Ski touring in the Southern Volcanoes of Chile

Ski down the slopes of the stunning volcanoes in Chile (Lonquimay, Llaima, Villarrica, Mocho, Osorno) in this 9-day trip with Nicolás, IFMGA certified guide.

Group

Andes

9 Days

Jul - Nov

Description

Join me for a long week exploring the southern Chilean volcanoes by ski touring. On this amazing trip, you will discover the Araucania, the rivers and lakes district of Chile. The trip takes you through active volcanoes and incredible trees like the old araucarias. In addition, you will enjoy delicious local food, hot springs, the local culture, and other unforgettable memories.

We will ski down 5 different volcanos: Lonquimay, Llaima, Villarrica, Mocho, and Osorno. Each of them has a very different shape. It will therefore make for unique descents. Moreover, the landscapes and views of the region are stunning.

During this trip, we will discover the ancient forest of the area and the big rivers and lakes. It will also be a chance to live the culture and enjoy the great food of the area.

We will sleep in different lodges and hotels close to the mountain. The idea is to discover the region by skiing down the volcanos, eating good food, and resting in beautiful places every day.

Did you find this trip interesting? Then please contact me to organize your next adventure in the Chilean Patagonia!

Price includes

Accommodation included
Guiding fee
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Transport during the trip
Permit and entrance fees

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival

We meet at Temuco airport to begin our trip. We travel 2 hours to Malalcahuello, where we will sleep in the hostel at the bottom of Lonquimay Volcano.

Day 2: Lonquimay Volcano

After a good breakfast we drive 40 minutes to the end of the road, where we will begin climbing up the volcano. 4 to 5 hours by easy slopes (30º) and incredible views of the region will take us to the big crater of this volcano. We put the skis on top and we enjoy 1 hour of descent to the car and then to the hostel. (Hot springs optional)

Day 3: Llaima Volcano

We start early with 2 hours drive to the bottom of Llaima volcano. Then we will do a long and easy plateau before climbing up the cone that will take us to the summit and crater of this beautiful mountain. It takes around 5 to 6 hours up and around 2 hours skiing down.

Day 4: Resting day

We move from the Llaima area to the city of Pucón. There you will have the option to go to hot springs and visit the city.

Day 5: Villarrica Volcano

A 40-minute drive will leave us at the bottom of the volcano, where we will begin going up during 4-5 hours to arrive to the top of this active cone. If we are lucky we will see the lava and the activity of this beautiful mountain. The way down is easy by long slopes of snow.

Day 6: Mocho Volcano

We start early from Pucon and we drive 2 hours to the south to climb in the Mocho-Choshuenco massif. It’s a beautiful and different volcanic massif with 2 summits. We will try to go up the Mocho by 4-5 hours of climbing and descent with outstanding views. We will sleep in Neltume, where we can visit the lakes of the area and the different waterfalls of the Fuy River.

Day 7: Travel day

We do a 3 hour trip to Puerto Octay, where we will enjoy the afternoon with a good dinner and views of the lake and the volcanoes.

Day 8: Osorno volcano

We drive 1 hour to arrive to the bottom of the Osorno volcano. We will do 4-5 hours going up. In the last part we will take off the skis to climb up to the top (45º). This volcano doesn’t have a crater because there is a glacier on it. The view from the top is something you have to see by your own.

Day 9: Departure

I take you to Puerto Montt airport. It’s 1 hour drive.

Details

More info

What to bring: your complete ski equipment (alpine touring), ice axe, helmet, warm mountain clothes, gloves, headlamp, sunscreen, sunglasses, and personal items. If you like to travel light you can rent part of the equipment here in Chile.

The Villarrica volcano is the most active volcano in Chile, so restrictions to climb to the top are always changing and we will adapt the trip depending on it.

Is important to be flexible to change sketches depending on forecasts and conditions in the moment. There are many choices, and we always try to look for the best places to enjoy.

In winter we get fresh snow but is windy, so the conditions are variable, and we used to have a mixture of firm snow, powder, and ice. In spring is firm snow in the morning and spring snow at midday, so the recommendation is always to bring narrower skis with good camber.

If you would like to do a longer or shorter trip, we can organize a tailor-made trip for you.

Meeting point

Temuco airport.

About the guide

Nicolás

5.0

(7)

Mountain Guide

UIAGM/IFMGA mountain guide from Chile.

Mountains are my life. Every time I ski, climb, or hike in these incredible places I get impressed. As mountain guides, we have the best work in the world, we take people through this wonderful environment, and we enjoy discovering together.

More than 20 years ago I got into the mountains, and I never went out again. I’ve been climbing in Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, USA, France, Italy, Switzerland, Spain and around Chile.

I have done expeditions to the giants of the Andes, through the classics in the Alps, until the wild mountains of Patagonia.

As an IFMGA mountain guide, I started my training in Bolivia and finished in France (ENSA).

I speak Spanish, English, and French fluently. I can try to speak some German, Italian and Portuguese.

I work with a great team of mountain guides, so if I can’t go, I will organize everything for you to have a great time in Chile with one of my colleagues.

Languages

French | English | Spanish

Certificates

IFMGA

Request more information

What people are saying about this trip

Luke

The ski tour was well planned and the guide did a great job of finding places to ski even when the weather was bad. We got to ski some of the classic volcanos but also volcanos more off the beaten path. I would recommend this trip to anyone interested in ski mountaineering!

Christopher

Nico made the trip effortless and all of the touring routes delivered some great lines!

We had an incredible once in a lifetime trip with Nico. He was a very experienced and knowledgeable guide. He made me feel comfortable and safe in the mountains. Most of all he ensured that we had a great time. He exceeded our expectations and we really enjoyed exploring the southern volcanoes of Chile with Nico. I highly recommend this trip!

Logan

Five stars for sure! We had an amazing experience splitboarding on volcanoes with our guide, Nico, from Rutas Australes in late August. Our guide was extremely professional and ensured we had a fun and safe time. It was clear that he was an experienced mountain guide and knew the volcanoes and area extremely well. We summited 4 epic volcanoes and also visited some nice hot springs and waterfalls in the beautiful Araucania and surrounding regions. Everywhere we stayed was very comfortable and clean. Our guide made sure we had great meals each day, including snacks and lunches for each days adventure. I would definitely recommend our guide for backcountry skiing and splitboarding in Chile!

John

I had an awesome trip ski-mountaineering in the Volcanos of Southern Chile. The Explore-share system worked great, connecting me with my local mountain guide. And my guide, Nico, was one of the best I've ever experienced. He took care of every detail, including finding me an emergency dental appointment when I got an abscess! He was extremely competent in all aspects of ski mountaineering and did an excellent job of selecting routes and, more importantly, assessing when conditions necessitated a change in plans. He was also very knowledgeable about the natural and cultural history of Chile and I enjoyed getting to know the many aspects of his beautiful country! And the food and wine were excellent!