|
  | |  |
Pukka Pucon
Entry 13 of 75 | show all | print this entry |
|
So after an early flight from Santiago we arrived in Temuco which may possibly be the smallest airport we have been to so far, it´s between Temuco and Arequipa, but I think Temuco is the winner currently.
After getting our bags we needed to sort out the transportation for the next 6 days, a 4 wheel drive had been booked to handle what we had been advised were rough dirt roads around the lakes. What we weren´t expecting was to be given a Nissan Terrano 4x4 redneck, doublecab, monster truck that was absoloutely massive (Lauren W - you would have been proud - we could have had a tail-gate party), and dwarfed Helen in the drivers seat.
After a thorough briefing from the guy at Budget rent a monster truck, which included letting us know we were fully insured for any accident, unless we drove for over 100 miles on a flat tyre, or even better if we rolled the thing we were liable for the first $1,500 !!!! We set of on our 4x4 adventure.
In fact the roads down to Pucon (our first stop) were very good, we headed down the Panamerican highway and then down the 199 to Villarrica for a lunch stop.
Villarrica reminded us of a Swiss Alpine Village sitting on a pristine blue lake, it was very ¨wooden chalet¨ like and you really could have been at any alpine ski resort in the summer, bar the towering,
smoking volcano (Volcan VIllarica) in the background, this really was impressive.
After getting over the views of Volcan Villarrica looming over us we found a lakefront cafe to sit down and eat at. The lady running it was most helpful and even had some local guys explain the menu in english for us, so Helen settled for a cheese and ham toastie (ever the adventurous), where-as I decided I needed to try something more local again and settled for a "combinacion" as recommended by the two guys. We really were not sure what was in my dish, it looked like mashed up maize (sweetcorn), some type of fish and potato all wrapped in sweetcorn leaves and steamed. I was then brought a sugar bowl and told to sprinkle this liberally over the mash before consumption, and add picante to taste, it was all very bizarre but was okay to eat and was certainly filling.
With lunch over we needed to carry on to our final destination and set off for Pucon, the volcano growing in size as we got nearer and nearer.
Again, Pucon is very much like a Swiss Alpine town, lots of wooden buildings and lodges (cabanas), the main street lined with restaunts with decking areas so you can sit back and watch the world go by whilst enjoying the backdrop of the snowcapped volcano, all very civilised and definitely us. One thing we did notice on our drive in was the number of flowers that were outside each hotel, shop and house
(Maud tells me they were hydragenas).
We checked in to our Hotel (Kernayel), staying in the main lodge with cabanas out in the back and a pool in between, which was fairly nice with good sized rooms and about a 20 minute stroll into town. We then set off back into town to book our hike up the volcano the following day with Trancura which we didn´t think was a bad price at $80 each including all the equipment. We then headed back to the pool for a well earned dip and also to cool off, as it was about 30 degrees.
That evening we went to a good resteraunt (Mamas & Tapas) as recommended by Lonely Planet, and had some fajitas and brochettes (meat skewers) which were delicious and so big we couldn´t finish. Fully satisfied what better than to hit another casino (remember this is Maud´s Around the World in 80 casinos tour) and try our luck at funding our trip on winnings on the tables. In fact we didn´t to to bad, doubling up our $100 stakes each but finally retuning to the hotel at around 2 a.m., not so good when you have a 7:30 a.m. start the following morning.
The next morning neither of us were feeling too great and this time it wasn´t the drink (we had only had a glass of wine each the previous evening and had been drinking soft drinks in the casino), we both had very bad stomach cramps and weren´t looking forward to the hike ahead. Fortunately when we arrived at the hiking shop we were told we couldn´t climb the volcano that day due to high winds, so we headed back to the hotel and slept until midday, feeling a little better when we got up.
That afternoon we decided to go and check out a couple of local waterfalls and also check out Maud´s 4x4 driving skills, we set of down a dirt track and arrived safely if a little jolted at the waterfalls.
