Pucon

In the weekend we took a trip down to Pucon (10 hours south from Santiago), where we saw lakes and waterfalls, hiked up a volcano, did rafting, and relaxed in hotsprings. It was a weekend filled with lots of activities and we all had a great time! Being down south I felt I was in Norway again. The nature, lakes, trees, mountains and snow.. it was beautiful.

Lake Caburgua 

When we started hiking up the volcano, the weather was perfect! But as we walked more and more up, the weather changed and it became cloudy, windy and cold. At some points it was so cloudy that we could not see anything. And just before we would reach the top, it was clear sky again, giving us all hopes that we could actually manage to get up and have a great view. But then the weather again changed, leaving us no choice but to go down. It was not possible to see anything, and the guides said it would be too dangerous to go to the top. We were at 2600m when we had to go back down, only 200 meters from the top.. It was quite a dissapointment for me, as we were so close to reach the top of the volcano. And after having walked for 5 hours and 30 minutes, with no energy left and my legs and knees hurting so much, I know I would still somehow have found energy for the 200 meters steep way up to the top. 

But we talked to people that went up just before the weather turned bad, and they could not see anything on the top. So basically, we saw the same things (or nothing). 

All in all, it was an amazing experience, and it's incredible that we actully hiked up an active volcano! The way down was much easier, as we were given plastic bum sledge sliders, so we could slide down fast and safe. That was awesome and so much fun!!

Volcano Villarrica. 2847m

Almost at the top, with still good weather

Then the weather suddenly changed and we had to turn and go back down

Some of the view from the volcano. Lake Villarrica

On our way back to Santiago, we stopped by at Salto del Laja to see this amazing waterfall!