The Falling Sky
Patagonia
05 CHAPTER
OSORNO
VOLCANO
PUERTO VARAS
Puerto Varas was our transit point, or rather a place where we decided to regain our strength, after a very exhausting trek at Torres Del Pine (read in more details here). This charming town located next to three snow-capped volcanoes: Osorno, Calbuco and Puntiagudo, on the shores of the picturesque Lake Llanquihue. "Lake District," or as locals also call it - "The City of Roses," is saturated with a German influence and resembles some European city, rather than a South American one. The main attraction here is the stunning view of the conically shaped Osorno volcano.
Osorno Volcano – what a joy it is to stand with my own two feet on the ground!
With its perfectly shaped, conical form Osorno resembles the Japanese Mount Fuji. While we stayed in the city for a couple of days, “South American Fujiyama”, stubbornly did not want to reveal itself to us, and hid behind dense clouds that were hanging over it. I almost missed my chance to see its snowy peaks, until we decided to go trekking on the volcano directly.
Osorno is 2652 m. high, above sea level. This is an active volcano. Although the activity was not observed for 150 years, nonetheless from 1575 to 1869, 11 eruptions were recorded here.
You can drive up almost to a 1200 meters altitude. From there, you can take two cable cars that go further up. The first one drops you off at about 1600 m., and the second one takes you to the upper slopes, almost to the point where snow is visible. It is possible to walk up by foot, but the slope is very loose due to the substantial accumulation of volcanic stones. Furthermore, it is steep in some places. Hence, it’s better to take cable cars up, and then walk slowly on the way back. You can climb on your own only to the point where the snow line begins. Then you will need special equipment and the help of an experienced guide who will help you walk on the glacier to the very top. The upper slopes of the volcano are almost entirely covered in glaciers all year round. When looking at that snowy shape closely, it resembles a giant ice cream that never melts.
The ride on the cable car, powerfully infiltrated into my memory. This experience was terrifying even though I’ve been skiing my entire life, and I am very used to such means of transportation. But many of the factors that day made me tremble with cold fear. First of all, I was at a high altitude, rapidly rushing even higher, right into the “belly” of the volcano. I literally felt the cold breath of the frozen mountain top, while behind me there were dizzying views of the hills, surrounded by lakes and volcanoes. The wind forced the cable car to rock from side to side. It was completely open to the outside and could only fit one other person. My feet were suspended helplessly in the air. I was trying to find some sort of footrest instinctively but soon realized there was none. I thought how high it would be to fall, and that thought increased my fear drastically. My hands started sweating, and I froze, unable to turn my head around. The earth remained behind me, and I was way too far from it!
In my head, this horrible experience lasted for quite a long time, although in fact, it probably took no longer than 15-20 minutes to get to the final destination. The main thought that came to my head after I successfully landed on the ground of the volcano was: “What a joy it is to stand with my own two feet on the ground!” Even astronauts probably don’t feel as happy when they land on earth after their long wanderings in space.
The view that opened up before me at the very top was quite impressive! The snow that never melts above me, emerald lakes below me, volcanic hills cast in red hues were surrounding me everywhere I looked, plus, I was able to simultaneously see as many as four volcanoes, including the one on which I was standing. When I imagine paradise, it looks exactly like this: boundless and marvelous.
On my way back, I descended by foot. Even though it was much longer that way, I was happy to feel the ground under my feet, although it was of volcanic descent. I noticed that after such travel experiences, I very clearly understand that I have to deal with so many internal fears. It is difficult to cope with them. It's like fighting with Windmills, where you are inevitably waiting for defeat. Well, somehow, my brave girlfriends always motivate me and each other, and fears disappear, giving place to new impressions.
So different, yet we are united by our mutual love of travel. It forces us to achieve personal milestones and to learn new skills from each other. Throughout our sometimes-chaotic wanderings, we get to know ourselves and the world around us better. Hence, without much hesitation, we have already traveled half of the world together, and there is still so much to see!