The first one we went to look at was very impressive with a sort of double tier and plenty of spray to ensure we got thoroughly soaked. We then thought it would be a good idea to hike (in training for the volcano ascent) to the next set of falls, Salto Puma, which was only 600 metres away according to the sign. After about an hours hike uphill we finally arrived at the entrance to the park informing us that it was another 1 1/2 hours walk to the waterfall, do not believe anything that Chilean road signs tell you !! Too knackered and thirsty (it was still 30 degrees) to be bothered with the extra 1 1/2hrs hike we decended rapidly to get some cold drinks and drive to the next falls Salto Diablo. Again these falls were impressive, we got some good pictures and enjoyed the cold spray from waterfall but weren´t brave enough to have a dip in the pool,
but I was pretty close to falling in after going out on the log to get a picture.
That evening we decided to go out earlier and try to do some blogging at a cafe with free WiFi whilst having a few drinks, that didn´t really happen (and is one of the reasons we are behing on blogging) as they had wireless but at 11 mps. So pretty much gave up on that idea and had some sushi and a few drinks instead.
With a loss at what to do next, the casino seemed our best option seeing as we had won the previous night. We headed over and had a really good night, Helen had forgotten her losing ways in Lima and won big on a poker type game and that night we walked away with about $600 profit, which is even more impressive when they give you the big European style chips, basically those big coloured slabs like in Casino Royale, yay for Maud the winner !!!
We did finish earlier that night as well in anticipation of the Volcano hike the following morning, and that is were I am signing off as it´s time for Maud to write some of this blog and knowing how much she enjoyed the Volcano hike it seems fitting that she should write it.
On a final note, I think Pucon has probably been our favourite places so far, alongside Cusco. It´s definitely a cool, laid back travellers town, with plenty of activities (we could have also done rafting, canopy, kayaking, thermal baths, windsurfing, canyoning etc...), plus a good selection of eating places and nightlife. All this with amazing scenery and nature around you and not overly expensive, if you´re in the area we recommend you take a look.
Hola, so here´s the tale of the volcano climbs....one of the things that was high on my "to do" list before we left England.
We headed to the Trancura office for 7.30am and again it looked like the winds were against us but by 8am the guides had decided that we would be ok to go. We were kitted out with all of the gear necessary, and one of my first thoughts as I was handed gaiters, crampons, helmet and an ice axe was that I would be upholding the Potter side of my family tree and heading off on an exciting adventure.
The drive to the volcano was fairly rough up a dirt track road and we parked at the bottom of the ski lift only to realise that due to the wind it wasn´t operational as they hadn´t got overhead safetybars installed, so we had an extra 600m to climb - great ! From the town the base of the volcano doesn´t look that steep but we were soon to realise that it was more like climbing a sand dune than going up stairs so it was double the effort. When we booked for the climb they had us sign a waiver (as with all activities where you might die) but there was no mention of how tough it was actually going to be. Our guide Yvonne did a good job of keeping everyones spirits up especially mine as a couple of the blokes and one of the girls with us were above average fitness and keeping quite a pace.
It took us about 1 1/2hrs to get to the top of the ski lift and then the 4 hour ascent was to really begin. Needless to say I was more than a bit tired by this point but determined to see the top.
The next stage started with a quick lesson of what to do when you find yourself tumbling down an ice sheet and need to stop - both hands around the top of the axe, ram it into the snow/ice and pray. That understood we continued. The show was fairly soft and patchy so for the next couple of hours we zig-zagged across snow, ice and ash and then stopped for something to eat. We were ordered to eat chocolate (no problem with that) and drink lots of water. Then the real "fun" began and the next couple of hours of my life were the most terrifying I have had. It was made all the worse by an Irish girl in the group ahead of us losing her footing and rolling about 150ft down a very (I would say almost black run) steep area of snow. She lost her ice axe and was caught by our guides. No idea where she got her resolve from but she had a few minutes and then headed back up to join her group and complete the ascent.
At this point we could see the top but it was scary to look up at how far we had to go, even worse to look down to see how steep the snow sheet was we were on and so my eyes were transfixed on the pair of boots of the person in front of me. It really didn´t look like it was going to be that steep from Pucon and I had the serious shakes. The worse thing was trying to decide which was the better option - it was frightening to go up further but the thought of going back down the same way was even worse - I just left my brain to deal with the getting down part later.
We plodded onwards and upwards clinging to my ice axe as that was all that would save me if I lost my footing. By this point Alex was getting a bit fed up as it was hard work and monotonous (and he will admit he was also very scared - this was as extreme as we have done). We were all just looking at the feet in front of us the views were amazing but we were all afraid to look.
