Starts at :

• Puerto Varas, 9:00 am

Ends at:

• Puerto Varas, 18:30 pm

Location:

• Volcán Calbuco, Reserva Natural Llanquihue, Lake District, South of Chile.

Difficulty level:

• If we reach the viewpoint, it is easy-medium,1.5 hours one way - Reach to the refuge is medium-high, 3.30 hours one way, depending on the pace and weather conditions.

Duration:

• 8-9 hours in total, 1.10 hours drive from Pto Varas or 40 minutes from Pto Montt to the park.

Programme:

• Although the trails remained without anyone going there, they are clear and safe with a professional trekking guide. A full-day trekking excursion to this special volcano because of its live scenery going on along the Rio Blanco river. Luckily, the ancient forest with 3,000-year-old trees and the Alerce (Fitzroya cupressoides) are still green, alive and healthy, as well as other giant tress-like coigues. We will pick you up at your hotel in Puerto Varas or Puerto Montt, drive to Puerto Montt and take the road southwards, enjoying the views of the Reloncaví sound and its amazing colours! After 1-hour drive along the rural landscape, we start the walk at 300 meters (984 feet) asl at the shore of Río Blanco. The trail starts to ascend the Volcano Calbuco, going through the last lahar of the eruption in 2015. Your guide will explain how this happened and why. There is a truly brutal landscape just in front of us, going deeper into the millenary woods. After a 1.30-hour walk, we begin to see old larches and arrive at the viewpoint where we can have lunch and rest with the Calbuco Volcano in front of us. If the weather is good enough to continue, we will carry on to the refuge at 1,000 meters (3280 feet) above sea level. The last section is very steep and enclosed by ancient larches and spectacular unspoiled vegetation of the Valdivian Forest. Views from Puerto Montt and the Pacific Ocean even!

Timing and distance: 8 kilometres to walk one way or 5 miles, 1.30 hours to the viewpoint and 1.30 hours walk more up to the refuge, 2.30 hours down back to the car park.