Climbing Chaiten Volcano

Cycling along on the ripio (dirt road) we ponder the dead trees on the skyline. And then by the river, more dead trees. Next we pass info panels on the Chaiten volcano. There is a 2.5 hour walk to visit the crater… and we can see it smoking. Neither of us have ever visited a live volcano crater, so up we climb, steeply. And in due course we stand on the crater with a view of the smoking central mound and over the wilderness all around. Striking sculptures of dead trees decorate the crater top. Chaiten volcano erupted in 2008 having lain quiet for 9000 years. So it took people by surprise. And it caused considerable devastation. 15 years on and it smokes gently still. My perspective of “mountains are ancient” does not hold here.Read more