The last 30 minutes were back to ash and volcanic rock and we had to be very careful not to send rocks hurtling onto the heads of the people below (hence the nice helmets). Reaching the top was amazing as we reached the summit and peered over into the crater.
I hadn´t expected the lava to be quite so noisy bubbling away in the depths below and the effect of the gasses as you tried to breathe wasn´t particularly nice either !
We spent some time at the top getting the pictures we had worked so hard for. We were then kitted out for teh descent. Which meant putting on all of the waterproof clothing we were provided with plus a nappy type thing made of very thick cotton. We then descended the top section of ash and had a lesson in "getting down the mountain on your backside using your ice axe to steer, brake and stop". All I was thinking then was "oh my God - I´m about to head down a Black Run on my bum with an ice axe" !!!
It turns out that this is the usual way climbers get down the volcano and this method has been used so often there are luge runs in the snow that twist and turn so it´s not so steep. The first one was a bit icy and it was hard to brake with the ice axe so we all ended in a heap at the bottom. The rest of the volcano was in about 6 sections and we were all starting to quite enjoy it.
We got back to the bus about 5pm, exhausted but so proud of ourselves. I felt an amazing sense of acheivement that I had completed the climb - definitley an item ticked off the to do list. Not sure I would do it again though....
That evening we headed out for a bowl of pasta and a few beers ready to head to Puerto Varas the next day. There´s another nice Volcano there but I think climbing one is enough for this week....
Latest Comments (8)
|
Monster Truck! (reply)
Feb 8, 2008 21:39 EST by lozza76
For $1500 I would have rolled it!
Well done on the volcano climb, sounds like a nightmare.
|
|
Snow!!!! (reply)
Feb 5, 2008 11:58 EST by snotface
Why does everyone get snow apart from me!!! I like snow!!!
That motor is a total beast!!!! Only slightly better than the smart car though hehehe, although I recon Maude is a better driver than me, I ended up doing a 180 spin in the smart car!!! I was well impressed!!!
Have you guys got pressure sores on your bum from sliding all that way? I'm just glad Alex didn't rip his pants l... show all
|
|
|
Weave trim! (reply)
Feb 4, 2008 14:05 EST by grayanddan
I dont supose you asked the guy hairdresser if he used Salons Direct? From the pics it looks like your having an amazing time, far from the boring lives of us back here in cold and miserable England! Nice moves getting stuck on the roof, did Mr Hughes shout at you?? Mia is crawling now and you cant leave her anywhere...little monster! Have fun you two, D&G and baby Mia x
|
|
The day you went up a mountain (reply)
Feb 3, 2008 11:04 EST by alirich
Hi Guys
Glad you are having a fab time. Am very impressed that Strongbow is so freely available throughout the world. Am also pleased that all of mine and Helen's mountaining experience in Bangor has been put to good use!
Rich is very envious of the worldwide poker tour!
Keep up the posts, they are brill - and the photos too.
Loads of love
Mr and Mrs E
|
|
|
Top of the world!!! (reply)
Feb 2, 2008 13:14 EST by sparklybarkly
Wow!! It looks absolutely amazing!! What a fantastic thing to be look back on when you come home. The spirit of Uncle Jack lives on!!!! How are you going to top this one?
Looking forward to the next Blog. BFN Mum xxx
|
|
|
Viva Volcanos! (reply)
Feb 1, 2008 16:18 EST by hhails
What an amazing achievement! Your photos are incredible and I am green with envy. I'm also delighed you are having such a wonderful time. Truly a trip of a lifetime. Stay safe, have lots of fun and blog soon!
Heather x
|
|
|
Going up in the World (reply)
Feb 1, 2008 14:29 EST by therickards
Well done to you both, Uncle Bernard will be proud of you and just a bit envious I suspect.
Another set of fabulous photos.
The Rental people had obviously heard about your driving style and decided not to take a risk with one of their 'Quality' vehicles!!
Dad.
|
|
|
Going up in the World (reply)
Feb 1, 2008 14:29 EST by therickards
Well done to you both, Uncle Bernard will be proud of you and just a bit envious I suspect.
Another set of fabulous photos.
The Rental people had obviously heard about your driving style and decided not to take a risk with one of their 'Quality' vehicles!!
Dad.
|
 Post a new comment |
|
If you like this entry, search for other entries from Chile or try a new search. |
| |
Back to Entry - Back to Home
|
2 votes 
