nd most active site of volcanoes in the world.
The next day Tamara and I along with a couple staying at the Pucon Kayak Hostel ascended the volcano after looking up at it for so long. We went with a local tour agency in town that outfitted us with all the gear we needed including pants, crampons, mittens, helmet, and an ice axe. We had an amazing break in the weather allowing us to experience some great views although you can only hang out on the top for a couple minutes before the toxic sulfur gets into your lungs making it hard to breathe. We then slid most of the way down the volcano using our ice picks as brakes. The hike us took just about all day making us pretty exhausted by the end of it all.
